Rating: 
Summary: It's not too late to read a great book
Review: "No frigate like a book to take us lands away," said Emily Dickinson. Oh my, she's right. There are other worlds out there, lots of them. Kelman's book takes us to one, a unique one, right in the middle of Glasgow, in fact in the outer limits of consciousness somewhere - in the mind of a low-life petty thief named Sammy who stupidly assaulted two policemen and got beaten so badly by them that he is blinded. After that, everything in this book is generated, more or less, in Sammy's head as interior monologue (not stream of consciousness as others say) or by the speech of the characters Sammy deals with. Those characters do plenty of talking with an extremely limited vocabulary that nevertheless has an amazing expressive range proving, again, that Scotland is a nation of talkers, great talkers. It is also a welfare state with lots of red tape and institutionalized dullness. So much so that Sammy's difficulties with the DSS Central Medical board and with the DSS in general call into question the Scottish I.Q. and raise the query that they might have there some institutional madness as serious as that discussed in Bleak House. Some advice: Donay be turned off by ye Scottish dialect. Read the first three pages aloud. Aw fine. Aye, they make sense. Ah stories, man, stories, life's full of stories, there to help ye out. Aye right pal okay.
Rating:
Summary: It's not too late to read a great book
Review: "No frigate like a book to take us lands away," said Emily Dickinson. Oh my, she's right. There are other worlds out there, lots of them. Kelman's book takes us to one, a unique one, right in the middle of Glasgow, in fact in the outer limits of consciousness somewhere - in the mind of a low-life petty thief named Sammy who stupidly assaulted two policemen and got beaten so badly by them that he is blinded. After that, everything in this book is generated, more or less, in Sammy's head as interior monologue (not stream of consciousness as others say) or by the speech of the characters Sammy deals with. Those characters do plenty of talking with an extremely limited vocabulary that nevertheless has an amazing expressive range proving, again, that Scotland is a nation of talkers, great talkers. It is also a welfare state with lots of red tape and institutionalized dullness. So much so that Sammy's difficulties with the DSS Central Medical board and with the DSS in general call into question the Scottish I.Q. and raise the query that they might have there some institutional madness as serious as that discussed in Bleak House. Some advice: Donay be turned off by ye Scottish dialect. Read the first three pages aloud. Aw fine. Aye, they make sense. Ah stories, man, stories, life's full of stories, there to help ye out. Aye right pal okay.
Rating: 
Summary: Can perhaps admire the structure, but not the book itself
Review: I truly didn't care what happened to Sammy, the protagonist, and I couldn't be bothered to finish it after reading perhaps three-fourths of it.
Rating:
Summary: A challenging but wonderful read
Review: It took me a while to get used to the Scottish phrasing and accent, but this is definitely one of the most compelling novels I have read in a very long time. Sammy is an astonishing character: Full of good and evil, full of sympathy and loathing. He is a fascinating antihero, wish his story could have gone on forever. Pick up this book, be determined that you can get through the 'language,' and you will be rewarded with one of the most challenging, expressive, and engrossing tales you have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping, personal exploration of anguish
Review: It's a shame no one seemed to notice this book in America despite its Booker Prize. Kelman's low-to-the-ground style really conveys the despair of the main character, Sammy. This book has a haunting quality about it that's reminiscent of Camus' The Stranger, yet it is a much more confused, frenzied, quickening spiral toward oblivion.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping, personal exploration of anguish
Review: It's a shame no one seemed to notice this book in America despite its Booker Prize. Kelman's low-to-the-ground style really conveys the despair of the main character, Sammy. This book has a haunting quality about it that's reminiscent of Camus' The Stranger, yet it is a much more confused, frenzied, quickening spiral toward oblivion.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: One of the most interesting novels I've read in quite a while, How Late it Was, How Late is an introspective journey through the struggles of a newly blind ex-con. James Kelman's pseudo- stream of consciousness narrative presents the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist with unrivalled clarity. His unique approach to writing from the perspective of a sightless narrator has never been utilized in such an innovative and accessible (not to mention believable) way. The reader suffers alongside Sammy and is comforted in turn by his defiant philosophy. The book is truly an emotional masterpiece. The action is non-stop and liberally scattered with the ramblings of a compelling, defiant philosophy. How Late it Was, How Late, though unfit for children, must not be condemned for its language but rather appreciated for its natural, honest portrayal of the author's culture.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: One of the most interesting novels I've read in quite a while, How Late it Was, How Late is an introspective journey through the struggles of a newly blind ex-con. James Kelman's pseudo- stream of consciousness narrative presents the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist with unrivalled clarity. His unique approach to writing from the perspective of a sightless narrator has never been utilized in such an innovative and accessible (not to mention believable) way. The reader suffers alongside Sammy and is comforted in turn by his defiant philosophy. The book is truly an emotional masterpiece. The action is non-stop and liberally scattered with the ramblings of a compelling, defiant philosophy. How Late it Was, How Late, though unfit for children, must not be condemned for its language but rather appreciated for its natural, honest portrayal of the author's culture.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, beautiful, tragic
Review: People keep telling me that James Kelman took after Kafka with this book. I haven't read Kafka, but will now if he's half as good as Kelman. Sammy is portrayed as a lower class Scottish man, and James Kelman gives him the vocabulary to accomplish the rare feat of making a character human. Kelman does more than that. He gives a thrillingly brilliant tale of a man who hits rock bottom. The prose is equally funny and tragic, but always moving. Bravo to Kelman (and to the Booker McConnell Prize for giving him a well deserved win).
Rating: 
Summary: Encapulsating the essence of a Glaswegian surviver
Review: Sammy,the sole tangiable charecter in this novel, represents the epitomy of the Glasgow looser; the street wise, urban survivor, subjected to an injustice by the authorities charged with upholding the law. Sammy is, of course, his own worst enemy, and as the plot unfolds, a broader complexity of character emerges. I was intriqued by this novel, not so much in the structure the plot,which had substance, but in it's structure and Sammy's: He appeared to be both the subject and, at the same time, the narrator. It is the narration which gives it it's uniquness. Some readers may be discouraged by the language. However, please persevere and look beyond; this is authentic Glaswegian ( they actually talk like this). And if you, the reader, persever and exercise patience, then you may benefit from a universal truth of Kelman's insight into urban suvival whether it be Glasgow, Chicago, Moscow, or a hundred other cities across the planet. In short, this novel ecompasses a universiallity in modern urban survivalism that embraces all urban cultures.
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