The Oxford Book of Scottish Short Stories

by Douglas Dunn (editor)

Encompassing magical fairy tales and modern innovative works, The Oxford Book of Scottish Short Stories surveys the rich literary heritage of Scotland, in a collection of forty-four superb tales, the most extensive such anthology in print.
Here readers will discover such wonderful tales as "The Wee Bannock," Sir Walter Scott's classic "The Two Drovers" (widely considered the first true short story ever written), Muriel Spark's "Bang-Bang You're Dead," and James Kelman's "Sunday Papers." Not only are the finest writers of the past
well represented--including familiar faces such as Sir James Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson--but there's also a host of superb modern writers here as well, such as Shena MacKay, Alan Spence, Margaret Elphinstone, Ronald Frame, and Janice Galloway, to name but a few.
With a highly informative and insightful introduction by Douglas Dunn, one of Scotland's leading literary figures, this anthology offers a revealing look at the best of Scottish writing.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Collections, Scotland, Anthologies

506 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 1995

About the author

Douglas Eaglesham Dunn is a Scottish poet, academic and critic.

He was a Professor of English at the University of St Andrews from 1991, becoming Director of the University's Scottish Studies Centre in 1993 until his retirement in September 2008. He is now an Honorary Professor at St Andrews, still undertaking postgraduate supervision in the School of English. He was a member of the Scottish Arts Council (1992–1994). He holds an honorary doctorate (LL.D., law) from the University of Dundee, an honorary doctorate (D.Litt., literature) from the University of Hull and St Andrews. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1981, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003. Terry Street, Dunn's first collection of poems, appeared in 1969 and received a Scottish Arts Council Book Award as well as a Somerset Maugham Award.

Reviews

[Carine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this only meaning to read the greats (Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Muriel Spark, J.M. Barrie, James Kelman, Alasdair Gray), but ended up finishing the whole thing. I want to read more of John Buchan and Elspeth Davie especially, but most of the stories left an impression.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon ("Smeddum") and Muriel Spark ("Bang-Bang You're Dead") are spot-on - just what short stories should be. The J.M.Barrie short is total rubbish. Alasdair Gray, self-loathing egomaniac, is just shy of brilliant. If you haven't read James Kelman's novels, "Home for a Couple of Days" sums them up nicely.

I never considered the real art that goes into curating until I read this collection. It gives a feeling of Scotland through the centuries - the social classes, the cities, the farms, the alcoholism: a land (largely) without irony.

[Milton Fulghum · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the lowest rating I have ever given, but I had to force myself to finish this book. Many of the stories use such heavy brough that I could not make sense of what was written. Many of the stories were very depressing in subjects. No more than five of the stories were of any interest to me.

[anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have not read all the short stories in this anthology of works from the 19th cen through today, but "The Life and Death of George Wilson" by Neil Patterson in here is one of my favorite short stories ever. It's "best of" anthology from the past 200 years so they're all really good.

[hh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this collection is huge, and out of all of it, there were only a handful of stories that didn't really sing for me. highly recommended, especially to anyone who enjoys dark fiction. since this book spans centuries, it gives a real perspective on continuities in scottish literature.