One tale mostly true (Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography - Rodge Glass)

Member Name: MisterReview

Product:	Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography - Rodge Glass
Date:	04/07/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You will nearly understand the enigma that is Alasdair Gray

Disadvantages: None really, but £25 seems a bit pricey

Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography - by Rodge Glass is the biography of Alisdair Gray.

Alasdair Gray, in my opinion, is one of the most underestimated and least understood amongst British writers and artists! He is Will Self's "Little grey deity".

What you need to understand here is that Gray's first 'commercial' success, his first published 'novel', or work of art/literature entitled "Lanark" took 30 years to complete. Some will argue that is not quite right, it took 30 years to get published.

Lanark is a massive epic presented to the reader in four books, however, not in the order 1,2,3,4, Just to add to the 'complexity' the story revolves around ego and alter ego, and is essentially Alasdair Gray's biography. Lanark also reeks of, leaks and exudes a certain character of the City of an older Glasgow, which will no doubt go over the head of a younger reader.

So what has Lanark got to do with the book Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography?

Well Lanark is essentially Gray's well hidden or otherwise (depending on how well you know/knew him) autobiography.

This begs the question is A Secretary's Biography merely an interpretation of Lanark (Gray, rather than answer Glass's questions, would sometimes say something along the lines of "Go back and read Lanark, it is all in there").

The book ticks all the biography boxes. We get the childhood, family, education, career, struggles, successes, failures, marriage, sex, relationships. The author Rodge Glass, was not only Gray's biographer he started his relationship with Gray by being his bartender and progressed to student of Gray, driver, secretary, forger of signatures - in other words they were close, and Glass hero worshipped Grey.

As well as the straight biography, we get Glass's diary entries tagged onto the end of each chapter, which gives us a better understanding, I feel, of Gray the man, rather than Gray the subject of a PhD student's project (which I understand was part of the book's purpose).

If you are not a Gray fan, think twice about buying this book. If you are not a Gray fan, shame on you anyway!
If you are not a Gray fan and are intrigued, start with Lanark, and be patient. If you don't get anywhere with it, don't worry. Put it down and try one of Gray's other works. I recommend for the beginner, his short stories:

Unlikely Stories, Mostly (1983)
Ten Tales Tall & True (1993)

If you are a Gray fan, or have become one after reading any of his books, you will understand the craving for wanting to get into his Gray's head a little. With that in mind Alasdair Gray: A Secretary's Biography is a "must-have" read

I was rather hoping to get from this book a little more of Gray's Glasgow, and I am especially surprised at the lack of content regarding Gray's beloved Riddrie

The book is thick, weighty and wordy, and you might question if it is worth paying £25 for its current harback. This is one to stick on the Christmas/Birthday present list.

Summary: A very well written autobiography, which might satisfy those still trying to decode Lanark