Beggar's Banquet [Paperback]

Ian Rankin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2003

Over the years, Ian Rankin has amassed an incredible portfolio of short stories. Published in crime magazines, composed for events, broadcast on radio, they all share the best qualities of his phenomenally popular Rebus novels. Ten years ago, A GOOD HANGING - Ian's first short story collection - demonstrated this talent and now after nearly a decade at the top of popular fiction, Ian is releasing a follow-up. Ranging from the macabre ('The Hanged Man') to the unfortunate ('The Only True Comedian') right back to the sinister ('Someone Got To Eddie') they all bear the hallmark of great crime writing. Of even more interest to his many fans, Ian includes seven Inspector Rebus stories in this collection ...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Radio 4 are currently repeating a five-part series of readings of BEGGARS BANQUET at 7.45pm on Sunday evenings from 22 June to 20 July. BESTSELLERSScottish No 1 Bestseller in GLASGOW HERALD INTERVIEWS:Mail on Sunday (27 April), Property on Sunday interview with Ian on 'Why I live Where I live' REVIEWS: 'This collection proves that Rankin is a skilled practitioner of the difficult art of crime fiction in miniature...His territory - the Edinburgh of sink estates, drugs and disordered lives - does provide the backdrop for the most memorable stories here. And there is one tale, set in 18th-century Edinburgh, that suggests that Rankin as historical novelist would be well worth reading'SUNDAY TIMES 'Ian Rankin's 14th thriller in his outstanding Inspector Rebus series - A Question of Blood - is released by Orion this August. We at Midweek Towers, therfore, recommend that those of you unfamiliar with his oeuvre shouldpack your suitcases with his back catalogue as you head off for sunnier climes''Midweek Classic in NINE TO FIVE/MIDWEEK MAGAZINE 'Dip in and let the stories come to you, and you're rewarded by the craft and guile of a master thriller writer. Not just for Rankin's usual huge number of fans, but for all lovers of fine crime writing'GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'It seems to be accepted wisdom thatshort stories don't sell, which is a pity when there are collections as goodas these on the market...Rankin proves with this collection that he is a superb storyteller who can tackle anything with confidence, from the twisted mind of a serial killer to the luckiest comedian around'NORTHAMPTON CHRONICLE AND ECHO 'These tales not only explore the human condition but also the inner life of a city like no other'GREENOCK TELEGRAPH 'There is always a clever twist...Yes I will read them again over the next year'Reader Jury, BRADFORD TELEGR

About the Author

Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents. Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He is the recipient of four Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards including the prestigious Diamond Dagger in 2005. In 2004, Ian won America's celebrated Edgar Award for 'Resurrection Men'. He has also been shortlisted for the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the USA, and won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize, the French Grand Prix du Roman Noir and the Deutscher Krimipreis. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Edinburgh. A contributor to BBC2's 'Newsnight Review', he also presented his own TV series, 'Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts'. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Orion Paperbacks (March 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075284959X
• ISBN-13: 978-0752849591
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cut above other short story collections, June 14, 2006

By 

K. Yuen (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beggar's Banquet (Hardcover)

This anthology of crime wins on both quantity and quality, and is truly an excellent value. Not every story is a revelation--a couple are even slightly cliched, and the Christmas one is slightly cheesy, although better executed than most of that nature. This is far outweighed by the number of gems in this volume--I particularly enjoy "Herbert in Motion"'s unusual narrator and concept. "Talk Show" is another favorite. All of the stories are enjoyable.

Only a few of the tales are stylistically different from the rest. His strength is good old-fashioned quality story-telling, with an excellent sense of setting, interesting characters, and usually good plotting. Overall, this is truly the most satisfying short story collection I have encountered. (Please don't buy it if you don't like short stories in general--the stories are still limited by their form. A character can't be well-developed in 20 pages, no matter the quality of the characterization.)

All the stories take place in Scotland, and seven of the twenty-one stories feature Inspector Rebus. I never read Rankin before, so I found the chronology of Rebus's personal life confusing, even after looking up the publication dates of the stories. Each story stands alone, with no prior knowledge of Rankin's other books needed. An introduction, with some illumination of the origins of some of the stories is provided.

Both "A Deep Hole" and "Herbert in Motion" won Daggers for best short story. "A Deep Hole" was also shortlisted for the Anthony award.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crime, Edinburgh Style, October 27, 2005

By 

Norrcorp (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beggar's Banquet (Hardcover)

I've been a Rebus fan for several years now, so I happily purchased this book when I spotted it in an Edinburgh bookshop. I happened to be travelling from the States, so I had the additional pleasure of reading the book while surrounded by the locations where the short stories are set.

Unlike many authors of novels, Rankin also excels in the short story form. In addition to seven Rebus short stories (a couple of which could have easily been stretched into novels), I particularly enjoyed many of the non-Rebus stories. In particular "Someone Got to Eddie" (an informant is killed), "Principles of Accounts" (a professional kidnapper matches wits with the police), "Herbert in Motion" (the curator of a museum forges paintings) and "The Wider Scheme" (a solicitor becomes involved in the hunt for a murderer).

I certainly hope Rankin keeps up his short story writing and that there will be additional collections in the future.