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take shorthand. Confronted. he is contrite (MissJolly‘sobvious charms 5 are already beginning to pall) but as the door closes on one affair another opens when Monica and he decide they‘re in love. As Simon prevaricates before announcing his departure to Richeldis he finds that absence from Monica. now in not so contented exile in Paris. makes ‘the heart grow colder'. His ardour cools too and he soon realises that there’s nothing particularly different about his fling with Monica. notwithstanding that she is one of his wife‘s best friends.

Simon's selfish and self-deluding quest for amourproprt' dominates Love Unknown but it is the ‘minor' characters who shine and make the novel memorable. Madge. his mother-in-law. formerly in publishing. now in decline. shows she is still ‘formidible‘ in her

madness. persisting in rechristening friends after characters in Dickens‘ novels. And her housemate. the vague Rev. Bartle Longworth.

Simon‘s unlikely brother. who. relieved ofpastoral duties and possessed of a mouthful of decaying

teeth. falls for a pregnant dental hygenist. That we should empathise more

with Bartle's crisis of faith than

Simon’s inconstancy is doubtless Wilson's intention. For L()l'(’ Unknown is a deeply moral book. in which matters physical are sublirnated by matters spiritual. But AN. Wilson is too fine a stylist to be

a sermoncr. too much of an entertainer to prefer the pulpit to tht‘

stage. This novel won‘t win him the Booker Prize. it is too virtuoust old-fashioned for that. but only the

_ meanest killjoy will be able to put it ; down once its been picked up. (Alan

Taylor)

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rs Guide to Glasgow

and Edinburgh where celebrities give an insight to their favourite parts of the city. This week comedian Bing Hitler on Glasgow and Paul B Davies on Edinburgh. It also completes our A—Z to both cities, a guide of where to go and what to do for what’s left of the summer.

Scotland’s brightest young comedy star, Craig Ferguson, aka Bing Hitler, is an ex-musician turned stand-up

comic. In 1984 he spent a year in New

York ‘training’ in comedy. While there he performed in the Comic Strip on 78th Street amongst others and supported himself by being a part-time

construction worker. Since his return to '

his native Glasgow he has rapidly made a name for himself as Glasgow’s funniest man since Billy Connolly. This year he is appearing at the Fringe in the Cafe Royal (venue 78), every Mon, Tue and Wed at 10pm and tam. He is also appearing at Theatre Workshop, Hamilton Place (venue 20), 16, 23, 28 and 29 Aug.

The bars I end up in are not necessarily the ones that I‘m fond of. Pubs I like are The

Grove in Kelvingrove Street, The Halt and The Doublet. but I often end up in places like The Chip or The Cul-de-Sac and I hate doing it. The

: Chip has a sort of middle-class.

looking down your nose attitude and

The Cul-de-Sac is more the ‘what are you wearing what are you doing in

your career‘ sort of place that I can‘t relax in. In town I like the Tron Theatre Bar— I like the look of it and I like the staff. I tend to go there when it is quiet: I‘ve never been when it is busy. but I‘d imagine it‘s quite something.

Where do I go to eat'.’ I like the II Tramonto in Great Western Road: it‘s really weird because the chip shop is‘nt up to much, but the restaurant is smashing, and I also go to II Pescatore in Woodlands Road. The Ashoka in Elderslie Street is something else and I‘ve been to The Buttery and will go again. I go to The Chip now and again because I’m vegetarian and they do some good veggie stuff. I go to Firhill on a Saturday when Thistle are playing and I might go to see Clyde this season. My favourite view of Glasgow is from the terraces of

80W

Firhill in winter. When there's that sort ofwinter light it‘s really beautiful and after watching Thistle for 90 minutes you need some relief. I also go walking along the Clyde of a Sunday afternoon and the canal up behind Firhill is good you see lots ofweird things and people doing peculiar things to themselves and each other. I like Baird Hall in Sauchiehall Street. it‘s a big stupid building. and I like the Art School for different reasons. I love buildings that haven‘t been stone-cleaned I hate the way the Council run around making everything nice and shiny— it takes away the character. I used to love walking down places like West Princes Street and West End Park

Street; they were all dark

and wet. like something

from New York's East Side.

The Grove Kelvingrove Street. A nice wee pub in an area sadly lacking in nice wee pubs. Daily Record columnists are sometimes seen here. The Half 160 Woodlands Road. Seems to be everybodys favourite bar— something for everyone.

The Doublet 74 Park Road. An unpretentious little bar selling possibly the best pint in the West The Ubiquitous Chip 12 Ashton Lane.

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__ _ ._ _____J The List 22 Aug— 4 Sept 55