What do you think?
Rate this book
Winter Tales
This is a superb collection of stories, focusing on light and darkness, winter and its festivals, by one of the greatest story-tellers of the twentieth century. Through a variety of characters from shipwrecked Scandinavians to an Edinburgh gentleman, George Mackay Brown looks at the impact of new ways of thinking on the traditional way of life of Orkney.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
11 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
George Mackay Brown
184 books100 followersGeorge Mackay Brown, the poet, novelist and dramatist, spent his life living in and documenting the Orkney Isles.
A bout of severe measles at the age of 12 became the basis for recurring health problems throughout his life. Uncertain as to his future, he remained in education until 1940, a year which brought with it a growing reality of the war, and the unexpected death of his father. The following year he was diagnosed with (then incurable) Pulmonary Tuberculosis and spent six months in hospital in Kirkwall, Orkney's main town.
Around this time, he began writing poetry, and also prose for the Orkney Herald for which he became Stromness Correspondent, reporting events such as the switching on of the electricity grid in 1947. In 1950 he met the poet Edwin Muir, a fellow Orcadian, who recognised Mackay Brown's talent for writing, and would become his literary tutor and mentor at Newbattle Abbey College, in Midlothian, which he attended in 1951-2. Recurring TB forced Mackay Brown to spend the following year in hospital, but his experience at Newbattle spurred him to apply to Edinburgh University, to read English Literature, returning to do post-graduate work on Gerard Manley Hopkins.
In later life Mackay Brown rarely left Orkney. He turned to writing full-time, publishing his first collection of poetry, The Storm, in 1954. His writing explored life on Orkney, and the history and traditions which make up Orkney's distinct cultural identity. Many of his works are concerned with protecting Orkney's cultural heritage from the relentless march of progress and the loss of myth and archaic ritual in the modern world. Reflecting this, his best known work is Greenvoe (1972), in which the permanence of island life is threatened by 'Black Star', a mysterious nuclear development.
Mackay Brown's literary reputation grew steadily. He received an OBE in 1974 and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1977, in addition to gaining several honorary degrees. His final novel, Beside the Ocean of Time (1994) was Booker Prize shortlisted and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society. Mackay Brown died in his home town of Stromness on 13th April 1996.
He produced several poetry collections, five novels, eight collections of short stories and two poem-plays, as well as non-fiction portraits of Orkney, an autobiography, For the Islands I Sing (1997), and published journalism.
Read more at:
http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org....
A bout of severe measles at the age of 12 became the basis for recurring health problems throughout his life. Uncertain as to his future, he remained in education until 1940, a year which brought with it a growing reality of the war, and the unexpected death of his father. The following year he was diagnosed with (then incurable) Pulmonary Tuberculosis and spent six months in hospital in Kirkwall, Orkney's main town.
Around this time, he began writing poetry, and also prose for the Orkney Herald for which he became Stromness Correspondent, reporting events such as the switching on of the electricity grid in 1947. In 1950 he met the poet Edwin Muir, a fellow Orcadian, who recognised Mackay Brown's talent for writing, and would become his literary tutor and mentor at Newbattle Abbey College, in Midlothian, which he attended in 1951-2. Recurring TB forced Mackay Brown to spend the following year in hospital, but his experience at Newbattle spurred him to apply to Edinburgh University, to read English Literature, returning to do post-graduate work on Gerard Manley Hopkins.
In later life Mackay Brown rarely left Orkney. He turned to writing full-time, publishing his first collection of poetry, The Storm, in 1954. His writing explored life on Orkney, and the history and traditions which make up Orkney's distinct cultural identity. Many of his works are concerned with protecting Orkney's cultural heritage from the relentless march of progress and the loss of myth and archaic ritual in the modern world. Reflecting this, his best known work is Greenvoe (1972), in which the permanence of island life is threatened by 'Black Star', a mysterious nuclear development.
Mackay Brown's literary reputation grew steadily. He received an OBE in 1974 and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1977, in addition to gaining several honorary degrees. His final novel, Beside the Ocean of Time (1994) was Booker Prize shortlisted and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society. Mackay Brown died in his home town of Stromness on 13th April 1996.
He produced several poetry collections, five novels, eight collections of short stories and two poem-plays, as well as non-fiction portraits of Orkney, an autobiography, For the Islands I Sing (1997), and published journalism.
Read more at:
http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org....
