Review: - Alasdair GRAY - "Ten Tales Tall and True"

Publ: 1994
GB's
ISBN: 0 14 017579 2
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: Too many
GB's
Rating: ***


What led you to pick up this book?
The title and the introduction - see below - and the illustrations.

Describe the plot without giving anything away.
Strange stories of which the first is the best - giving one false hope for what is to follow. They are basically satirical with a touch of fantasy, sexual cliche and autobiography thrown in for good measure.

What did you think of the characters?
Sketchy.

What did you think about the style?
The first story is cleverly written the rest - so far as a I read - were simply strange.

What did you like most about the book?
The illustrations and the introduction which says - "This book contains more tales than ten so the title is a tall tale too. I would spoil my book by shortening it, spoil the title if I made it true."

Was there anything you didn't like about the book?
Lots.

Thoughts on the book jacket / cover.
A clever illustration of ten tails.

Would I recommend it?
No.

Totally irrelevant side note:
The whole book was one totally irrelevant side note. Sorry Alasdair but our senses of humour don't match up. I'm sure someone likes your work but not me.

ALASDAIR GRAY was born in 1934. In his own words, 'Alasdair Gray is a fat, spectacled, balding, increasingly old Glaswegian pedestrian who (despite two recent years as Professor of Creative Writing as Glasgow University) has mainly lived by writing and designing books, most of them fiction." He has been described by his publisher as one of the best and most respected of modern writers. I'll take the publisher's word for it.