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reviews
HISTORICAL DRAMA Douglas Galbraith The Rising Sun (Picador £16)
Cartographers speed to chart the changing face of today’s world maps. This echoes the pace at which Douglas Galbraith’s stunning novel crosses the borders of travelogue, diary, autobiography and popular fiction to create a vibrant historical drama.
The Rising Sun focuses on Roderick Mackenzie, a stockist with the Company Of Scotland, founded to orchestrate the doomed Darien adventure of 1698. The novel is about language and communication so it is apt that Galbraith oscillates between various prose styles, just
DOUGLAS GALBRAITH
as the narrative captures the sense of anticipation of a prosperous Edinburgh, the perilous expedition and the despair which meets their
return.
Evoking Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry and Daniel Defoe’s novels, the descriptions of local Indian practices, such as how to remove the dozens of leeches which attach themselves to the Scots, are grisly yet utterly fascinating; likewise the beautiful death rites which thoroughly appall the
Kirk ministers.
Even at that phase in Scotland’s history, official records of the time are casting a positive spin, and the recurring themes of loyalty and sovereignty easily provoke comparisons with the state of today's nation. It might be a cliche but Douglas Galbraith’s The Rising Sun is a literary tour-de-force and a Boy’s Own adventure for the 21st century. (Denyse Presley)
B LACK COMEDY Muriel Spark Aiding And Abetting (Viking £12.99)
Tlléitziegt (Spazlt
AIDING AND ABETTING
1hr utmost IMO; novelist
l". 1974, Lord Luca" ailegecily k *ieci‘ h s (h ld’en's nat‘."y (il‘tl attenoteci to murder his wife He then pi‘oir‘ntly disappeared and, desi) fe numerous sgiitngs over t“e years, he has never been brought to IciSlKO
Aiding And Abettiric} sees him turning up in the offices of renowned psychatrist Dr Hildegard Wolf, but she already has a patient who (aims to be lll((i" This inan, caIiing himself Walker, s threatening to expose Wolf's secret past as fra..d;. en‘. st'giriatic’ Beate i’anpewei'n \‘~.’c>if ir‘tis’. discover ‘.‘.’lil(ll 3 file r'ea' l.'..c an before 'ier sec "et :s out
58 THE LIST )4 {sac}; /' Sea 2299;“
and as the plot ...i“o'cls tits becomes an increasingiy ciif’r' cult tasic
Tl‘e actioi‘ moves all amend the glooe, taking in Paris, London, Scotiand and Africa, as Wot, and others, tol'ov: Lucan’s trail. Soark treats this true crrine story with her character stic wt, and the result Is a darkly comic naystery adventure which mil Keep yOLi enthralled untzl the end. iKirsty Knaggsi
SHORT STORY COLLECTION
Hanif Kureishi Midnight All Day (Faber £6.99)
This collection of short stories is so narrow in its vision as to be positively blinkered The protagonist in almost every one of Hanif Kureishi's stories is invariably male, white, English, middle aged, upper middle class, working in the media and unfaithful in love Nothing ‘.‘."l()ll() with this in principle, but Kureishi never manages to breathe any life into his forlorn characters, or even portray their inertia very succinctly
Streams of gtiiltless philanderers and hapless mistresses come and go through these self-obsessed scenes ‘.'.’!ill()lll leaving a trace Typical of this is the collections eponymous tale where Ian and his pregnant lover wander around a taxintei'y Paris being all moody and launching random lines of dialogue into the icy ward
The only exception to this theme is ’The Penis' which is, alas, one of the most execi‘able exercises in pointlesst gatidy \"Jllllllg you'll read in a long time (Doug lohnstonei
books
events
THURSDAY 24
Glasgow
Iain M Banks Borders Books. 333 Buchanan Street. 333 770i). lpm. I-‘ree. Wearing his sci-ti hat. Banks \s ill be signing copies ol‘ the latest nosel in the Culture sequence Look ‘Iii llilIc/tt'cll‘c/ (Orbit “6.99). David Starkey ()itakar's Bookstore. t'nit o. Buchanan (iaIIei'ies. Buchanan Street. 353 I500. (rpm. l-‘ree. Historian l)a\ id Starke} discusses Ills book [flint/Will i('hatto & \Vindus £30). recentl} broadcast as a major series on Channel 4.
