Alexander McCall Smith - The World According to Bertie

Ladies and Gentlemen, Reading Group's got a talent! I mean debate-leading talent George. This was my original idea of how to handle the discussion, but it did not take root. This is not to say the discussions were consequently not worth the time, on the contrary, but still - I liked it much better this way. Thank you once again George, hopefully for all the members.

We started with a very, very successful attempt at Scottish poetry recitation. Robbie Burrns rreally rresonated in the festival rroom halls! Ye Jacobites should be careful not to cross this man's path…

The next course for the starters - yes, so abundant was the menu - was a game. We picked names of characters from an envelope and tried our best to provide apt adjectives. This was absolutely no problem with some (Irene), and an excruciating exercise with others (Merlin. Who the hell is Merlin?). The book is overpopulated with characters, and some members  found it discouraging, even if only at the beginning.

Bruce: narcissist leech, chauvinist, taking advantage of his handsomeness relentlessly.

Matthew: sensitive, shy, caring, well-organized gallery owner, if only a bit boring and indecisive.

Duke: eccentric, daring.

Big Lou: salt of the earth, practical woman.

Julia: spoiled daughter of a filthy rich businessman. Will she be happy with Bruce? Can any woman experience long-term happiness with that prick? Well, surprisingly, she may, provided daddy will continue to supervise this relationship closely enough…

Pat: student, who needs some thrill in her life, maybe that's why she can't help herself and still thinks about Bruce, against her better judgment.

Irene: selfish, determined, feminist, pervert, manipulating monstrous mother-figure. Where did the author dig this one up? What is her goal? To make Bertie a new model man? Using pink paint in his room, breast feeding pump practice, diaper changing routine, therapy sessions etc.? We tried hard to defend her, but I don't think we succeeded. Still, she is one of the most interesting characters.

Olive: little Irene? Bossy classmate of Bertie, liked by nobody it seems.

Tofu: a bit cunning, but apparently normal boy of his age.

Angus: the kind artist with the dog Cyril.

Antonia: reckless, absent-minded, a bit confused.

Domenica: well-organized scientist, with brains and contacts.

Hiawatha: his smelly socks prevent the reader and the kids from learning more about the poor kid.

Bertie: bloody little genius and at the same time naïve, small boy, maybe too passive. But who could blame him, with a father like

Stuart: shall we feel sorry for Irene's husband? Not at all, he should have fought, if not for himself, then for the sake of his kids (maybe I should use singular here, as nobody will ever be sure about Ulysses and Dr. Fairbairn).

We had some extracts read aloud, all of them somehow related to the eponymous character:

Stuart on is way home seeing figures, I mean statistic figures walking the streets.

Bertie tells his father about his suspicion.

Bertie tells his dr. Fairbairn about his suspicion.

But Bertie, you are not an average boy.

It is a question what was the author's ambition here. The book just flows, like a river, with a fish of joke jumping above the surface every now and then, and it's a soothing, comforting read. Judging by the other works of McCall Smith - and we've had quite a few, if I'm not mistaken RG had three books by him already - it's the very humane spirit he is after. Or he is himself. George had invited the guy, but he apologized. Maybe next time. I hope with a more memorable piece, because this is my only grudge - I can't remember a thing from his books after a while. Or what I do remember are tiny shards - and the cool moments I've enjoyed with his texts. Maybe that should be considered more than enough…

And by the way, we've democratically decided that the leader of next debate over the Shopaholic thing would be Marketa, after she had left. Marketa, are you reading this? Yes, you…