Document 1010

Review of "Hieroglyphics and other stories" (Anne Donovan)

Author(s): Liz Niven

Copyright holder(s): Liz Niven

"Hieroglyphics and other stories" by Anne Donovan Pub. Canongate £6.99 pp165

Furst printit in 2001, Hieroglyphics is noo reprintit in 2004. This, Anne Donovan’s furst collection o short stories was gey weil receivit, praised for its wunnerfu observations oan wimmen’s lives. Wimmen o aw ages feature in the buik, an thir stories are telt in a fine rynge o vices fae Staunart Scottish English throu tae West o Scotlan dialect.

Wi’oot heavy-haundedness, the author maks her pynts aboot the leid an its difficulties in contemporary Scotlan.

In ‘Hieroglyphics’, a wee lassie struggles at the scuil tae scrieve in English Linkin written English wi the wey a Glasgow lassie wid pronounce wurds, produces hilarious situations wi unnerlying serious pynts bein made.

‘M-A-R-Y. That’s ma name. Merry.’

Shiftin fae weans’ vyces tae auld wimmens’ wi a wheen age groups in atween, thir is ayeweys an authenticite aboot the emotions displayit, the situations depictit. Aw the stories are rootit in real lives, in hooses and scuils an cafes.

Whyles we’re delichtit tae hae a reprint o this fine buik, A’m shair hunners o fowk across the kintra are luikin forrit tae readin this author’s neist buik. Wull she stert tae scrieve mair in a male vyce, as she partially did in her novel ‘Buddha Da’? Wull she continue tae scrieve in Scots gien the International interest in her work? As wee Mary’s teacher said, in Hieroglyphics, ‘what point is there in writing something which is utterly unintelligible?’ to which she replies, ‘if you were an Egyptian you could read hieroglyphics, sur.’

A’m shair this wee smatterin o dialogue luiks familiar tae maist Lallans readers. A relevant topic fir debate. Scots leid proponents: If you were a Scot you could read Scots: An if no, why no? Discuss.

Information about Document 1010

Review of "Hieroglyphics and other stories" (Anne Donovan)