Product Description

The latest completely charming installment in the bestselling 44 Scotland Street series.

There is never a quiet moment on 44 Scotland Street. In The World According to Bertie, Pat deals with the reappearance of Bruce, which has her heart skipping—and not in a pleasant way. Angus Lordie's dog Cyril has been taken away by the authorities, accused of being a serial biter. Unexpectedly, Domenica has offered to help free him. As usual, Big Lou is still looking for love, and handing out coffee and advice to the always contemplative Matthew. And Bertie, the beleaguered Italian-speaking six year old prodigy, now has a little brother, Ulysses, who Bertie hopes will help distract his pushy mother Irene.

Beautifully observed, cleverly detailed, The World According to Bertie is classic McCall Smith and a treat for his avid fans as well as his first time readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6425 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-11
• Released on: 2008-11-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307387066
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Smith delivers yet another delightful installment to his Scotland Street series. This time out, he focuses mostly on the irrepressible Bertie Pollock, a precocious six-year-old whose mummy, Irene, forces him to play a saxophone, converse in Italian, do yoga and see Dr. Hugo Fairbairn, a psychotherapist who looks a lot like Bertie's baby brother, Ulysses. As Bertie struggles to accommodate his nutty mummy and new brother, another crisis explodes for artist Angus Lordie, whose beloved dog, Cyril, has been thrown in the pound for biting someone. Cyril is innocent, and Angus, with Bertie's assistance, sets out to rescue Cyril before he's put down. Subplots abound, and Smith details with dependable whimsical flair the romantic progress of Scotland Street familiars Matthew, Pat and Bruce. Series fans know what to expect, and they get it by the truckload. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
This fourth installment—following Love over Scotland—in New York Times best-selling author McCall Smith's (www.mccallsmith.com) "44 Scotland Street" series centers on a group of Edinburgh denizens' quirky and intriguing antics as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old boy. The book can stand alone, though listeners would benefit from meeting the characters earlier in the series. Actor/narrator Robert Ian Mackenzie's (Freddy and Fredericka) voice and delivery are wonderful; however, he could have done a better job distinguishing among the numerous characters. For mystery and audio collections in public libraries, especially those with previous McCall Smith titles.—Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Six-year-old saxophonist Bertie Pollock steals the show in this fourth installment in McCall Smith’s witty and wise 44 Scotland Street series (after Love over Scotland, in 2007). Precocious Bertie, who counts command of Italian among his many talents, had hoped that the arrival of his little brother, Ulysses, would give him a break from his overbearing mother, Irene. No such luck. She continues to monitor his every move, even demanding his help with Ulysses’ care (including the dreaded diaper change). Meanwhile, irrepressible painter Angus Lordie is depressed over the precarious fate of his dog, Cyril, who’s been labeled a serial biter. Pat, too, is dogged by the reappearance of consummate narcissist and cad Bruce, who’s back in Edinburgh after time spent in London. Also returning are anthropologist Domenica Macdonald, who finds plenty of subjects to study right in her own building, and Big Lou, owner of the local coffee bar and earnest listener to the laments of well-to-do Matthew, who’s every bit as unremarkable as his distressed-oatmeal sweater. McCall Smith writes with wry humor and heart about his native Scotland, as in this description of one of the country’s potables, Crabbie’s Green Ginger Wine: “redolent of everything quintessentially Edinburgh: slightly sharp, slightly disapproving, slightly superior.” Loyal fans and newcomers alike will marvel at McCall Smith’s ability to find deep meanings in the small moments of life. --Allison Block

Customer Reviews

"Bertie wanted...to be the average boy, but he knew that this would forever be beyond his reach--[because of] his mother."
(4.5 stars) Alexander McCall Smith always succeeds in charming his readers with warm and humorous tales of almost normal life, lived by people who care about each other and share the values that make life worth living. Like the other novels in this series, the "plot" here consists of episodes in the lives of several loosely connected characters from 44 Scotland Street as they face separate problems of crucial importance to them (and sometimes them alone) in their everyday lives.

Little Bertie Pollock, six years old, "just wants to be normal." Forced by his domineering mother Irene to go to advanced music classes, yoga, and psychotherapy once a week, he cannot be a rough-and-tumble boy. Irene has even enlisted his help when she pumps breast milk for the baby. In the past Bertie has found some comfort from Cyril, a dog with one gold tooth, who belongs to Angus Lordie, a painter who lives in the building, but Cyril is in the pound, and Angus is in the midst of legal proceedings to reclaim him.

