CHILDREN OF ALBION ROVERS: An Anthology of New Scottish Writing

by Kevin--Ed. Willamson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 17, 1997

Stories by six young writers, the cream of the contemporary Scottish Beats crop, are anthologized here in a raw display of life on the edge. An excerpt from a 1991 novel by Alan Warner, here titled ""After the Vision,"" is the most successful of the lot, describing one man's long voyage home after a rave, a journey that touches bottom when he meets a long-lost mate who enthuses over his job at a crematorium, then begins slowly to rise when he meets two women who take him to their friend, who in turn offers him a couch for a much-needed night's sleep. Also funny and compelling is ""The Brown Pint of Courage,"" by James Meek, in which three bottom-rang members of Edinburgh's parking police force indulge in mayhem and coercion on the job--one even falling in love on his lunch break with a woman who shares his passion for Thomas Carlyle--before the good times come to an end in spectacular fashion. Other interesting stories by Laura J. Hird and Paul Reekie involve a teacher's nightlong seduction of his 16-year-old student, which doesn't go quite as he planned (""The Dilating Pupil""), and a chronicle of a generation finding its way in the world, narrated by a man recovering from burns received while sitting on a toilet that ignited (""Submission""). The most touted piece here, however, proves disappointing: Irvine Welsh's sci-fi spoof involving aliens and their command of Scots English (""The Rosewell Incident""), has a few laughs but not much else. The vision of Scottish life created by these six voices is remarkably consistent, vital, and unyieldingly tough-minded, but it's too early to say if these promising young writers will mature into major ones, or if they'll gain much of a foothold on these shores.

Pub Date: June 17, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 236

Publisher: Overlook

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1997

Categories: FICTION