Alexander McCall Smith44 Scotland Street (44 Scotland Street Series, Book 1)

Last month, my book group was looking for something lighter than we had been reading. We chose this book because some of us fondly remembered reading AMS's "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books. (I haven't read all of them, but the first three were wonderful.) AMS has a wonderful way of crawling inside his characters and make them both enjoyable and very human.This book is the first in his Edinburgh series, centered on the people in an old three-story mansion that was broken into rental apartments. There is the dead-gorgeous Bruce, far to sold on his looks, Pat the young woman who hasn't found her way in the world yet, Matthew the gallery owner who has never amounted to anything, and of course, Bertie, the 5 YO wonder boy (he plays tenor sax and speaks Italian) who just wants to be a boy while his mother desperately tries to form him into what she wants. There are more characters all of which are wonderfully introduced to us readers. (I swear the man must sit in coffee shops all day taking notes on the people and conversations around him.)For readers who have read some of his other books, this is just as good as the others. If you haven't read any of his series, by all means, start with this one. I've already ordered books 2 and 3.

Well developed, larger than life characters interacting in somewhat ludicrous situations. The style – many very short chapters – makes it a racing read. Rather different from most of McCall Smith's well-known books.

I like the women's detective series but I found this book boring. Only got half way through it.

This one probably ended up on my night stand due to a referral by some travel magazine, and I probably followed up on the referral because I had at one time, the great fortune of staying a week in the great and scenic town of Edinburgh with a side trip out to Glasgow. I was in the mood to arrive there again but couldn't bring myself to put out for the plane ticket.On the positive side, I like the concept of characters bound by an Edinburgh apartment.However, I now have to mention the competition on my nightstand was none other than Dickens' "Great Expectations". Between the two, I couldn't put Dickens down and I couldn't pick Smith up. As others point out the characters are a bit mediocre, wander around without much higher purpose in life, and expound far too long with far too little substance. In time honored fashion of literature, the author has created characters that speak his own editorial on the Edinburgh social and political scene. I also first learned here in others comments that the content was serialized into the local press. I'm wondering how well that was received.I recalled that Dickens was inventor of the serial novel and much other great literature was introduced through that mill (See wiki, Serial (literature)), but in "GE" the political editorial occurs more through a viewing of events and life situations rather than by characters voicing opinion so directly and constantly.Although "44" didn't quite take me back to Edinburgh as well as a plane ticket would, it is useful as a bookmark into the town, reminding me to dig deeper into the stack of localized stories.

"44 Scotland Street' is an address in Edinburgh, Scotland that has multiple interesting tenants. In a book, similar to "Tales of the City" by Armistead Maupin, the lives of the tenants is told to us in short chapter style as it was published in the newspaper 'The Scotland' as a serial.Besides the enjoyment of being able to read as much or little as you wish at a time, the individual tales hold you captive in their ability to make you want to know what happens next.There is Pat, a 20 yr old, second year gap student, trying to make her way in the city. She leases a shared flat with Bruce, a clerk with a surveyor company. Bruce is very aware of his beauty to all. Pat attains a job with Matthew, an art gallery owner with his own issues.A lovely widow, Domenica lives across the way and befriends Pat with her tales of life and adventure.Downstairs, is a family, Stuart, Irene, and their five year old Son, Bertie. Bertie is a genius, according to Mummy, and is forced to play the Saxophone (tenor at that,) and learn Italian. Bertie? Well, he loves trains.We meet characters from outside the apartment house as well. Big Lou, owner of the coffee house who reads everything she can, and Angus, a portrait painter with his pooch, Cyril (who sports a gold tooth and love of ale.)I read this first volume in a day. It was a compulsion to see what happened next. Not to mention to figure out the mysterious painting...Indulge yourselves and share in a good gossip. It is a guilty pleasure in this case.

