Love Over Scotland

44 Scotland Street #3

by Alexander McCall Smith

With his characteristic warmth, inventiveness and brilliant wit, Alexander McCall Smith gives us more of the gloriously entertaining comings and goings at 44 Scotland Street, the Edinburgh townhouse. Six-year-old prodigy Bertie perseveres in his heroic struggle for truth and balanced good sense against his insufferable mother and her crony, the psychotherapist Dr Fairbairn, going as far as to make a short-lived bid for freedom on a trip to Paris with the Edinburgh youth orchestra. Domenica sets off on an anthropological odyssey with pirates in the Malacca Straits, while Pat attracts several handsome admirers, including a toothsome suitor named Wolf. And Big Lou, eternal source of coffee and good advice to her friends, has love, heartbreak and erstwhile boyfriend Eddie's misdemeanours on her own mind.

Genres: Fiction, Scotland, Humor, Audiobook, Contemporary, Mystery, Adult Fiction

355 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Reviews

[Judith E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander McCall Smith’s characters run the gamut. Gangster, pirate, mother, child prodigy, artist, student, psychotherapist, anthropologist - one of these will remind you of someone you know and their gentle message will ring true. This continues to be a series that simply makes me happy. It’s potato chip reading and I’m licking the salt off my fingers ready to open bag #4, “The World According to Bertie”.

[Ken Deshaies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't help myself. I start one of Smith's novels thinking something like, "Well, this will just be more of the same." Forgetting, of course, how much I enjoyed the last one. Before you know it, I'm laughing out loud and find I have a hard time putting the book down to, say, sleep. His sense of humor is consistent, and Bertie continues to be an absolute kick. Bertie's adventures are both amazingly unbelievable and believable. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but for a kid who has an interest in reading scientific journals, not to mention people like Freud and Jung, he has a knack for carrying on adult conversations with adults. But he also remains very kid-like in his searching for, and trying to figure out, friendship with kids his own age. He can be very bumbling in that respect. The other denizens of 44 Scotland Street, and their close friends, have lives that tend to intertwine in intricate ways as they discover more about others and about themselves. After all, growing up is hard to do, even when you are advanced in years.

Each of the books in this series is like the next chapter. You'll definitely want to read them all. Now, which is the next in the series?

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother loved this author and read everything she could find that he wrote. I lost my mother in 2018 at the age of 95...so I have tried to read at least one or more of her favorite authors every year. Our tastes varied greatly to say the least, but we found equal joy in Alexander McCall Smith. Her father, my grandfather, was from Scotland...and she always said that Smith’s stories reminded her of her Dad. I read the first book in this series but somehow missed the second one...but it didn't seem to be a big thing...I could happily continue to enjoy being a voyeur in the lives of the richly drawn characters who reside in and around Scotland Street. If you enjoy character-driven stories of ordinary people facing their everyday ups and downs, you will enjoy this series. It is light and refreshing visit with real-life people with real-life problems and joys.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second read, 2018:

Alexander McCall Smith's books are restorative, like meditation, prayer or time with nature. They fill you up and restore your belief in the world in general and human beings, in particular.

This series is different from his No. 1 Ladies series, but they are the same in that both are populated with wise people you learn a lot from, and explore a country, at least for Americans, that is less familiar in Scotland.

I just love Alexander McCall Smith and it seems that, at least until the midterm elections here, I will probably be reading his books. Maybe I will finish this series, as I've only read the first five. My memory is bad enough that I only remember major events, so it's been really nice to revisit this one. AMS warms my heart every time.

Note: If you, like me, are disturbed and anxious re the state of our govt and its current leaders' ties to Putin, please join me in checking out the following links to help flip Congress in November so we can restore sanity once again: Http://Www.textthevote.com (use an app or an internet site to text voters prior to an election to remind them to vote, or register young voters) and http://www.postcardstovoters.org to write cards to voters in close elections in key areas.

Thank you for reading and please do yourself a favor and read this book, or any of AMS's work!

First read, 2010:
This series keeps getting better! I just love Alexander McCall Smith. No matter which series you read, his charm and wisdom is there every time. I am so glad he's such a prolific author.

[Persephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gentle offering from Edinburgh. And it's rather nice, what with death, disease, global warming, and possible financial disaster in the headlines, to escape into the more manageable problems of those living in and around 44 Scotland Street.

