Lanark

A Life in Four Books

By: Alasdair Gray

Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Angus King, Alasdair Gray

FOR THE FIRST TIME UNABRIDGED IN AUDIO

READ BY ALAN CUMMING and ANGUS KING
WITH ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS FROM ALASDAIR GRAY HIMSELF

'Probably the greatest novel of the century' Observer

Lanark, a modern vision of hell set in the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow, tells the interwoven stories of Lanark and Duncan Thaw. A work of extraordinary imagination, its playful narrative conveys a profound message, both personal and political, about humankind's inability to love, and yet our compulsion to go on trying.

First published in 1981, Lanark established Alasdair Gray as one of Britain’s leading writers and kick-started the modern renaissance of Scottish literature.

©2026 Alasdair Gray (P)2026 Canongate Books Ltd

Critic reviews

Remarkable . . . Lanark is a work of loving and vivid imagination, yielding copious riches (WILLIAM BOYD)

I was absolutely knocked out by Lanark. I think it's the best in Scottish literature this century (IAIN BANKS)