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Daunderlust

Dispatches from Unreported Scotland

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Daunderlust

By: Peter Ross
Narrated by: Robbie Coltrane
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Summary

Peter Ross' articles from around Scotland provide a piece-by-piece portrait of a nation as it changes.

They show Scotland as she really is, a hopeful country not without problems and pain but a nation made great by the people who live, love, laugh and graft there.

From anatomists who find dissection beautiful to chip-shop owners who sing arias while serving fish suppers, the Scots in these pages come over as eccentric, humorous, moving and extraordinary.

©2014 All but ‘Glasgow Central’ © Scotsman Publications, Glasgow Central © Peter Ross (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd Europe Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing Western Europe Scotland Witty
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Coltrane is utterly brilliant as the reader of these Scottish vignettes. I know these people, I grew up with them. I missed a nights sleep because it is so captivating. Real people described sympathetically

Took me back to my homeland

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These are 'dispatches from unreported Scotland' written by the Glasgow-based journalist Peter Ross for 'Scotland on Sunday'. On the page they're intensely alive and the language is vigorously sinewy; read by Robbie Coltrane they bring yet more life to all the humour (which can be savage, black, sharply witty or heart-breaking), energy and vibrancy. The result is a brilliant and graphic kaleidoscope of the extraordinary in ordinary people. No well-known names, no celebrities, these are real, everyday Scots from paramedics and sheep farmers to those who dissect - with great respect - donated cadavers in Anatomy Rooms. Inside Scotland's belly are the tough gangs who maintain the Forth Road Bridge buffeted by savage winds; prisoners in Glasgow's Barlinnie Gaol, their teeth rotted by methadone; 'Compost Corner' in The Waterloo where the elderly men sit in hope in Glasgow's oldest and most extravagant gay bar; the 'brutal business' of soft fruit picking, even if now the thornless raspberries no longer rip the pickers' skin to shreds; trained extreme cleaners who are brought in to expunge the gore following a violent death. Oystermen collect delicacies for restaurants down South; naturists enjoy the peace of Loch Lomond, Scotland's 'kit-off capital'; modern-day Jacobites save up for their authentic outfits; men on the Isle of Lewis are forced back to cutting peat as the price of oil soars. And then there's Scotland's natural beauty: the vast whirling murmurations of starlings; the shifting colours of Arthur's Seat from dusk to dawn.The promise of the author's opening sentence: 'There are more things in Irvine and Perth than are dreamt of in our philosophy' is generously fulfilled. For Scots and non-Scots, here are 9 hours of superb, energising listening.

"God made the Scots - just a little bit better!"

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A most pleasing collection of Scottish anecdotes about its people and institutions: obscure or obvious, profound or profane, modern or moth-eaten. All are grist for Ross’s mill. There is much here for the homesick Scot, or for the merely curious.

Each chapter stands in isolation. They were written over a four year period and this does occasionally lead to puzzlement with regard to the exact placing of milestone events that will happen, ‘later in the year’.

Robbie’s narration is not flawless, although I would say that it’s a very minor irritation rather than a hindrance to listening. On a couple of occasions a few words are re-read, indeed a single tongue-tied expletive remains (no time reference given – just to make you pay attention). That notwithstanding Robbie is an excellent choice of narrator; his mimicry of the various Scottish accents of both genders enhanced my enjoyment of this title.

Not just tartan and whisky

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A joyful celebration of Scottish life in all it's guises. This is a charming collection of articles that shine a light on the lives of a myriad of people from all walks of life; from show folk, fox hunters and festival organisers - there's something for everyone. A pleasurable listen.

irreverent, humourous insight in Scottish Life

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This audiobook was a wonderful and varied experience for me (and also for a friend who read the print copy). Though a set of feature articles, there is little sense of this other than the mix of topics, people and characters covered. To me it felt more like an 'album' of short stories. The collection holds together really well. Peter Ross is an accomplished writer with insight, compassion strong writing skills and lovely turns of phrase. He like people and this anchors the book with a deep humanity. Humour is frequent - in many guises. As the son of a Lanarkshire man (but me Brummie born) I loved the light-peppering of Scottish words including the 'piece' (meaning sandwich) of my childhood. Each word is worth noting and looking up; without doing so meaning is not harmed - so do not be put off. The narration is fully sympathetic, though how far characterisations match reality no one can tell. Save for a careless, unedited narration error when Robbie Coltrane uses an ugly word, this audio book will remain a firm favourite. It was an absolute pleasure to come across this book. What we all need now is the second volume, 'The Passion of Harry Bingo' to be recorded and made available on Audible.

Rich, Humane and So Rewarding

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