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Loading... One City (2005)by Alexander McCall Smith (Contributor), Ian Rankin (Contributor), Irvine Welsh (Contributor)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This is a collection of three long-ish stories by three famous Edinburgh authors, Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh, produced to support the OneCity Trust. Each of these authors is a master story-teller, and this is a strong collection. All three stories take place in Edinburgh. McCall Smith's story ("The Unfortunate Fate of Kitty da Silva) features an Indian immigrant to Edinburgh, and focuses on his alienation in the cold Scottish social climate. It is a bit darker and more serious than other works I have read by him. Always a keen observer of human relationships and interactions, in this story he delves a bit more deeply into prejudice, loneliness and isolation. There is humor here, of course, and an uplifting conclusion, as per the author's trademark style. A first-rate story by an author at his prime. Rankin's story ("Showtime") stars a homeless man who turns to magic tricks to try to improve his lot in life. Through a series of chance encounters, he finds hope for a different sort of future. I've read several of Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels, and this story has an entirely different feel to it: the city of Edinburgh is brighter and friendlier, and there is a hint of magical realism here, which feels playful. A look into a different, less-twisted part of Rankin's mind. Welsh's story ("Murrayfield (you're having a laugh)") takes place over the course of maybe an hour, as a tiger on the loose terrorizes a neighborhood. The characters include a slightly daft woman, an aging narrow-minded widow, and a foul-mouthed drug-dealer, all neighbors, and their stoner mailman. This is a wry commentary on the suspicion of the middle class: towards the authorities, threats to their lifestyle (drugs especially) and of course, each other. This is a very, very funny story for those who don't mind a bit of seriously dirty language and parsing the Scottish dialect. no reviews | add a review
All proceeds from the book will go to the One City charity, which fights social exclusion in the city. Edinburgh's Lord Provost Lesley Hinds said: 'This book project is exactly what One City is all about. The idea of three successful Edinburgh authors, with very different perspectives, getting together to raise awareness and money by using their talent and creativity, is really exciting.' No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The Unfortunate Fate Of Kitty da Silva by Alexander McCall Smith;
4/5
I enjoyed this story so much. At first it took me a a while to get into it, and I didn't think I would enjoy it at all, but once I read the ending I was really impressed. I liked it a lot.
Showtime by Ian Rankin
2/5
I really didn't enjoy this story at all, I found it boring and hard to get through, probably because the subject wasn't of interest to me. I just found I could really get into it.
Murrayfield (you're having a laugh)
3/5
I enjoyed this one more than the second story in the book, however not as much as the first. I found it a little rushed and I didn't like how the dialogue was laid out.
Overall thoughts on the collection;
I would recommend The first story but not the second two. ( )