The Bertie Project

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie

The newest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's perennially popular and irresistibly charming 44 Scotland Street series.

Bertie's respite from his overbearing mother, Irene, is over. She has returned home from the Middle East, only to discover that her son has been exposed to the worst of evils: cartoons, movies, and even carbonated beverages. But the one who should be most concerned is her unfortunate husband, Stuart, upon whom her wrath is about to descend.

Meanwhile, Bruce has fallen in love with someone other than himself; Big Lou wants to adopt her beloved Finlay; Matthew and Elspeth host the Duke of Johannesburg for supper; and Bertie decides he wants to move away from Scotland Street altogether and live with his grandmother, Nicola. Will Irene and Stuart's marriage survive? Will Bruce's newfound love last? And can Bertie really be leaving home?

With wit, warmth, and humor, Alexander McCall Smith explores these matters of the heart and more with the colorful cast of characters from 44 Scotland Street.

©2016 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2017 Recorded Books

Heart hurts for Bertie

Can't wait for Stewart to at least fight for Bertie if not for himself. All the usual characters who are so engaging. Just tired of hearing this little boy tortured

Wonderful!

Again, a Scotland Street adventure with Bertie, Matthew and the lovable Angus Laudie. Irene, Bertie's mother is at her very worst and Stuart, the sad, ineffectual husband, does his best but .... Enjoy this book. Treasure the characters that give us joy.

Life exposed and lived

AMS has a way of exposing as well as explaining life. He adroitly explores the depths and heights of peoples lives. I love the comfortable way in which he ends each episode with the party with Angus and his poems. While one review found this annoying, I on the other hand, find it comforting. There’s comfort in the traditions that hold our lives together.

Love 44 Scotland Street

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

Not my favorite. I love this series, and I read nearly everything McCall Smith writes, and this book was a nice part of the series, but somehow the story misses. Still wonderful and it's always nice to spend time with the characters in this series. But I ran out of patience with the story on this one. As always, a lovely performance by Robert Ian Mackenzie.

What other book might you compare The Bertie Project to and why?

Maybe this is the problem - this story is too similar to past ones and it's beginning to seem formulaic. The same characters running up against the same situations. I'm especially tired of Bruce and his narcissism and Irene and her awfulness.

Any additional comments?

I will continue to read this series and I hope McCall Smith continues to write the story of the characters at 44 Scotland Street. I will miss them when he stops.

Not as strong a storyline as some in the series

The storyline of Bruce and Clare was completely without purpose as far as I can tell. I hate Irene with a passion unparalleled and hate Olive nearly as much. Here's hoping that the next few books gives Irene her comeuppance as we like to boo the villans and see the underdog prevail.

Old friends

What a wonderful listen. So happy to hear more about Bertie and all the interesting, delightful characters who surround him. I look forward to the next book.

An Engaging Series

Power Listening Right Through all 13 Books! Love It. All wrapped up in the characters ♥️

Formulaic, but still pleasing

Shorter and shorter. I've come to dread the compulsory saccharine ending parties and Angus's poems (which, ironically, are the poetry equivalent of the modern art installations Angus himself despises.)

Irene strikes again

Would you listen to The Bertie Project again? Why?

Probably. I often re-listen to books. My only hesitation here is that I finished the book for the first time two days ago, and I'm still depressed (which is not a normal response on finishing a book). I usually regret leaving favorite characters, until the next installment when I can get caught up again. But Irene isn't just overbearing, she has crossed the line and is an abuser And she's winning (at least for now). Like a lot of other followers of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street, I am anxious for a good resolution. I also noticed a couple of discontinuities here. I thought that Elspeth's parents were both deceased, but she visits them in this volume. Did I miss something? And in this story, Dr. Fairburn supposedly encounters Ulysses for the first time. But I think that Ulysses was born before Dr. Fairburn absconded to Aberdeen and would have met Ulysses during one of Bertie's sessions.

What did you like best about this story?

I like watching Bertie grow up and develop his friendships. I like that Dominica and Nicola are becoming friends. I'm glad that Nicola stayed in Edinburgh after Irene returned form Dubai. I like how Elspeth and Matthew are handling parenthood. I'm really glad Angus got his wits back.

What does Robert Ian Mackenzie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm not Scottish. So Mr. Mackenzie's rendering gives the characters much more depth than I would be able to engender with only the voices in my head.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Depression ... as mentioned above. I understand that Mr. McCall Smith is probably not looking to delve into the area of spousal and child abuse. But he has a good foil for that narrative with the evil Irene.

Any additional comments?

I love Mr. McCall Smith's ability to tell a story that is engaging without needing to resort to graphic descriptions of sex or violence.

Loved this series.

I love this series by Alexander McCall Smith. I am sad that the series is over!