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 11, 2026
The Paraffin Lamp 5
Lieutenant Bligh and Two Midshipmen 3
The Laird’s Son 5
The Children’s Feast 4
A Crusader’s Christmas 3
The Lost Sheep 5
A Boy’s Calendar 5 - outstanding
The Woodcarver 4
Three Old Men 3
Ikey 4
A Nativity Tale 3
Dancey 3
Shell Story 3
The Architect 4
St Christopher 1
The Sons of Upland Farm 3
The Road to Emmaus 3
The Fight in the Plough and Ox 4
Lieutenant Bligh and Two Midshipmen 3
The Laird’s Son 5
The Children’s Feast 4
A Crusader’s Christmas 3
The Lost Sheep 5
A Boy’s Calendar 5 - outstanding
The Woodcarver 4
Three Old Men 3
Ikey 4
A Nativity Tale 3
Dancey 3
Shell Story 3
The Architect 4
St Christopher 1
The Sons of Upland Farm 3
The Road to Emmaus 3
The Fight in the Plough and Ox 4
December 31, 2025
2025 5 stars
This collection of atmospheric short stories was exactly what I wanted to be reading this holiday season.
The stories are set in Orkney, a group of islands in the north of Scotland, that have both Scandinavian and Celtic roots. Some are historical and some are contemporary, with context, rather than any explicit mention of the year, helping to locate the stories in time...although the setting is so rural and none feel completely modern. Most are set during the winter, but some are told over the course of a year. Many have Christian symbolism, making this a great Christmastime read.
Brown's mastery is in the poetic but not romanticized way he's able to evoke the setting. I felt transported to the moody seashores, smokey peat fires, and windswept hills. A few reviews remarked that this is not Brown's best work; given that I enjoyed it so much, I'm looking forward to reading more of his short story collections, as well as his novels.
2022 3.5 stars
I almost never buy a book I haven't previously read, but for some reason I picked this up at a thrift store a few years ago and finally got around to reading it this January. These are short stories about people and communities in the Orkney Island in the north of Scotland. It's kind of ironic and fortuitous that I happened to read this book this year, since I'm planning a trip to Scotland this spring (barring any future COVID lockdowns).
In a way these stories felt similar to the work of Elizabeth Strout in their focus on community and provincial life, but Brown's tone is humorous and sometimes joyful (I find Strout's tone and outlook on life kind of depressing).
This collection of atmospheric short stories was exactly what I wanted to be reading this holiday season.
The stories are set in Orkney, a group of islands in the north of Scotland, that have both Scandinavian and Celtic roots. Some are historical and some are contemporary, with context, rather than any explicit mention of the year, helping to locate the stories in time...although the setting is so rural and none feel completely modern. Most are set during the winter, but some are told over the course of a year. Many have Christian symbolism, making this a great Christmastime read.
Brown's mastery is in the poetic but not romanticized way he's able to evoke the setting. I felt transported to the moody seashores, smokey peat fires, and windswept hills. A few reviews remarked that this is not Brown's best work; given that I enjoyed it so much, I'm looking forward to reading more of his short story collections, as well as his novels.
2022 3.5 stars
I almost never buy a book I haven't previously read, but for some reason I picked this up at a thrift store a few years ago and finally got around to reading it this January. These are short stories about people and communities in the Orkney Island in the north of Scotland. It's kind of ironic and fortuitous that I happened to read this book this year, since I'm planning a trip to Scotland this spring (barring any future COVID lockdowns).
In a way these stories felt similar to the work of Elizabeth Strout in their focus on community and provincial life, but Brown's tone is humorous and sometimes joyful (I find Strout's tone and outlook on life kind of depressing).
February 1, 2020
GMB is always a delight to read for the beauty of his prose alone, and these winter-themed stories are no exception. As always, he’s at his very best when he’s describing the rhythms of Orkney life, whether that’s in the 11th, 18th, or 20th centuries, and his sense of place and character is always gorgeous.
As is the way with anthologies, some of the stories I loved, others didn’t do much for me. My favourites from this collection are The Paraffin Lamp, The Woodcarver, and The Fight in the Plough and Ox (possibly because they were the most humorous?). I also have to give a shout-out to Lieutenant Bligh and Two Midshipmen for its thoughtful characterisation of William Bligh - very far removed from the usual Hollywood slanders!
There’s a lot of overtly Christian symbolism throughout the stories, though it never quite matches the lyrical, meditative power of his novel Magnus, which meant quite a few of the stories left this stone-cold heathen going, “So… what was the point of that, then?” That said, I very much enjoyed his modern setting take on the parable in The Road to Emmaus. There’s a section in Magnus where he does something very similar, and it was an interesting echo of that.
As is the way with anthologies, some of the stories I loved, others didn’t do much for me. My favourites from this collection are The Paraffin Lamp, The Woodcarver, and The Fight in the Plough and Ox (possibly because they were the most humorous?). I also have to give a shout-out to Lieutenant Bligh and Two Midshipmen for its thoughtful characterisation of William Bligh - very far removed from the usual Hollywood slanders!