The last "44 Scotland Street novel" I read was The World According to Bertie, which takes place after this one, but it doesn't matter. The characters in these novels lead busy lives with plenty of time for reflection. Here's an example I particularly liked:

"Have you noticed, Lou, how it feels when you know that somebody doesn't like you? . . . . And you know that you've done nothing to deserve this. You've done them no wrong. They just don't like you. It's an odd feeling, isn't it?"
Big Lou looked up at the ceiling. Matthew was right. It was an odd feeling. One felt somehow that it was unfair that the other felt that way. But it was more than that. The unmerited dislike of another made one think less of oneself. We are enlarged by the love of others; we are diminished by their dislike.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Bertie is my favorite, with the adventures of Pat and Matthew coming in close behind. I admit to being a bit bored by Domenica MacDonald in the Malacca Straits, because it just seemed so odd without being odd enough. I enjoyed this reader, though, because he does an excellent job sounding smug as he does Irene, and I laughed very hard at Dr. Fairbairn's decision that Tofu was imaginary, because "no one would name a child Tofu."

[Donna Radcliff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to hang this series up for now. To be honest, I don't care about most of the characters; not Pat and Matthew, or Big Lou, certainly not Antonia Collie, or Domenica and Angus (though the world seen through Clive's canine eyes was pretty good). It got to the point that I was just reading the chapters about Bertie. Those were great. However, I keep waiting for Bertie to dissociate and his evil side would exact a terrible revenge on his mother that includes much pain and blood. Even better, Clive could be his hellhound and they would rip to shreds all the insipid residents of 44 Scotland Street. Yeah, now that's the ticket!

[Trelawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series, it makes me smile. The daily lives of a group of not so ordinary individuals may not seem like the stuff of great writing but in the hands of Alexander McCall Smith it truly is. I have come to love his characters and follow their exploits keenly and look forward to picking up with Angus, Bertie, Domenica et al in the near future.

[Zen Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it difficult to understand why people dislike Alexander McCall Smith. I can kinda see them not getting the point (I can't get the point of Henry James, which is much more literarily embarrassing), but I'm not sure why you'd dislike him. I guess you might find him twee?

Anyway, I love his books. The Two and a Half Pillars of Wisdom is still my favourite, because it is the perfect example of the kind of gentle absurdity I think he is best at, and because I read it at a time when I badly needed its kindness and humour. But I'm fonder of the 44 Scotland Street books than I expected to be. My favourite is Bertie. Perhaps Irene could be portrayed in a more balanced fashion, but there's a certain pleasure in getting to dislike her character as much as you want. Her character type is one that is all too familiar to me in life.

I'm a little worried about Pat hooking up with Matthew. He's a nice guy and all, but I think she could do better. Of course, in view of her terrible taste in men, I should probably be grateful that she's ended up with Matthew. I still think it's settling. I can no longer remember what dreadful thing happened in Australia, if indeed it was ever explained.

Could see the resolution of the Malaccan pirates storyline coming from a mile off, as anybody who knew anything about Malaysia could, but I still liked it. It was lame, and it relied a bit too obviously on your not knowing anything about Malaysia, but it was just a relief that McCall Smith didn't go as wrong as he could've done. Also pirates are funny.

Yet again the problem with books about people in SEA written by people not from SEA, though -- the English spoken by the Malaysians was perfect, which was better than its being offensively broken, but it sounded nothing like Malaysian English. Which is a fantastic dialect, okay.

[Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander McCall Smith is my go-to author when I need a comfort read, especially his 44 Scotland Street series. I wasn’t particularly in need of being comforted (but had recently read Dostoyevsky, which comes to the same thing), and once in a while I love dipping my toes into a cosy atmosphere of companionship and philosophical tittle tattle, which is exactly what this book offers.

It is the third installment of the series, and we follow the usual suspect in the Scottish capital through all the little dramas that make up their lives. The tone is casual, warm and witty, the topics mundane, philosophical or ridiculous. Every now and then the authorial voice takes over too much and becomes a bit preachy, in a good-natured but sentimental way, but overall the book is, once again, full of life. I enjoy the series immensely.

[Vio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander McCall Smith* is still going strong.

