Regular marked price: $13.95Discount Price: $11.16
Cost Savings: $2.79 (20%)Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN num: 9781400079445
ISBN number: 1400079446
Label: Anchor
Manufacturer: Anchor
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: June 14, 2005
Publishing house: Anchor
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 8783
Studio: Anchor
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Welcome to 44 Scotland Street, home to some of Edinburgh's most colorful characters. There's Pat, a twenty-year-old who has recently moved into a flat with Bruce, an athletic young man with a keen awareness of his own appearance. Their neighbor, Domenica, is an eccentric and insightful widow. In the flat below are Irene and her appealing son Bertie, who is the victim of his mother’s desire for him to learn the saxophone and italian–all at the tender age of five.
Love triangles, a lost painting, intriguing new friends, and an encounter with a famous Scottish crime writer are just a few of the ingredients that add to this delightful and witty portrait of Edinburgh society, which was very first published as a serial in The Scotsman newspaper.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Based upon my enjoyment of McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series, I bought all four of the '44 Scotland Steet' books. I don't care to finish the very first book, '44 Scotland Street', and plan to return the other three books. I have never seen such a dreary collection of mal-contented characters gathered in one story, and don't even care what happens to them all. If I can't care about at least one of them, then I can't care about the story's outcome. The author shows no resemblance whatsoever to the one who wrote about the noble characters and humorous daily life that I came to appreciate while reading the "No. 1..". series. There is no sizzle, no tension, no appreciation for the author or his characters, no timing. PASS!
Rated by buyers -
44 Scotland Street
This was a different kind of story from the ones I have read by this author, but it was interesting and fun, once I got into the personalities of the various interwoven characters.
It ended with open possibilities, so that I am sure there will be a sequel to the story. I shall look for it to come out.
Rated by buyers -
First, I am a faithful reader of McCall's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. So, I bought this book after reading that McCall serialized this novel in the style of Maupin's "Tales of the City." ["Tales of the City" is filled with lively, colourful characters -- one of which is the city of San Francisco -- a truly delightful book.]
Edinburgh is another such place, a fantastic city filled with interesting people. I'm sorry to say that not one of these characters made it into "44 Scotland Street." If one were to judge Edinburgh and the people therein by this book, you'd believe the city were filled with mundane folks.
I didn't hate the book but I couldn't recommend that anyone waste their time reading it, either.
Rated by buyers 
-
I'm not really sure why I even picked this book up (or the other books in the series, all of which are just as fun as this one). I couldn't get interested in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and I loathed Isabel Dalhousie, the smug, boring heroine of the Sunday Philosophy Club "mysteries".
But this book is really a delight. The pacing of 44 Scotland Street is very deft and the characters are an interesting mix. I enjoyed reading about each one of them, the good and the bad, the weak and the strong.
Rated by buyers -
In this series by Alexander McCall Smith, there is not as much philosophy as plain unadulterated (tho' calculated) fun. Because "44" runs as a newspaper serial, it must be served up in daily doses that carry one over to the subsequent day's episode. In its book form readers may gallop ahead to the subsequent hurdle (champing at the bit, to continue in a horsy vein).
You will find your outlook of Edinburgh, the city and soul, broadened: A memorable top floor flat is shared by newcomer Pat and two absentee tenants & the wildly narcissistic Bruce. The occupants of other flats in the building also play important roles, as do a few real live citizens of the city. Pat is a college student "on sabbatical" or "gap year". An interesting part of the package is Pat's psychiatrist father who doles out great advice ~ from another part of town.
Each character seems to be weighted with extremes of personality & that is where the fun lies for me. "What a hoot" my Edinburgh friends would say, although they may not need to turn to McCall Smith's books to provide them with droll characters, ironic turns of phrase, poetic quotations, etc. They doubtless have a good supply of their own "indelible" moments.
"Pulling the legs" of many readers, the author had a good time with a story about investigating a tunnel under 44 Scotland Street. His wonderful multi-dimensional character, Domenica, leads a few friends & comes to a place where the group listens to a dinner discusion just above their heads. Voices of well-known (Edinburghers*) Establishment figures are recognized & sly remarks made for the reader to cogitate upon. (actually, only in Indiana would citizens of an "Edinburg/h" be called that).
The book naturally leaves readers 'hanging' in the fashion of serials. Very happily there are already three more volumes to help satisfy our curiosity & hunger for further escapades involving these strangers who now occupy a secure place in the labyrinths of memory. Lovely, storied Edinburgh, its "angled streets" pull at our heartstrings.
Illustrations by Iain McIntosh as mentioned in the author's Preface, are
clever, humorous and total perfection: I yearn for a door-knocker of his design; ditto, kitchen faucets!
I will try to add an IMAGE of the Iain McIntosh website above . . . Edinburgh, Friendship, and "tears of rain" . . . memories old & new, for all that I express grateful thanks to Alexander McCall Smith, my favorite 'long-distance runner'.
*commentary-with-a-small-c* by mchaiku
Find other books like this one:
