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    Espresso Tales
    Espresso Tales
    Espresso Tales
    Audiobook14 hours

    Espresso Tales

    Written by Alexander McCall Smith

    Narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Back are all our favorite denizens of a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh. Bertie the immensely talented six year old is now enrolled in kindergarten, and much to his dismay, has been clad in pink overalls for his first day of class. Bruce has lost his job as a surveyor, and between admiring glances in the mirror, is contemplating becoming a wine merchant. Pat is embarking on a new life at Edinburgh University and perhaps on a new relationship, courtesy of Domenica, her witty and worldly-wise neighbor. McCall Smith has much in store for them as the brief spell of glorious summer sunshine gives way to fall a season cursed with more traditionally Scottish weather.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 10, 2008
    ISBN9781436101295
    Espresso Tales
    Author

    Alexander McCall Smith

    Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the award-winning series The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and he now devotes his time to the writing of fiction, including the 44 Scotland Street and the Isabel Dalhousie series. He is the author of over eighty books on a wide array of subjects, and his work has been translated into forty-six languages. Before becoming a full-time writer he was for many years Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh.

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    Reviews for Espresso Tales

    4/5

    489 ratings29 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Thoroughly enjoyable. Interesting characters and dilemmas. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable read. The characters are so likable that I can forgive any long sections in this book that were less than engaging. I'll continue to read the series, as for the most part, it's humorous and entertaining.
    • 4/5
      An excellent book, very readable and quiet insightful. I believe it's the second book in a series and I was delighted to find that it can be read by itself without having seen the first book. I like the concept that it was first published in instalments in a newspaper and there has been interaction with the public as to its development.In his introduction the author mentions that some readers find some characters annoying. I found most of them irritating. They are so pretentious. Do they really represent society in Edinburgh, or the UK more generally, these days? I've been away from UK for too long to really understand what is meant by the "chattering classes", but it seems to me that most of the characters in this books should fall under this term. Reminds me of Private Eye's "It's grim up north (London)" strip cartoon. What a bunch of posers. But disliking the characters is not the same as disliking the book, which I really enjoyed.
    • 3/5
      When you're looking for light reading, but enjoyable reading, read these 44 Scotland Street stories.
    • 4/5
      I found myself, if not quite dreading, at least worrying about what was going to happen to some of the characters, but things turn up surprisingly well for most of them. To say more would be to give away situations that I hope will be resolved in the next book.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in William McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series. Al the characters from the original book are back: Bruce, the narcissistic surveyor, who having been fired from his job has decided to take up a new career as a wine merchant; Pat who after a gap year that has lasted two years has decided to give up her lot at University of St. Andrews and Study at Edinburgh University; Matthew whose gallery is doing surprisingly well, but is disturbed by his father's interest in a much younger woman; Domenica who continues to dispense worldly wisdom to all the tenants; and the precocious six-year-old, Bertie who is still struggling to escape his over achieving mother's never-ending regimen of psychotherapy, saxophone lessons, and conversational Italian.Nothing much happens, but such is McCall Smith's talents that we care very deeply for all of these characters and follow their exploits, told with warmth and humor to the very last page.