3,5 *

I am continuing with the series. I am not bothered by some inadvertencies, like Bertie was never in a plane. But I remember him going to Portugal at some point and I bet it was not by boat.

I needed that long a time to finish this book just because of the #coronavirus frenzy. Hope to do better in the future. Stay safe, everyone!

I first wrote Alexander McCall *Street*. Ahahaha!

[Christia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming little book! Alexander McCall Smith is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. Love Over Scotland is part of a series (not the first, but the only one I've read so far) concerning the adventures (or misadventures) of a handful of residents / neighbors who all live in the same apartment building "in" Scotland Street.

I love dear, precocious little Bertie, who to be so young, has an amazingly perceptive view of life. He also happens to be a very patient and resourceful six year old who tolerates his overbearing mother Irene very kindly and handles his surprise extended stay in Paris very creatively!

I love McCall Smith's occasional, gentle, insightful musings sprinkled throughout the book (which is reminiscent of his Sunday Philosophy Club series). I love that he included Cyril the dog's perspective in addition to those of the humans. "Cyril loved Angus with all his heart, and this sudden remembering of Angus, this knowledge that Angus was not with him, made the world as dark and cold as if the sun had dropped out of the sky." No dog could have expressed it better.

Other quotes I loved:

"Bertie was under no illusions as to how unkind children could be to one another. Look at Tofu. Look at Olive. Look at the sorts of thing they said about other people. Being down there, being among the children, was like living in a jungle teeming with predators."

"(Tofu) understood that principle which everybody, but particularly politicians and statesmen understand very well: you only ever hit weaker people."

and finally ". . we must love one another, whatever our condition in life, canine or otherwise, and that this love is a matter of joy, a privilege, that we might think about, weep over, when the moment is right." Amen, Mr. McCall Smith.

You can't help but grow to like these characters: gentle Matt, confident, no nonsense Domenica, rock solid, steady Lou, even Angus and his amusing attempt to impress Antonia with a dinner party that goes terribly wrong.

I would love for any of these characters (with the exception of Irene) to be my neighbors, and I look forward to reading the other books in this delightful series.

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I didn't think I wanted to finish this, as it seemed a bit too slow and boring, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once I got to know the characters, and got used to the dry humor, I began to enjoy it a lot more. I believe little 6 year old Bertie is the star; not just he himself, but the people and attention he attracts. His mother is a total loser, as his his analyst.

There were also some very likable characters, some romance, etc. Not my favorite type of book, but pretty enjoyable for a change.

[Erika Pensaert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday in Scotland, book 1
Glasgow/Edinburgh. I was walking around in the new town and I recognised a lot of street names.

[Jenn Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying listening to the 44 Scotland Street stories: they are the perfect audiobook for driving to and from places, since they aren't a traditionally plotted novel, but a series of interconnected vignettes that are short enough to finish one or two by the time I get to my destination, and not feel too distressed about stopping the story for a while. Fortunately, there were fewer long-winded explanations of philosophy or history or a boring character's monologuing in this volume than in the last installment, so I enjoyed it as a whole significantly more than "Espresso Tales." The characters I love, like Bertie and Angus and Big Lou, I still love. However, Irene has become even more loathsome, if that is possible, and I'm even angrier with her husband for not intervening on Bertie's behalf. Another quibble I have is that my favorite episodes: Bertie's Paris excursion, Cyril's abduction, Domenica's fieldwork, suddenly ended so abruptly and without much detailed explanation of their resolutions, which made me quite grumpy and I almost couldn't give this overall delightful story 4 stars (except that, really, the scene between Angus and Cyril in the Cumberland bar was worth it)! Ah well...I have already readied "The World According to Bertie" in my Audible queue. I'm excited to continue listening to these delightful Edinburgh lives!

[Gemma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but this book bored me witless.
This is the first in the series I have read, and I picked it up from a hotel reception as there was nothing else.
The book does give a description of what happened in the last installment at the beginning, so felt that it would be fine to pick up half way through, and it was. The story was easy to follow, it was just very very boring.
I was expecting a soap opera type theme, but there was no scandal, no excitement with any of the characters, they all just went about their daily lives with nothing ever happening.
The only character I did like, was Bertie and his over protective mother. I started off enjoying reading about Pat, but that died out too.
There were also illustrations in the book, which I found really bad and completely unnecessary.
I did not enjoy this at all, and won't be reading any more in this series.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I learned: Don't be fooled by having like an author's previous books that the next one will be good, too.