Denise Mina \\'aieisione's. l5} IST Sauchiehall Street. 333 l)It)5. 7pm. I-‘ree. (’riiiie no\clist Denise .\lina launches her latest book [ill/e l Bantum I’ress £9.99).
SATURDAY 26
Glasgow
Talking Pictures: From Kings To Courtesans l’ollok llouse. l’ollok ('ountrs I’ark. 3(loll l’ollokshaus Road. (ilo M It). ' 3pm. £4 iL'3i; under 13s and .\"I‘S members lree. .\ progi'aiiiiiie ol‘ poetr} and prose “lllL'll breathes me into l’ollttk llottse‘s historical portraits.
Cabaret In The Cafe Borders Books. 383 Buchanan Street. 333 7700, Spm. Robert Klltl\ hosts a unique mi\ ol' music. performance poetr}. spoken mud and stand-up coined).
Edinburgh
Toyah WllCOX \Vatlt‘t'slone's. I33 Princes Street. 33o 3(roo. 4pm. I-‘ree. \Vith possibl} the most lamous lisp in the \torld. 'l‘o}ah appears hot on the tail ol‘ her I‘ringe shim l’iensw's Women. to sign copies ol~ her autobiogi'aph} [hing Out Loud l llodder ck Stoughton £l(r.‘)‘)i.
Glasgow
Waterstone's/GFT Film Quiz (tlasgtm Iiilm 'l‘heati'e. I3 Rose Street. 333 8133. 8.45pm. L'l. Mega-popular gui/ - as e\ er. enter as a team of no more than l'our people and book earl} to a\oid disappointment.
Glasgow
Sue Lawrence Water-stone's. IS} IS“ Satichiehall Street. 333 9105. 7pm. I‘ree. Dundee-born cooker} \\ riter Stie l.a\\ reitce talks about her neu book. Seoix ('miki'ne.
SATURDAY 2
Glasgow
Allan Temperley ()iiakai-‘s Bookstore. l'nit (i. Buchanan (ialleries. Buchanan Street. 353 I500. I lam. l‘ree. The author ol Harri ."Ht/ 'I‘lie ll‘rin/c/ies iScltolastic £4.99) still be talking about his books.
MONDAY 4
Glasgow
R. A. Salvatore \\'aiersioiie's. I74 .-\i':_'.\ Is Street. 343 JSI—I. "pm. I'It'c‘L‘. Sc‘ttllisll premiere ol' the lantas} author’s latest no\eI Seri'uin ()l The Shari! l l’engtiin L-lUUI \\ Itlc‘ll lettllll'es UllL‘ til Ills Itc‘\l
knou n characters. assassin :\l'lL‘llll\ linti'eri. Steve Biddulph Ro}al (‘oiicert Hall. 3 Saticliicliall Street. 3S7 55l I. ".3tlpm. L3. l’sschologist and author ol‘ [.(ll'c'. Laue/ire;- .Allt/ l’tii'eiiline tDorIing Kindersle} {13.9% gi\es an entertaining talk admcating
‘Io\ ing. more connected lainilies'.
Edinburgh
Professor Kevin Warwick Water-stone‘s. I3- l-l Princes Street. 556 3034. o.3()pm. liree. Best-selling author ol' .llcll'c‘ll ()t'l'lie .llue/ii'nes brings ideas on artilicial intelligence up to date and reteals lit)“ the LS historicth misused IQ testing to facilitate ‘\oluntai"\' sterilisation. In his latest book The Quest For Intelligence il’iatkus {ISI he discusses his conli‘met'sial llC\\ theor} in \shich human. animal and artificial intelligence are united lor the first time.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso \\‘aiei-sioiie‘s. (ieorge Street. 335 3436. 7pm. l‘ree. Tibetan lama (ieshe Kelsang (isatso publishes his sexenteenth book lire/n Slept '1}: Happiness i'l‘harpa £9.95 l. a practical manual ol meditation and Iil'est} Ie ad\ ice.
