The Scotsman book reviews
28 of the 41 The Scotsman reviews here with a stated verdict were positive.
PositiveCool Machine · Colson Whitehead“'funny, incisive and wise'”PositiveGlyph · Ali Smith“full of chameleons and tricksters”RaveDrayton and Mackenzie · Alexander Starritt“so good it invites a second reading”RaveGertrude Stein: an Afterlife · Francesca Wade“'tremendous'”PositiveThe Rose Field · Philip Pullman“absorbing and transporting”MixedTriage · Claudia Rankine“There are moments of brilliance in Claudia Rankine’s new book, but it might be something of an acquired taste”RaveContrapposto · Dave Eggers“'a moving and clever novel'”PositiveMy Good Bright Wolf · Sarah Moss“I wolfed it down”PanThe Proof of My Innocence · Jonathan Coe“comes off as sour and petulant”Verdict not statedBring the House Down · Charlotte RunciePanGabriel's Moon · William Boyd“it lacks an emotional core”PositiveHelm · Sarah Hall“aims high”PositiveThe Savage Landscape · Cal Flyn“raises provocative questions”Verdict not statedFrankly · Nicola Sturgeon“Is the biggest problem with Frankly that Nicola Sturgeon does not know herself?”RaveKarla’s Choice · Nick Harkaway“a remarkable John le Carré homage”MixedModeration · Elaine Castillo“a strangely vexatious book”PositiveRejection · Tony TulathimutteRaveThe Golden Road · William Dalrymple“a wonderful book”RaveMen in Love · Irvine Welsh“his paciest, funniest book in years”PositiveOur Noble Selves · Kate Atkinson“'dry, quirky and clever'”RavePrecipice · Robert Harris“a beautifully crafted novel”PositiveYour Life Without Me · James Meek“his most ambitious work to date”PositiveAgainst Identity · Alexander Douglas“is one of my highlight books of the year so far”MixedLong Wave · Daisy Johnson“might have benefitted from being either much longer or much shorter”PositiveQueen James · Gareth Russell“a valiant attempt to make sense of a paradoxical king”PositiveThe Drowned · John Banville“his characters are rooted in life”MixedThe Great When · Alan Moore“full of ideas but suffers from woeful verbosity”PanThe Lamb · Lucy Rose“fail to live up to the hype”MixedCan Nothing Save Us? · Irvine Welsh“descends into farce”PositiveClearing the Air · Hannah Ritchie“'clear-eyed' on climate change”PositiveIdle Grounds · Krystelle Bamford“immensely subtle and controlled”PositiveRaveheart · Graeme Armstrong“funny, lively and ripe for TV adaptation”MixedSomething Like Happiness · Tom Newlands“no denying its bleakness”Verdict not statedThe Book of George · Kate GreatheadMixedThe Delusions · Jenni Fagan“can feel hectoring and repetitive at times”PositiveThe Shetland Way · Marianne Brown“much to enjoy and much to chew upon”MixedThe Unfragile Mind · Gavin Francis“sits on the fence”PositiveUpland · Ed Douglas“a must-read for anyone with an interest in the past, present and future of Britain’s mountains”PanCarrion Crow · Heather Parry“not much flesh on the bones”MixedGreater Sins · Gabrielle Griffiths“neither of them quite ignites the proverbial heather”RaveMuckle Flugga · Michael Pedersen“an extraordinary first novel”PositiveThat Beautiful Atlantic Waltz · Malachy Tallack“an evocative portrayal of Shetland life”PositiveThe Glassmaker · Tracy Chevalier“a very clever novel”PositiveVirgin · Hollie McNish“angry, funny and explicit”