There’s a lot of overtly Christian symbolism throughout the stories, though it never quite matches the lyrical, meditative power of his novel Magnus, which meant quite a few of the stories left this stone-cold heathen going, “So… what was the point of that, then?” That said, I very much enjoyed his modern setting take on the parable in The Road to Emmaus. There’s a section in Magnus where he does something very similar, and it was an interesting echo of that.
March 8, 2015
The worst fiction by GMB I have read to date. These short stories are dull and overly heavy with Catholic symbolism which he beats his readers with mercilessly. He doesn't capture the isles as well as he does in his longer fiction or poetry and indeed the craft of short story writing totally escapes him in this collection. Even though many of these characters show up in other work, it is difficult to care about them. Absolutely no grace nor a smidgen of joy enlivens this work. Not for the casual reader and even a die hard fan might find it difficult to trudge through these pages.
September 3, 2017
This wonderful collection of winter-themed short stories is one that sat unread on my shelf for too long. The stories, all set in Orkney, deal with a variety of topics, including change and traditions, many infused with spiritual and biblical themes, sometimes subtle, other times not so much. This is probably not GMB's finest work, but well worth the read nonetheless.
December 11, 2017
Grasmere book club choice.
I really enjoyed most of the stories especially for the evoking a strong sense of place, culture and mood. Some of the stories were very moving, especially the one about the orphaned girl from the ship wreck.
Unfortunately after one "Christian" story about loaves and fishes the others and the baby in a manger ones were just irritating.
I really enjoyed most of the stories especially for the evoking a strong sense of place, culture and mood. Some of the stories were very moving, especially the one about the orphaned girl from the ship wreck.
Unfortunately after one "Christian" story about loaves and fishes the others and the baby in a manger ones were just irritating.
July 27, 2017
Most of the stories give a good sense of place in the descriptions of Orkney life. My favorite was about the coming modernism of electricity to Orkney, and one elderly resident's response. The religious notes are struck a bit to heavily in some of the stories.
January 16, 2021
Lovely atmospheric short stories. I can see some people might object to the religious themes in some, but I found them in keeping with the sense of traditions and superstitions that prevail throughout.
November 25, 2017
Heartwarming tales of Orkney, set in a past when life was harder and we were much more connected to the land, sea and the people and stories that had gone before us. A good book to dip into.
January 24, 2019
This collection of short stories set in Orkney in the winter was a surprising and delightful read for me. I was looking for tales from Scotland, and this popped up on a search. I was not acquainted with George Mackay Brown and his writings before. It's easy to understand that the author is well known for his poetry. It suffuses all the stories. I enjoyed the dreamy, sweet, heartwarming world of the island people -- their hopes and heartaches and realities. I didn't love every story, but as a whole this is a work I can enthusiastically recommend. On a chilly winter night, sink into a chair near a fire and pick up this book. Read one, two, or more of the tales. Perfect.
February 14, 2024
A second reading after many years, and a mixed bag. I enjoyed some, such as 'The Paraffin Lamp' and 'The Woodcarver', with their warmth and wry humour, but like others, I got fed up being beaten over the head with heavy-handed Christian symbolism. Much preferred 'Beside the Ocean of Time'.
July 31, 2018
His poems are really amazing. This book is not his poems. He should have stuck to the poems.
July 6, 2023
BG. Short stories. Read first one, hated the language. Gave up.
February 15, 2015
Mackay Brown can be one of the most evocative writers I've encountered. A poet, first and writer second, this shows in his work, but thankfully the stories are not poetry heavy, and when deployed, it's usually a wonderful flourish, particularly in description, that makes me stop and read the paragraph again for the sheer pleasure it can bring.
There are great pieces in probably all the stories here, but there's a few that just didn't work at all for me - hence the three star rating. A few are instantly forgettable and the ones that move away from Orkney aren't so good either - the Vikings wintering in Spain (Crusader's Christmas) felt generic, without either the characters or the setting quite gelling. The sense of place is so important in Mackay Brown's work, that attempts to go elsewhere seem to lack or diminish in comparison.
Where he soars are the regular tales of life - either in the 'now' of his lifetime (he died in 1995) or in some undefined part of the last 150 years - and even a couple from the Viking ones in Orkney (particularly the Architect) were good. The imagined meeting between Captain Bligh of the Bounty with the family of the (real) Orcadian who joined his crew was amusing. The highlights for me were the Woodcarver, and Dancey (both 5* in their own right), which had both a sense of character - and of the temperament of the Orkadians (and many Scots in genera), as well as the setting and location. I'm always tickled to find someone who can bring out 'thrawn' so well (some of the characters did remind me clearly of my grandparents' generation, to many readers a line or quote would pass unnoticed, but these raise a smile - and were often understated.