I picked this up at the library to have a small "purse" book to take along to a doctor appointment.

Yow! What a let down. This book isn't worth your time. He has a series of characters and rotates between them - you know that technique. But the end of the book I was skipping through all but one of the story lines, and I didn't care much about that one.

Read a better book! Or clean house. Dusting would be more rewarding than reading this book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my view, this is one of the best so far in this great series. Delightful, charming, and often extremely funny. Just the tonic needed during a difficult week.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come dice mia mamma, questa serie funzionerebbe benissimo anche con solo Bertie.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: Edinburgh, Scotland - 44 Scotland Street series, Book #3.
At the end of the last book, I did wonder what was going to happen as several of the characters had left. But, fear not! - as we followed Domenica Macdonald on her anthropological mission to live with pirates in Malacca as well as keeping updated with the shenanigans of Bertie and his irascible mother, artist Angus and his dog Cyril and Matthew running his gallery, still ably assisted by Pat. And then there is also Lou's cafe - the hub of the community. We also have some new characters, as Antonia moves into Domenica's flat temporarily and immediately has an impact on artist, Angus. Then, also, the saga of Stuart's Volvo again raises its head, with implications for Glasgow gangster Lard O'Connor!
Yet another lovely story in the series with much to keep the interest and enjoyment going. Looking forward to reading the next two books in March! - 9/10.

[barbara_abhome · Rating 4 out of 5]

"E' molto importante essere capaci di accettare i regali. Accettare con buona grazia è un'arte, un'arte che la maggior parte di noi non si preoccupa di coltivare. Pensiamo di dover imparare a dare, ma dimentichiamo il ricevere, che può essere anche più difficile del dare. Ricevere regali crea obblighi. Tuttavia ci sono regali che sono doni autentici, a cui non è legata nessuna condizione. Bisogna saper capire che accettare il dono di un'altra persona significa permetterle di esprimere i suoi sentimenti per noi."

[Mollypputnam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book on CD narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie


Book # 3 in the 44 Scotland Street series which follows a group of residents (current or former) of a particular apartment building in Edinburgh. Domenica Macdonald has left for the Malacca Straits to do some anthropological research on pirates. Angus Lordie’s dog, Cyril, has been stolen. Young precocious Bertie finds himself joining the Teenage Orchestra and taking a trip to Paris – without his Mum. Pat begins a new romance with a handsome man named Wolf. And Matthew tries to find happiness … and please Pat.

There’s not much plot to these books, but just as in everyday life, things DO happen. There are moments of joy, or heartache, of success, or failure. People form attachments, or break off relationships, start new careers or find new enthusiasm for established routines.

It’s a gentle read and a wonderful way to spend a few hours with old friends.

Robert Ian Mackenzie does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I love the many voices he uses to differentiate the characters, and particularly like the way he voices Bertie.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a lovely couple of days spending time with the inhabitants of 44 Scotland Street and their friends. Sandy McCall-Smith continues to keep the story fresh while keeping the familiarity the main characters. As always it's hilarious for anyone with a passing interest in Edinburgh, Scotland in general and the rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The books have, I feel, the faintest hint of disapproval of gender issues. I'm trying to assess whether that's because I do a lot of work in that area and therefore notice it more than other things in the book. I really can't tell. Perhaps I'm the subject of the satire as much as any reader of the book. If so I read on and laugh along anyway.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I have learned enough about these characters in the first two books. Upon picking this book up I found myself bored with the characters. Pat is no longer living at 44 Scotland St and lost my interest when her immaturity began to show in the second book. Bruce, who I loved to be annoyed by is in London and Domenica is off chasing pirates. I am bored. The only one I wanted to see more about is little Bertie, but I just could not get myself to push through to see his parts. Maybe one day I will pick this book up again, but right now it is not working for me at all.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the character that I couldn't stand has passed away and so that is promising for further offerings in the series. There is really only one human character and one dog that I appreciate in this series but I adore the voice of the audio reader, with his comfy brogue, so this has become my go-to in the car. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series as it is titled The World According to Bertie and Bertie, the world's most fascinating six year old is the reason I am still listening!