    • 3/5
      Book on CD narrated by Robert Ian MacKenzieBook two in the “44 Scotland Street” series about the residents of a particular apartment building in Edinburgh. This began as a serialized novel for The Scotsman newspaper and became so popular that the daily episodes were compiled into the original novel, which left many of the stories unfinished. Readers demanded more, and Smith was more than happy to comply.Bertie is now in kindergarten, forced to wear pink – or “crushed strawberry” – overalls when he’d rather dress like the other boys in his class. Bruce is contemplating a new career as a wine merchant, but he’s just as clueless about what real work entails as he was in the first book. Pat is going to Edinburgh University and entering a new relationship. Matthew’s gallery is doing splendidly, but he’s worried about his father (and his father’s new girlfriend). Angus. his dog Cyril, Domenica, Dr Fairbairn and a host of other characters round out the cast and provide chuckles and/or tender moments throughout.The novel is a sort of ensemble piece, with chapters alternating among the characters, following Pat for a few segments, then Bertie, then Bruce, etc. It’s not great literature but it is great fun to read. Reminds me of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series.Robert Ian MacKenzie does a fine job narrating the audiobook. He has a gift for voices, making it easy to follow the many characters. I could listen to his Scottish brogue all day.
    • 3/5
      Odd book and the second in a series by Alexander McCall Smith of the 44 Scotland Street series. Follows the lives of several people--a couple are interesting but a couple are more mundane and I had a hard time keeping my interest in the book due to that.
    • 4/5
      An amusing and warm book about the residents of a certain street and their quotidian trials and travails, but also all about Edinburgh too. Enjoyed finding the streets on google maps after our visit to Edinburgh. Fun.
    • 5/5
      The second book in the Scotland series picks up from 44 Scotland Street. Pretty much the same characters, but time has passed.Six year-old Bertie is now in kindergarten and still the center of the Bertie Project (as his mother calls his upbringing), still wearing the crushed strawberry coloured dungarees, taking saxaphone lessons and Italian lessons, and still having weekly psychotherapy sessions with Dr. Fairbairn. In this book, Bertie strikes by doing a couple of things to possibly win some independence and time to be a kid and not a "project." Even though he is quite smart, he is also quite determined.Pat has decided to return to school at Edigurgh University to complete her education. She will still work with Matthew at the gallery on a part-time basis for income. She also explores new relationships and makes a few discoveries about them and herself.Matthew has had a good quarter in the gallery business. A success for him compared to his past failures. He also find that he has some things to iron out in his relationship with his father. It has been a relationship that has been disappointing for the both of them.Bruce has lost his surveyor job and decides to go into another realm of business. One he feels he is expert in even though he has no experience whatsoever. Taking on a silent partner, he is convinced that he will succeed.Reading this second book is like returning to an old neighbourhood. Catching up with friends and acquaintances and places you have been. I take my time reading as if I am having a leisurely visit, enjoying Smith's writing style and the mental images he paints with his pen.
    • 2/5
      Glad I was listening to this book. I would never made it through the book. Lots of physiological babble. The nature of human thoughts and actions. As articles maybe this was easier to enjoy. I just did not.
    • 4/5
      These stories make me nostalgic for Edinburgh—and I've never been there! Bertie is such a charmer and Cyril, while a dog, reminds me of my cat. Like the Dalhousie stories, the characters are so well drawn, and the city is drawn as a character.
    • 4/5
      Book # 1 in this series was a pleasant boo-boo in 2011 when I picked up the title "44 Scotland Street" and thought it might be a mystery about Scotland Yard or such (who knows why I jumped to that mistaken idea?).

