Helpful Score: 2
Having recently discovered my own Scottish roots, I am ever interested in reading Scots authors. A friend turned me on to the writing of the editor of this book, Michael R. Phillips, who in an acknowledgment mentioned the George MacDonald author. I secured several of his books and this is the first of many I ordered. it was slow getting into the book and the language is somewhat archaic since the original author wrote during the 19th Century. Phillips has modernized the language somewhat but it can be difficult going. Once I got into the jist of the plot, it was much easier and I was eager to read more and look forward to the sequel. This book centers around the life of a fishman young man and consequences of secrets held by the village folk of his community.
Helpful Score: 1
The woman's body lay in an upper room of an old house overlooking the sea. Her life had been shrouded in mystery as surely as her body was now wrapped in the pale linen of death...
So begins the stunning romantic narrative of Malcolm, the Scottish fisherman, and the willful, adventurous girl he dared not love.
So begins the stunning romantic narrative of Malcolm, the Scottish fisherman, and the willful, adventurous girl he dared not love.
Originally published in 1875 as "Malcolm"
wonderful book !
Edited for the modern reader, with much of the Scottish dialect translated for easier comprehension
Enjoyable and suspenseful, though somewhat difficult to follow at times. I definitely recommend this edition, unless you are up to speed on pretty heavy Scottish dialect (in which some of the characters speak in the original editions). Also, this edition has a helpful character list and map at the front of the book. Likeable and unpredictable character development, and the last chapters are particularly moving.
This is a great book, but unfortunately this editions cuts out about a third of the story, making it pointless to read. If you are going to order this book, MAKE SURE it is UNabridged! Even go so far as to enter the ISBN into some other bok sites to se their decriptions of it. Abridged books are so useless. This abridged version cuts out ALL of MacDonald's philosophy and musings, and just life lessons that he so effortlessly and beautifully weaves into his literature.
Very hard to read. The plot was interesting once it gets going. Not sure If I want to read the sequel.