Other characters at 44 Scotland Street and its neighborhood are also dealing with problems. Matthew, a quiet young man who runs an art gallery, hopes that Pat, who works in his gallery, will become more fond of him--and that he will become more fond of her--given enough time. Bruce, a devastatingly handsome narcissist with few financial resources, takes advantage of Julia by moving in with her. Big Lou Brown, who runs the local coffee shop, falls in love with a construction worker who wants to return the Stuarts to the throne, and Antonia, who has previously rented Dominica's flat, buys her own place in the building and finds new "love."

McCall Smith's "ordinary" characters with almost-ordinary problems are just absurd enough to keep the reader interested in their lives while remaining just "normal" enough that the reader can smile in recognition at their folly. Far too gentle to be considered a satirist, McCall Smith nevertheless pokes fun at Edinburgh life--the clubs, intellectual pretensions, and social activities--placing his characters in the context of the city and using irony to give their problems perspective and humor. Occasionally, he shares wry asides with the reader so subtly they feel like "throwaways." A guest at the home of an art "connoisseur" suggests, for example, that "Perhaps there are minimalist things here already--it's just that we can't see them."

Ultimately, the characters' domestic problems are resolved--for now--and the reader is left to reflect on the comfortable "old-shoeness" of McCall Smith's novels with their gentle good humor. As one resident of 44 Scotland Street says, "Every so often, in a moment of insight that can be very nearly mystical in its intensity, we see others...in a way which makes us want to cherish them as joint pilgrims on a perilous journey." McCall Smith's characters feel like joint pilgrims with the reader. n Mary Whipple

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel, due April, 2009.
The Miracle at Speedy Motors, 2008.
Portuguese Irregular Verbs, first of the Dr. von Igelfeld Entertainments, 2003
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel, 2008
Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street), 2006

Bertie Never Ages, and We Don't Want That to Change
Bertie is the amazingly forever 6 year old son whose life is ponderously observed by the elders of his city as extremely unfortunate because of his psychoanalytically infatuated mother, Irene. But, he is actually is a happy boy -- something so magnificently shown in one of the book's last chapters in which Bertie writes his autobiography -- the chapter which shares the book's title.

In this book, some of the old comrades are no more -- Domenica seems to have no relation to Pat and is soon losing friendship with her friend of yore.

But, from such losses come new alliances. Marriages abound -- or at least engagements. And, one for all the right reasons and one for all the wrong reasons -- and each between a pauper and a prince or princess.

And, Domenica seems to be getting closer to Angus -- or is there anything romantic to be conceived between these old friends? No matter what happens, the next book will address these and other issues. And, in the land of McCall Smith where the best of each character emanates from the pages, one must assume the sequel will somehow allow each to survive or at least leave no hearts broken.

Also, the book deals with a legal question of great uniquity -- McCall Smith himself is an attorney -- which can only be pointed out by little Bertie and followed by the adults around him. And, while marriages and legal questions flow on these pages, we learn about how normal the seemingly eclectic crowd of Scotland Street is -- maybe more like we Americans than even they would care to know or admit. Imagine that!

This crowd in Scotland reminds me of Zadie Smith's London crowd in White Teeth. At times the plot of each mirrors the obscurity of a television comedy. But, the dialogue here or in White Teeth is not camp, the words spoken do seem appropriate by the respective people for the respective occasions -- things are not pushed.

Sometimes less is more, but the key is not to be too minimalist. And, that difficult line to draw is what establishes McCall Smith as a great writer for the reader seeking a lighter read. This fun book, full of laughs, establishes the 44 Scotland series as being firmly rooted as an unquestionable rival to his renowned No. 1 Ladies Detective Series.

I have always been a loyal fan to grab the latest No. 1 Ladies Detective Series installment off the shelves; and, now I intend to do the same with this 44 Scotland series.

Characters
Alexander McCall Smith continues his delightful Scotland Street series with an enjoyable book titled, The World According to Bertie. The cast of characters familiar to fans returns, and their relationships continue to mature. What Smith does so well is bring a character to life, place the character in everyday situations, and allow the action to help readers come to know and love the character. Bertie is a character who tugs at your heart. No matter what your relationship has been with your own parents, you will wince at the challenges this 6-year-old faces, especially at the direction of his mother, Irene. Some of the Scotland Street neighbors know each other better than others, and readers will recognize personality types found in every neighborhood. Part of the pleasure in this series entails the insights that Smith allows the characters to uncover in the course of their ordinary lives. If you've not read the earlier books in this series, don't be put off at all. You can start here and be quite satisfied. After reading The World According to Bertie, you may want to go back and read the others.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)