Put your prejudices to one side. First, Barcelona Plates is a collection of short stories — not everyone’s idea of a good read. And Alexei Sayle is not everyone’s idea of a decent comedian, but with this collection he manages to please his fans and to entertain those who might not like his comedy.

I read it on a plane, not a place where I would normally chuckle out loud, but I did often enough to draw the odd sidelong glance. Each story is complete, but there is an overall sense of purpose. It is up to you whether to see a moral or just laugh. Oh, and he can write.

The key questions

Which is your favourite story and why?
Does he despise light entertainment?
He inhabits all manner of characters; men, women, young, old. Does he pull it off?

Join the discussion

Discuss Barcelona Plates with Alyson Rudd and Books group members at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on October 13. A limited number of places are still available from 01242 227979.

Alexei Sayle live

Alexei Sayle talks about his books with Jonathan Coe on the same day. For a “buy one get one free” ticket offer, call 01242 227979, quoting “Times Books group”. See www.cheltenhamfestivals.com

Alyson writes

THERE ARE MOMENTS OF GENIUS in this collection of short stories. There are also moments of groan-inducing silliness, fine writing, rushed writing, pathos, hilarity and bewilderment. Alexei Sayle’s style is, I am sure, alienating for some but hugely accessible for others. Perhaps there is not quite a story for everyone but there must surely be at least one that even his harshest critics could single out for praise.

The fun part with any collection is choosing your favourites and least favourite. The weakest stories were, for me, The Bad Samaritan and My Shrinking Circle of Acquaintances. They both failed to grab me. Sayle gives himself only a page to hook the reader and he did not manage it with those two.

I liked most The Minister for Death and You’re only Middle-aged Once. The Minister is close to being the perfect short story. It is well written, cleverly constructed and raises the important issue of the way that old people are regarded in our youth-obsessed society. The story of an old bloke, Ronnie, who gets away with a murder because he is invisible, it is packed with adventure and humour “I had been becoming invisible for some time, another word you might use for invisible is ‘old’.” No witness remembers seeing Ronnie. And so he becomes a hitman.

Middle-aged is juicily cynical. Mike is a columnist and a hypochondriac. He discovers that the public love his work when he shares his illnesses with them. He is not ill at all but as interest wanes he adds rare complications to his imaginary malaise. Mike invents a hospital and doctors and a little girl called Laura Loxton. “Many wept openly at the news of little Laura’s demise, including several mothers and fathers who had not cried when their own children had died.”

Every story has a twist or at least a quirky payoff and sometimes Sayle works too hard to find a shock in his last line. Some of the stories need a neat, funny finale, but others might even have benefited from being left open, to let the reader ponder the absurdities.

Jean Marshall did not like what she saw as Sayle's negative attitude but, while there is much ranting, I did not mind that he found so much to complain about because he was, usually, insightful. I doubt that anyone could disagree with Helen Pennington’s assessment of Sayle as “energetic”. He throws himself into his tales and, yes, he swears a lot but I thought this added to the pace and verve.

Sayle loves words and making up new ones. I particularly liked his use of “neverwalkalonery” to describe the experience visitors were after at Anfield. But he can also be tender. “He was a kind man and loved her more or less,” he says of a freaked-out lawyer’s husband. It was all you knew about him and hinted at another story, a novel perhaps.

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