      Hmmm.... it was about a group of tenants in a building at that address in Edinburgh. Ahhh...I've been there a couple times, I love Edinburgh, I'll read it.
      Enjoyed it! Getting to know the characters and their interactions made me look forward to reading # 2 installment
      and reading this made me look forward to # 3 ! ! !
    • 4/5
      Lots of fun. I'm rooting for you, Bertie!
    • 1/5
      The internal dialogues of the characters weren't convincing.
    • 4/5
      A gentle continuation of the Sctoland Street series. All I can say is that I am hooked. All of the characters are realistic, whether you love them or otherwise! Alexander Mc tells gentle tales within a beautifully drawn setting, that keeps you wanting more. I can thoroughly recommend this!
    • 5/5
      I love the 44 Scotland Street series. I love the conceit of their being serialised daily in a newspaper, which gives them their distinctive form - short chapters of equal length, each ending on a teaser or very gentle cliff hanger. I love their mix of characters : a few parodies & caricatures (Dr Fairbairn, Bruce, Bertie's mum), but mostly well-rounded if sometimes slightly comic personalities.Sadly I had no idea of the sequence except that the first book in the series was "44 Scotland Street", and so I read that first. However I then followed it up with "The World According To Bertie" which is actually the FOURTH. Due to the gentle pacing of these stories - all set in a beautifully described and intimate Edinburgh - about the only criticism one could make is that not a great deal actually happens. The stories are more about gently witty and warm, mildly satirical excoriations of modern life, than about intricate seat-of-the-pants plotting."Espresso Tales" is the SECOND in the series and it is actually my favourite of the three Scotland Street novels I've read to date. More seems to happen in this novel than in the other two I've mentioned, in the case of poor little Bertie, quite dramatically so. However, I won't spoil the fun by revealing any of the plot.Suffice to say that if you like Alexander McCall Smith, you will love the Scotland Street series. And if you liked the first book, you will enjoy this second instalment equally if not more so.
    • 4/5
      Although things are now a bit different at the flats on Scotland Street, they are definitely still interesting. There are changes within all of the characters, but the change that I enjoyed the most was probably with Bertie's father, Stewart. Pat is still living in the flat with Bruce, but since he was fired from his position at the surveying companay, he decides that he will embark on a new career as a wine merchant. After Pat's experience with Bruce in the first installment of this series, she has resolved with herself that she no longer has any romantic interest in Bruce so she has been able to stay on as a roommate in his flat. She finds herself smitten once again when Peter enters the picture. Once she learns everything she can about Peter how long will that relationship actually last?Irene and Stewart are Bertie's parents and I remember thinking after listening to the first book "What kind of people just leave their car in another city and forget about it?" Because that is exactly what they did! They left their car in another city for about a year and after arguing about who left it there and where exactly it was, they finally decided to search for the car and bring it home. Irene has been the overpowering mother, planning out Bertie's day from beginning to end as if she were raising a prodegy rather than a young boy. From psychotherapy sessions, saxaphone lessons and yoga class, poor Bertie doesn't have a moment to spare for himself. He becomes horrified to go out in public because his mother seems to think that the best thing for young boys to wear is a pair of crushed strawberry dungarees. He also doesn't want to have any boys come over in fear that they will see the pink bedroom that his mother painted. I couldn't help but rejoice when Stewart finally puts his foot down, which allowed Bertie to finally enjoy being a little boy.Many other characters return in this novel including Matthew, Domenica, Angus Lordie, and the Dunbartens. It seemed to me that not a lot was happening with these characters in this segment, but some groundwork was laid for some interesting stories to take place for them in future installments. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and if you are a fan of Alexander McCall Smith you may want to check out this series for yourself.
    • 4/5
      While I didn't particularly care for 44 Scotland Street, I was glad to have read it so that I had context for Espresso Tales. While there is some random rambling about characters who show up and disapper, the strong suit of this book is that it follows the characters established in the previous novel, deepening the character development and making me actually care about them this time.
    • 4/5
      An interesting read, I especially love the serial nature of this series and how the characters grow. The relationship that Bertie forms with Lard is wondeful - its wrong I know to like Lard, but I do. Looking forward to the next book in the series
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable read. The characters are so likable that I can forgive any long sections in this book that were less than engaging. I'll continue to read the series, as for the most part, it's humorous and entertaining.
    • 5/5
      Charming, so charming....
    • 4/5