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author strings together lovely little vignettes and gives us his usual musings together with amusing anecdotes which all together make for an entertaining, even thought-provoking, read. He gives a beautiful eulogy (p. 301-303) of an ordinary man. The mostly endearing characters (with a few unpleasant ones) are all interesting. Especially charming is little six-year-old prodigy Bertie –Pierre on his Parisian excursion and Angus’ dog Cyril. Illustrated by Iain McIntosh.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of the volumes of the 44 Scotland Street Tales. Originally published per installment in the Scotsman newspaper, they never cease to entertain and amuse. One of my favorite characters is the dog. He characterizes the behavior of dogs wonderfully. I also love poor Bertie and enduring battles with his mother.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 44 Scotland Street, the first book in this series quite a while ago. The title is the address of an apartment block in what is known as Edinburgh's New Town. The first book was primarily about some tenants of the apartment block. Pat is an art student who works part time at Matthew's art gallery. Irene and Stuart are a young couple in the same apartment block. They have a gifted young son called Bertie. Another resident, Domenica, is a social scientist.

There are short chapters that carry the story forward slowly, focusing on one or two characters at a time. So far I have read only two books in the series and they seem to chart the happenings a year at a time.

On the surface, the book seems to be full of small incidents, not very remarkable at times. I soon realized that our life is like that. There are a series of small events, things we would not even bother to recount to our friends but collectively they make up our lives. Just when we are getting used to the small incidents, something big happens. Angus' dog Cyril is stolen, Bertie gets left behind in Paris by his orchestra mates

I was reminded of Sketches by Boz and also Pickwick Papers the latter especially when things get very funny. There were many times that I found myself laughing out loud. The characters have their quirks which are well exploited by the author. I found the exchanges between Irene and her son, Bertie very funny. Irene is very determined about what her son should do and rides roughshod over his feelings. Most times Bertie just wants to be left alone which is something Irene never listens to.

Matthew was my favorite character in the first book and I was happy to see him more successful in this book. Angus Lordie, Big Lou, Domenica, Pat, Matthew, Bertie, Stuart, Irene are described with such warmth that we cannot help feeling attached to them.

I am glad that there are 12 books in the series, I can have a whale of a time reading through them.

[Gláucia Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terceiro livro da série 44 Scotland Street onde acompanhamos o dia-a-dia das peculiares pessoas que habitam esse prédio e o entorno.
Como em todo livro do autor não teremos grandes ou impactantes acontecimentos mas as situações são tão pitorescas quanto seus interessantes personagens, alguns inspirados em amigos do autor.
Domenica McDonald, a antropóloga parte para a Malásia onde estudará uma comunidade de piratas modernos. Mathew resolve investir em seu guarda-roupa e todos percebem que ele precisa de ajuda. Angus Lordie sentirá muita saudade de Domenica e terá que se contentar com a companhia de Antonia. Pat ainda tentando se encontrar. Que menina carente!
Mas o melhor é o garoto prodígio Bertie e sua mãe controladora. O menino consegue uma vaga de saxofonista na orquestra de adolescentes (apesar de ter apenas 6 anos) e poderá ter um descanso de sua mãe indo para Paris numa inusitada viagem com os membros da orquestra.
Nada de mais mas não há nada tão delicioso de se ler...



Histórico de leitura
27/05/2019

"- We can leave Patrick O'Brian out of this. I know that Daddy likes to read his books. Silly Daddy. Patrick O'Brian appeal to men because he makes them think that they can scape from their resposibilities by going to sea.""

"Irene looked disdainfully at the naval tale: "Pure masculine fantasy. Escape to sea, to a world wilhout women. Rather sad, in a way."

"It's so refreshing to see a male writer having a go at a truly nasty woman; male writers don't dare do that these days. You wouldn't get a modern Flaubert punishing Madame Bovary as the real Flaubert did."

"One feature of the chain coffee shops was the absence of conversation between staff and customer, and indeed between customer and customer. Nobody spoke in such places; the staff said nothing because they had nothing to say; the customers because they felt inhibited from talking in such standardised surroundings."

"Pat let her gaze move slowly round the room, over the figures seated at the table in the seminar room."