How Late it Was How Late

Sammy’s had a bad week – his wallet’s gone, along with his new shoes, he’s been arrested then beaten up by the police and thrown out on the street – and he’s just gone blind. He remembers a row with his girlfriend, but she seems to have disappeared. Things aren’t looking too good for Sammy and his problems have hardly begun

Reviews of How Late it Was How Late

"Beautiful, spirited thoughts hard up against the old brute truths…enormous artistic and social depth…James Kelman's best book yet" Guardian "A passionate, scintillating, brilliant song of a book" Independent "Forging a wholly distinctive style from the bruised cadences of demotic Glaswegian, Kelman renders the hidden depths of ordinary lives in sardonic, abrasive prose which is more revealing of feelings that could ever be expected…as uplifting a novel as one could ever hope to read" Sunday Telegraph "Gritty, realistic and bleak, but the overall tone is strangely positive. The fast pace of the narrative, Kelman's dry humour and the indomitable spirit combine to provide a liberating read" Big Issue