Glasgow
John Plimmer 8: Bob Long “aim-stone‘s. I53 I5" Saucliieltall Street. 333 ‘)Il)5. (rpm. liree. John Plimmer and Bob long greu up and “CHI to school together. Long became a soldier \\ ho etentuall} turned to crime. I’Iiiiimer became a detectne in the West Midlands police lttl‘c‘c‘ old} to lind himsell in charge ol' arresting his loritier schoolmate in an attempted armed robber). Long tlicl time and became connected \\ illl hiin prolile criminals bill the ttto ha\e nou come together to collaborate on a lascinating nmel about crime and L‘Ul‘l'llplltlll iii/1e IIMIt/c' li‘clc‘k’ tlltttlsc‘ ()l Stratus LS.‘)‘)i. The} talk about their careers and read l'rom their book at this
Liar Republic ('Ititha Vaults. Stocku ell Street. 553 "530. S.3t)pm. l’ree. .»\ppearances l‘i'om l.aura llird. 'l'oni
l)a\ idson. Shtig Ilanlan. lan l)0\\’.\ttll and Paul Summers. hosted b} Jim Ferguson at this nets montItI} e\ent.
Edinburgh
Stewart Hennessey Po .\‘a .\'a. 43h l'l'c'tlel‘ic‘k Street. 336 333-1. Spin. liree. liirst no\el l'rom promising nets Scottish author Ste“ art llennesse}. [Mm-nine In The Slit/Hunts tlleaclliiie £0.99).
WEDNESDAY 6 Edinburgh
John Plimmer & Bob Long “titer-stone‘s. I3» l-l Princes Street. 556 303-1. (r.3()pm. l‘ree. SL‘L‘ Tue .5.
THURSDAY 7
Glasgow
Scottish Literary Evening ()ttak’ar's Bookstore. l'nit (i. Buchanan (iallei'ies. Buchanan Street. 353 |5l)t)_ o3tlpm. l’ree. .\ da/xling arra) ol‘ Scottish authors read from their latest \sorks. including lsla I)e\\ai'. Margaret ’l'homson I)a\ is. Paul Johnston. lirederic l.iittls;i). I’eter Ma) and Marc l’_\ e.
Christopher Brookmyre \\‘aieisione’s. I53 l5" Saucliiehall Street. 333 ‘llll5. 7pm. Free. \cu thriller leatui'ing Jack l’arlabane. Roi/me .-l IVroe il,ittlc. Bro“ it L‘l‘llli. is part political satire. part clill- hanger. Bi'ookitni'e attends the LR launch Ul- Ills latest book. See lL'illlll'L'. page III.
Edinburgh
Humphrey Carpenter \Vaieisione's. l2.s‘ Princes Street. 33o :riocs. b.3llpm. l‘i'ee. .'\\\;ll'tI-\\ inning biographer e\ okes the atmosphere ol I‘lolls Britain in 'I'liin llilx .Shcllll'c’. {I'llcll llils.‘ VII/re .SIUH ()I [Ii/Ic’ Still/it (I/ .Sitri'es iVicloi' (iollaiic/ C3lli. Out Loud Athletic .'\l'lll\. Angle Park Terrace. 337 3833. 7.30pm. L'l donation. .\lonthI} open mic night ol' poeti'}. prose and song run b_\ the I’hoeni\ \\'i‘iters' (it‘ottp, l’ei'l'ormers and readers \selcome. For more lllltll’llltllltlll contact
mailte' itilieclai‘k.c'o.tik.