Written by Alexi Sayle
Read by Alexi Sayle
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 96 Kbps

Alexei Sayle's first collection of short stories marked him as a gifted if slightly cynical observer of the human condition. And now, The Dog Catcher continues the blend of perceptive story telling and acerbic witticism we first met in Barcelona Plates. With its touches of dark humor this new anthology is, from first to last, a delight. Read about an obsessive transvestite and his (or should it be her?) growing preoccupation with inconsiderate cyclists. There's Clive Hole, the indecisive head of media facilitation who is disintegrating into suicidal madness, or the 'voice-over' actress who fails to notice that her freelance work is for oriental gangsters. The Mau Mau Hat tells of an ageing poet who, after a silence of 30 years, starts writing once more. Sayle's special brand of compassion shines through everything he writes, the beautifully observed characters being as recognizable as they are unforgettable. Each one though, from the downright gullible to the overtly ambitious, seems to end up worse off at the end of the story than at the start. He lays bare the intrigues of contemporary life with a style and clarity that's impossible to ignore and his penetratingly accurate descriptions prove him a profound commentator of modern life.