      I love Alexander McCall Smith's books. They're as warm and satisfying as a cup of (bush) tea, and the two go very well together too! This was another great installment from 44 Scotland Street, and the characters are as loveable or as love-to-hateable as ever, from the infuriatingly arrogant Bruce (I was so happy when Sharon managed to put him down, albeit only for a short while) to Domenica (what will we do without her while she's away?) via Irene Pollock (stupid, irritating woman, why can't she see how miserable she's making Bertie?). There were a couple of episodes that probably would have been a little dry on their own in the paper, but that didn't matter when they were all collected together. And the ending was a bit unexpected - I know that the status quo is largely maintained because there are another two books, but still some big changes are in the air. I look forward to seeing how things progress in Love Over Scotland.
    • 2/5
      i read this book halfway and gave it up for about a month, then picked it up again and couldn't stop laughing out loud. it's great once you get into AMS's sense of humour.
    • 5/5
      I read the first of these a year or so ago and was captivated by the charm of these stories and the characters who inhabit them. I particularly liked the idea of writing about six year old Bertie from an adult perspective, - that is as though he was an adult. Mind you his appalling mother (an incredible fictional character in her own right) would probably claim that she'd brought him up to precocious maturity so that was entirely appropriate
    • 4/5
      I hadn't realised, when I picked up this book by the author of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series that this was the second of a new series. I've not read the TNOLDA, I'd heard some of it serialised on Radio 4 and really didn't like it. However, this is quite different, with characters who are reasonably rounded. I did feel interested in the characters even if it was rather silly in places.
    • 5/5
      Espresso Tales, published in 2005, is the second book to come out of Alexander McCall Smith's serial 44 Scotland Street, originally published in daily instalments in The Scotsman newspaper.As a serial novel, centred around a group of characters living in an apartment building, celebrating the culture of a very individualistic city, and written with a playful irony that does nothing to hide a warm, liberal humanist belief in the fundamental goodness of human nature, comparisons with Armistead Maupin are difficult to avoid. But McCall Smith isn't just rehashing Tales of the City: he has reinvented the form in a very Edinburgh sort of way. It is quite appropriate that from time to time he lets his inner professor pop out and lecture us, usually through the Arbroath autodidact, Big Lou, who is still steadily working her way systematically through the unsold stock of a failed secondhand bookshop.The character who really stands out in this book is Bertie, the six year-old prodigy whose mother, Irene, is determined to push him to the maximum. Bertie just wants to have the chance to do little boy things, and is cunning enough to undermine many of Irene's schemes. (This book also provides the surprising answer to the mystery of where Bertie's parents parked the Volvo, a question left open at the end of the first book.) Pat, Bruce and Domenica are back too, but they don't get as much to do as in the first book. The nudist picnic in Moray Place, which initially sounds as though it is going to be the big scene in the present book, turns out to be something of an anti-climax, entirely eclipsed by the resolution of the Great Volvo Mystery.I only know Edinburgh as a tourist, and I'm sure that locals would get even more fun out of all the local references here. But even as an outsider, this is great fun, and leaves me eager to try the next instalment.
    • 3/5
      There seems to be a curse that strikes the second part of anything, whether it be Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Alexander McCall Smith's Scotland Street books. Part two is NEVER as good as part one! You can travel the whole world and everyone will always say "part two was OK but not as good as part one!"I felt at times that the story in this book dragged on a bit. I felt myself skipping pages at times. Irene Pollock is a really annoying bitch who I want to slap and Bruce is just his arrogant little self. Pat can't do anything without arguing and second-guessing with herself and Dr Fairbairn is just downright irritating!Which leaves the star of the show - Bertie! Bertie was just great in this book. It was extremely funny when he decides to speak Scots just to annoy his mother (or "maither" as Bertie would say) and when he asked a Glasgow gangster if he ate "deep-fried Mars Bars like everyone else in Glasgow", I almost choked on my cup of tea.So thank you Bertie for saving the book and giving me a laugh. The rest of you can move out of Scotland Street. Don't worry, you won't be missed.
    • 4/5
      An excellent book, very readable and quiet insightful. I believe it's the second book in a series and I was delighted to find that it can be read by itself without having seen the first book. I like the concept that it was first published in instalments in a newspaper and there has been interaction with the public as to its development.In his introduction the author mentions that some readers find some characters annoying. I found most of them irritating. They are so pretentious. Do they really represent society in Edinburgh, or the UK more generally, these days? I've been away from UK for too long to really understand what is meant by the "chattering classes", but it seems to me that most of the characters in this books should fall under this term. Reminds me of Private Eye's "It's grim up north (London)" strip cartoon. What a bunch of posers. But disliking the characters is not the same as disliking the book, which I really enjoyed.