The sense of place, character and particularly season (hint: see title) are strong - when it hits the mark it's Mackay Brown with some of his best.
There are great pieces in probably all the stories here, but there's a few that just didn't work at all for me - hence the three star rating. A few are instantly forgettable and the ones that move away from Orkney aren't so good either - the Vikings wintering in Spain (Crusader's Christmas) felt generic, without either the characters or the setting quite gelling. The sense of place is so important in Mackay Brown's work, that attempts to go elsewhere seem to lack or diminish in comparison.
Where he soars are the regular tales of life - either in the 'now' of his lifetime (he died in 1995) or in some undefined part of the last 150 years - and even a couple from the Viking ones in Orkney (particularly the Architect) were good. The imagined meeting between Captain Bligh of the Bounty with the family of the (real) Orcadian who joined his crew was amusing. The highlights for me were the Woodcarver, and Dancey (both 5* in their own right), which had both a sense of character - and of the temperament of the Orkadians (and many Scots in genera), as well as the setting and location. I'm always tickled to find someone who can bring out 'thrawn' so well (some of the characters did remind me clearly of my grandparents' generation, to many readers a line or quote would pass unnoticed, but these raise a smile - and were often understated.
The sense of place, character and particularly season (hint: see title) are strong - when it hits the mark it's Mackay Brown with some of his best.
September 6, 2016
This is an interesting collection of short stories set in the Orkney Islands in the far far north of Scotland. The stories are uneven in terms of interest (though all are equally well-written)--some I loved, some I just didn't understand at all, and some were just fine. My husband and I have just recently been to Tangier Island in Virginia which, though not actually as remote as the Orkneys (and not in such an extreme environment), nevertheless shares some features of life in the Orkneys, and so I probably related to these stories more now than I would have a few weeks ago. As a view into life in harsh, unforgiving conditions, this collection is a gem. I'd have gone 3.5 stars if I could, but since I had to choose between 3 and 4, I felt the great stories were good enough to warrant the round up, rather than the round down.
October 17, 2020
This was a collection of short stories gently and lovingly told by an islander from Orkney. I liked the simple, straightforward stories about farming and fishing and island life, interspersed with some Christian imagery. I found the cadences and language more compelling than some of the stories themselves, which could have been boring in the hands of a different author. The stories were uneven, as they often are in short story collections, with some wonderful stories and some mediocre stories. But even with the mediocre ones, I found it comforting to immerse myself in this book for a little while. I will definitely need to read more of George Mackay Brown.
2020 update: re-read for a book club. This book went over well with a Scottish audience. I enjoyed it even more the second time, knowing that the beauty of the stories was in the atmosphere and the setting.
2020 update: re-read for a book club. This book went over well with a Scottish audience. I enjoyed it even more the second time, knowing that the beauty of the stories was in the atmosphere and the setting.
July 6, 2009
George Mackay Brown, a talented story teller and one of the best known Scottish short story writers, was born in Orkney and lived there for most of his life.
The tales in this collection, primarily set in Orkney, deal with the conflicts of man with nature, winter festivals, the yearly cycle and the contrast of light with darkness, and demonstrate that, although life may be difficult and uncertain, there are many consolations.
I highly recommend WINTER TALES to any one interested in Scottish literature or culture history, or to anyone who just wants to read poignant and well-crafted stories.
The tales in this collection, primarily set in Orkney, deal with the conflicts of man with nature, winter festivals, the yearly cycle and the contrast of light with darkness, and demonstrate that, although life may be difficult and uncertain, there are many consolations.
I highly recommend WINTER TALES to any one interested in Scottish literature or culture history, or to anyone who just wants to read poignant and well-crafted stories.
September 24, 2013
My husband tracked this down through a British publisher for me. I love trying to align my life closer to the seasons and embracing each one for the gifts it has to offer. I thought this would be along those lines and it was, somewhat. It is very cultural, Orkney, UK - so many of the nuances and terminology was lost on this American. The author is a great story teller. Each chapter is a short story and he quickly draws you into the characters and scenes. Many times I was surprised at the end as he brought you to the realization that his story was an allegory for something else- like the Nativity scene.
August 9, 2012
Beautifully written. This is a supreme collection of short stories of immense importance not just when considering the Orkney community, but Scotland's community as a whole.
September 10, 2016
I loved this book of short stories. Some brought me to tears with the tenderness of them and others I laughed out loud for humor found in everyday man.
February 12, 2015
At once earthy, real and spiritual. I love these stories and the world they are set in.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews