Con un piede nella fossa

Gray is constantly surprising me—whenever I consign him to the dustbin of mediocrity, he returns with a superb collection of short fiction. After a seven-year absence (where he worked as a writing professor in Glasgow), he returned refreshed with thirteen tales about senility, creativity and politic Leggi tutto

Alasdair Gray is probably my favourite living writer. I highly rate his novels and his plays, but his short stories I especially adore, and in fact Unlikely Stories Mostly is one of the best short story collections I have ever read by anyone, and one story from that collection, 'Five Letters from an Leggi tutto

You can read my entire discussion here. Review snippet: Tilda is not a woman given to subterfuge. She does not manipulate and she does not really fight with him. But as he tries to force her into a role he thinks more appropriate – like making her shop for clothes she does not want or care about – he Leggi tutto

This little book is one of my favorite finds ever in the used book section at Schulers. I was expecting to find no Alasdair Gray. I was just looking to feel superior or deprived, I suppose, but instead I found two books! Now I know I've mentioned that the short story is not my favorite format, but I Leggi tutto

A smidgen above average and not nearly good enough to qualify as great. Three or four of the stories were quirky and entertaining and the rest seemed odd or unfinished. Also included a dated piece of journalistic reportage. Ho hum.

Anybody who thinks that Irvine Welsh is a true literary original has never read anything by Alasdair Gray. That said, he's one of those authors that, in general, I respect more than I actually enjoy reading. When he gets bits of text interweaving in little boxes all backwards and upside-down, it's a Leggi tutto

I’m not sure if it was vividly brought to my own mind but the stories in ‘Ends of Our Tethers’ entertained and just felt lovely. After the first ten or fifteen pages of ‘No Bluebeard’ I was certain that this was going to be a perfect collection of short stories up until yesterday. It just lost its m Leggi tutto

13 stories about the disasters men and women visit on each other. soooo sad, funny, snarky, irreverent. should have a WARNING label on front: do not crack this if you a. have no sense of humor b. already lost your heart in this self-same sewer and what's the point?! c. both or neither. ps best read w Leggi tutto

I loved these. I read them in their section of "Every Short Story 1951-2012". I chose these to read first simply because I liked the title, which has been ringing in my head since I saw it. The Ends of Our Tethers... who isn't there these days. I read these at home but also whilst being sunburnt and Leggi tutto