Books

It’s always difficult buying Father’s day gifts that’s why we have picked out a couple of books that we are sure your Dad will love. Whither he is a crime nut or a golfing mad old foggy we have something for him here. Remember getting him a poor Fathers day present, or none at all, could lead him to question why he is giving you an allowance.

An Old Pub Near the Angel is James Kelman’s first collection of short stories. It was first published in America in 1973, but has just been published for the first time in Britain. Each of the thirteen short stories is a close look into different aspects of working class life at the time of writing. Kelman uses his own experiences to inform his art and could be described as a realist; this collection is a brilliant example of this style of writing. The subject matter for the stories is the everyday routines, habits, trials, thoughts, highs and lows of working class Glaswegians. They are mostly set in pubs or bedsits and describe the situations and thoughts of a spectrum of characters. Without unnecessary explanation we are presented with an everyday situation and a back-story and tale begin to subtly form, as we begin to understand what is going on the author whisks us away to another scene with another character with their own story to tell. We witness a variety of settings and characters, from a best man and a groom talking about marriage in a pub to holiday workers on Jersey. However, there are recurring themes of poverty, unemployment, hunger and drinking throughout the stories. With this collection Kelman provides a truthful, detailed, varied and interesting account of working class life.