In this book, Alexander McCall Smith uses a somewhat different style than that which his reader's are accustomed. This result is because the story was written as a serialized story in "The Scotsman" a daily newspaper.Each chapter is about the same size, the size of a normal 2 columns in a newspaper, and Smith recognizes, that when writing a serialized story, there is a slight difference in method that must be applied. Since there is only one day's worth of material in each segment, McCall realizes that he must make something happen in terms of plot development in every segment.He does this with great aplomb. And while Smith indicates that he is illustrating typical Scotland Archetypal personalities, it often seems to the reader, that the personalities are familiar. In fact, the personality types McCall Smith finds in Scotland seem the same as those in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles or Tokyo. Personality types seem to be as universal as good and evil.Once more, Smith creates a story that will capture the imagination, and keep the reader interested. This book is recommended for all readers of McCall Smith and any person who has ever been to or has an interest in going to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Like almost everyone, I loved the no 1 ladies.... I was astonished by the breadth of the author's knowledge and ability to put himself into the mind of someone so different from himself. However, Scotland St was simply not in the same league . It's easy to read, not unpleasant, quite well observed but bitty. It is full of the personal philosophies of the strange and colourful participants but brings in random people, including some gratuitous celebrities, for completely incomprehensible reasons. It is not coherent and I was often tempted to just put it down and move on - strangely, however, I didn't! I won't bother with any more of this series and perhaps be more wary of his other works. His first was so good, this was rather disappointing.

Mum has the whole series and listens to them over and over again - and, on the whole, thoroughly enjoys them. However she finds the character Pat .. unbelivably critical ( always being irritated by something or other ) and Angus to be the kind of person you avoid in the pub .. pompous, very pleased with himself and almost a modern day William McGonagall - with the terrible monologue he subjects his friends to at the end of each book. Irene - is great, but very true to life sadly. Very well worth buying with the audio especially if you have an elderly relative.

My previous experience of Alexander McCall Smith was limited to The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency which I thoroughly enjoyed. His relaxed style of writing continues into this 44 Scotland Street series, of which I'm currently up to Vol 4. This series set mostly in genteel Edinburgh mirrors that gentility which the author conveys regarding the Botswana of The no. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. In fact the character of Domenica McDonald in 44... mirrors that of Mma Ramotswe in the No.1.... - interesting. Forays into the more dangerous surroundings of Glasgow and Malacca (Vol 3) enliven proceedings, but the mainstays of this on going tale are its many fascinating characters. Like most (if not all) of Dickens' stories, 44.... was written for publication in episodes in a daily? newspaper. I assume each chapter was one excerpt and at the end of each chapter/excerpt we never know whether the theme will continue into the next, or will the story pass for a while to a different, equally fascinating, character or set of characters.I've just started on Vol 4 and have to say that I can't bring to mind any other series which I could enjoy reading consecutively to this extent - except, perhaps The No.1......So, there you have it; it must be the author's imagination and style.

Centred on the occupants of apartments in an Edinburgh house, this book started life as a serialised newspaper column so is built from a series of short chapters in each of which something happens and enough remains unexplained to whet the appetite for the next one. There are several threads interlaced, as the main characters interact with each other and with others from around the city. It works well, though maybe better when you read only one bit at a time and there were several dead ends.For example, a group explore an abandoned tunnel (why?) and come across a meeting of influential people - and there it drops, no follow on. A painting is bought in a charity shop and seems to disappear, not mentioned again.I've only been to Edinburgh once (really liked it) and its obvious that this is written for people who know it well; but if not you know it better by the end.But Its a very light read, the characters are vivid and all are flawed (some with great crevasses) and some quite deep issues are addressed. I'll read more of the series.

This is not at all the book I thought it would be. Some years ago I read a book called "47 Charing Cross Road" at least I think that was the title. It was about a book seller and the correspondence with one of its customers over many years. This is the type of book I anticipated. Instead, it is a disjointed series of events non of which are particularly interesting. The books seems to be aimed at a female readership. Definitely not one for me.