The World According to Bertie

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Robert Ian MacKenzie

The World According to Bertie is the fourth in the series and revolves around the many colorful characters that come and go at No. 44 Scotland Street. McCall Smith handles the characters with his customary charm and deftness - the stalwart Tory chartered surveyor, the pushy mother, and, most importantly in this novel, the beleaguered Italian-speaking prodigy, Bertie. This is classic McCall Smith - clever, witty and entertaining - and beautifully illustrated. A chance encounter with Armistead Maupin in San Francisco inspired Alexander McCall Smith to write this series of novels based around the fictional No. 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh's New Town.Listen to all of our 44 Scotland Street titles.©2008 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Poor Bertie

Interesting title for this book as poor Bertie is finding out that HIS world is located in the "Twilight Zone." For the last five years now, Bertie wakes up every morning and he's still six years old, trapped in some Dantian ring of Hell. Luckily for them, everybody else at 44 Scotalnd Street seems to be moving on with their lives. Watch out Mr. Matheson; Alexander McCall Smith is challenging you as the new master of the horror genre.

Love these books!

The wit and gentle humor is just my cup of tea and the narration is most excellent.

Delightful

This is the fourth in the series and I think it was my favourite. I certainly enjoyed it more than number 3, Love Over Scotland, which seemed to drag a bit for me. I prefer if things are a tad farfetched, because I don't actually want to feel sad about Bertie's life or how awful it is if a dog is suffering somewhere and this one seemed to keep reality at just a slight distance. When that is the case, the comedy underneath can really shine. I'm all set to dive into the next one. The narrator was startlingly good, conveying each character, including the dog, perfectly and squeezing every bit of nuance out of the text.

A vacation for my brain

If you could sum up The World According to Bertie in three words, what would they be?

insightful, hilarious stories

Who was your favorite character and why?

you don't actually like any of them, maybe i like Bertie's dad...they are all interesting and irritating.

What about Robert Ian MacKenzie’s performance did you like?

superb, his ladies are great, the men, expressive...the canine is the best!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nothing and everything in Scotland

Any additional comments?

I am very very attached to this writer, in particular the books set in Scotland. Erudite, kind, observant, refined, a fabulous writer and thinker!!!

My companions through my days

The characters are my daily companions; they open another world for me. Mundane Magic is (the) real one,. The person who has the heart & words to create it is a Magician . As is the voice that lends its spoken craft to the audible appearance a magic messanger.