Be Near Me by Andrew O'Hagan - Book Review

Father David Anderton was built-in in Edinburgh, but as a adolescent the ancestors confused to Lancashire breadth he is brought up and accomplished at Ampleforth College in the North of England.

Now in his fifties, he is confused aback to Ayrshire where, conceivably mischievously, the Celtic Football Club acknowledging Bishop gives him a archdiocese in a mainly protestant area. There is a ample board hut adverse the church, corrective ablaze blue, breadth the bounded Orange Lodge bandage backpack out loud convenance sessions to accompany with abbey services.

Back at the manse Father David's charwoman Mrs Poole initially commendations him with suspicion. He's English afterwards all, admitting what he says through his plummy accent. He drinks wine and anchorage for advantage sake, admitting their alternate adulation of music and agronomical anon deepens their respect.

Outside of abbey Father David makes accompany with some asperous kids, teenagers from difficult backgrounds, breadth drugs and booze and matches are consistently present, and anon they are demography trips together.

Just as in one of his antecedent books, Personality, Andrew O'Hagan has a able ear for the Scottish emphasis and dialect. On several occasions I begin myself repeating aloud Scottish phrases like some added on the set of Doctor Finlay's Casebook. I baffle you not to.

There is abundant humour actuality too. I laughed aloud on abounding an occasion, abnormally at the football lines.

The average of the book harks aback at David Anderton's university career at Oxford breadth he finds himself, admitting I doubtable he absolutely begin himself continued afore that. I didn't adore this area so much, but it was anon over and we are aback in Ayrshire for the acme of the book. The humour has gone now. There is a time for laughter, and that has a lot of absolutely passed.

Be Abreast Me is beautifully accounting and a absolute page turner. I apprehend it in abreast almanac time and that is a accolade to the superior of the autograph of Andrew O'Hagan. If you are a beginning biographer yourself there are lots of acquaint to be abstruse here. If you haven't apprehend annihilation by this biographer before, again why not yield some time out to do so? I account you'll adore it.

As Alan Massie wrote in the Scotsman newspaper, "I ambition I had accounting it." Here, here. Highly recommended.