The World According to Bertie: A 44 Scotland Street Novel (4)
by Alexander McCall Smith
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alexander McCall SmithEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-11-11
ISBN: 0307387062
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of The World According to Bertie: A 44 Scotland Street Novel (4)
Book Review: Bertie Is Disappointed
Summary: 4 Stars
The World According to Bertie (2007) is the fourth fiction novel in the 44 Scotland Street series, following Love Over Scotland. In the previous volume, Big Lou lent Eddie thirty-four thousand pounds and signed over half interest in her coffee shop. Matthew and Stuart went to Glasgow to talk to Lard O'Connor.
Angus apologized to Antonia and she told him that Domenica was coming home. Antonia also told him that she was moving across the hall to Bruce's old flat. Bertie related his adventures in Paris and Dr. Fairbairn decided that Bertie had acquired some imaginary French friends.
In this novel, Pat Macgregor is the daughter of an Edinburgh psychiatrist. She is now attending courses in art at the University of Edinburgh. She is also living in the same house as Matthew and working parttime at his art gallery.
Matthew Duncan is a young business man. His gallery has been doing well lately as he learns the business. This probably also had to do with Pat's knack for selling art.
Domenica MacDonald is an older anthropologist with an eventful past and a lot of friends. She has recently returned from studying pirates in the Malacca Straits.
Bertie Pollock is the son of Stuart and Irene Pollock. His father is a statistician in the Scottish Executive and his mother is a woman with very firm opinions. Irene has trouble understanding Bertie. They live on the floor below Domenica at 44 Scotland Street.
Lou Brown is the owner of The Morning After coffee shop. She has a new boyfriend who is a Jacobite. Big Lou believes that every man should have a hobby.
Angus Lordie is an Edinburgh artist. He is an older man and a friend of Domenica. Angus has a dog named Cyril, who was recently impounded on a charge of biting people.
Bruce Anderson -- the narcissistic young man -- is back from London. Pat sees him on Princes Street, but is not sure that the man was really Bruce.
In this story, Pat is late for work, but Matthew can't really blame her for such a small bit of tardiness. After all, he is often late for his own appointments. Today, though, Matthew has a meeting to attend with a client. He tells Pat to close the store if he doesn't return by quitting time.
Later, Matthew is talking to Angus and comes up with an idea for a painting. He asks Angus to sign a blank canvas. They title the blank canvas "Piece Be With You", price it at 32000 pounds, and hang it across from Matthew's desk.
Later, Pat sells the signed and titled -- but otherwise blank -- canvas to the Duke of Johannesburg. When Matthew arrives, Pat informs him of the sale They both wonder if the client is a real Duke.
Later they learn that the title was purchased by a political donation, but the politicians reneged after receiving the money. Since then, Johannesburg's grandfather and father have been using the title. Now he is continuing the tradition.
Bertie tells his mother that there are two different worlds: the grown-up world and the world of children. He tells his mother that his teacher doesn't know about Larch's violent tendencies. Irene retorts the Miss Harmony knows what Larch is doing.
Bertie doesn't like a girl in his class. Olive has drawn blood from his arm with a real syringe and then later told Bertie that he has leprosy. Then Miss Harmony finds out about the incident and pinches Olive on the ear to demonstrate how leprosy is detected. The pinch also makes Miss Harmony feel much better.
This tale relates the events around Bertie Pollock. His life continues to be disappointing, but he holds up to frustration very well. The rest of his family, however, gets quite excited on occasion.
The story will continue. The next volume is The Unbearable Lightness of Scones. Read and enjoy!
Recommended for McCall Smith fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ordinary lives, commonplace people, and one brilliant child. For anyone who has not previously read this series, the initial volume is 44 Scotland Street.
-Bill Jordin
Summary of The World According to Bertie: A 44 Scotland Street Novel (4)
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.
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