The Monarch of the Glen

by Compton Mackenzie

The ancient clan spirit is not yet dead in the Scottish Highlands, with Donald MacDonald of Ben Nevis ruling the roost at wild, craggy Glenbogle castle. Woe betide those who trespass on this chieftain's kingdom...

Genres: Fiction, Scotland, Classics, Historical Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Compton Mackenzie was born into a theatrical family. His father, Edward Compton, was an actor and theatre company manager; his sister, Fay Compton, starred in many of James M. Barrie's plays, including Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. He was educated at St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained a degree in Modern History.

Mackenzie was married three times and aside from his writing also worked as an actor, political activist, and broadcaster. He served with British Intelligence in the Eastern Mediterranean during World War I, later publishing four books on his experiences. Compton Mackenzie was from 1920–1923 Tenant of Herm and Jethou and he shares many similarities to the central character in D.H. Lawrence's short story The Man Who Loved Islands, despite Lawrence saying "the man is no more he than I am." Mackenzie at first asked Secker, who published both authors, not to print the story and it was left out of one collection.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this more stars.

My love for anything Scottish brought me here. After watching the television series, I knew I had to read the book. Of course, the two are completely different, which is fine. In fact, I liked the era the book took place in, and the characters, a little bit better.

The first major complaint I have about this book is the beginning. It is slow, confusing, dense. There were too many names for Ben Nevis. I didn't have a full grasp on who everyone was until at least three chapters in, which is pretty bad. I feel like only then did the story become good.

The second major complaint I have is the fact that there are too many unimportant people mentioned. It was confusing enough sorting everyone out in the beginning. The people added on after that became a bit overwhelming for me. It didn't really add to the story in any way.

That is something I finally want to mention. I loved the story! If you can get past the names, and few prose potholes, I just made that up, then the story is wonderful! I really enjoyed the main characters, the plot, the setting, and everything else about this book. The humor is my type of humor. It is really such a shame about the beginning and the names. If those were cleaned up a bit I would have given this book 5/5.

All in all, I would rate this 3.5/5.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book description says: “a humorous novel.” I read it, of course, after having seen the BBC show on television. The spirit of the farce is in both, but the book lacked the sweet moments and the endearing characters. It was written in 1941, so that perspective made for some differences, as well. The plot was the hikers who wanted free reign to camp and hike where they like vs the laird, who wanted to lock all of the hikers in his dungeon for trespassing. There was an American couple visiting, who decided to buy land and go native, including a garish orange kilt, and the poet trying to free Scotland from England. Quirky.

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW FOR: MONARCH OF THE GLEN
Compton MacKenzie

“Upholding the Honor of Clan Traditions in the Highlands”

Set in the Scottish highlands after WW2 this delightful book introduces several amusing characters—none more so than Hector, the proud but harassed laird of Clan MacDonald. Deadly serious when it comes to matters of clan honor and family loyalty, Ben Nevis (as he is called--not to be confused with the majestic peak of the same nostalgic name) booms edicts and issues florid
militaristic commands as if he could run the show as his ancestors did generations/centuries before. His oversized offspring are hard put to keep up with the old man who reigns supreme—until the summer when the National Union of Hikers (the free-spirited NUH , if you please) decides to hike and camp on his land, upsetting the game birds and ignoring the No Camping signs. Adamant about not involving such mundane authorities as the Police, Ben Nevis decides to wage war on the intruders—who fight back just as violently in their truculent determination to demand their claim to right-of-way. And the right to use their portable Little Songsters around the campfire. A true clash of wills ensues during which prisoners are taken on both sides, minor bodily injuries result and clan honor is flaunted; even the castle of Glenbogle itself is assaulted.

In a lighthearted vein, gently poking fun at his national foibles and pride
the author spins an amusing tale of intrigue and pompous indignation on both sides. As a gentler, more romantic parallel there is the birth of young love between a melancholy poet of the Scottish Brotherhood of Action and one of Ben Nevis’ North American guests (naively quick to snap up a decrepit hunting lodge of neighboring Kilwhillie). Ah, frustrated courtship amidst the heather and bog-myrtle, interspersed with attempts to pronounce impossible Gaelic words. Spiced up with tales of ancient clan valor and the cave in which Bonny Prince Charlie hid from the British in the days of the Stuarts, this darling story makes light reading—an hilarious version of Scotland as she yearns to be once again—amidst the skirl of pipers --Anything but that wretched tune about the Campbells’ coming! With the light-hearted plotting of PG Wodehouse this gem enchants with its own form of literary magic—an enjoyable thistle of a charmer!

January 13, 2013

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've watched a couple seasons of PBS's "Monarch of the Glen," and the opening sequence has, "Inspired by the Highland Novels of Compton Mackenzie" on it, so I went in search of the books. My library's ILL got the out-of-print book from West Texas University, ha ha. It's set in the 1920s, so the characters and storyline is completely different from the TV show, but it's still an enjoyable book, with colourful characters and a similar type of humour as the show. I'm going to see if there are other books with the same characters, I'm not sure at this point.

[Lorie Ahlander Maenza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. There were moments where I laughed out loud! This story is set in the 20c. but some of the characters never left the 14c. I had just finished Nigel Tranter's "Robert the Bruce" trilogy and had a fresh understanding of the mindset behind some of the characters, which made them even more humorous for me. All the characters were fun. Great read!

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Being a fan of the TV series I was curious to see how closely it followed the book - answer - hardly at all. The characters in the book are much "campier" and a comical stereotype of the Scots (at least I hope it's a stereotype). The TV series captured some of the flavor and setting of the book and took a few story ideas from it but that's about all.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like the wonderful BBC show, but very good in it's own right. Peppered throughout with Scots-Gaelic words and facts and tartan colors, you really come out of this with a taste of the Highlands.

[Michael Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, the show is amazingly different from the book, and I couldn't help but imagine certain characters as their (sorta kinda) television counterparts, but all in all this is a fun and amusing read.
Highly recommended.

[Grant Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Scottish farce. Not as funny as whisky galore but the story is as good and certainly easier to follow. Nothing profound but very enjoyable reading.

[Sarah McBee Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly entertaining glimpse of Scottish culture. Clearly a comedic novel with the characters as bold and brash of the Scots of folktales. The story is written as if the author is telling the story to you. The language is very straightforward and amazingly easy to follow. The only difficulty I had was keeping straight all the names and nicknames the men had especially Donald McDonald, Laird of Glenbogle. But you do get used to it and the confusion lets up and allows a quite entertaining story.

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious loved it. A comic look at the political patchwork that constitutes Scotlands past present and future and a great insight into post-war society

[writer... · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1941, this was a step back into history providing a bit of culture shock in the reading.

Hiking is a new pastime of young British society and the attempts of hikers to maintain free rein in camping locations is the issue. Their mistake? In thinking they can ignore the 'NO Camping' signs on the vast acreages of one, Donald MacDonald, Scottish Chieftain of the MacDonald clan.

A skirmish between them turns physical and results in dungeon time. An outright battle is launched by the Nat'l Union of Hikers to overtake Glenbogle Castle, take inhabitants hostage, all in order to further entrench their supposed 'rights' after this humiliation.

A wealthy American with his young Canadian wife are guests of the Chieftain, due to discovery of Carrie's relational heritage as a MacDonald. Chester has been accepted into the Canadian Carroway tribe of native Canadians providing additional cultural diversity to the plot. Carrie's friendships with members of the rebel Scottish Nationalist Brotherhood further conflicts relationships when romance enters the picture.

Definitely some comedic scenes that will have transferred well to the tv/dvd series I'm sure.

[JA Condie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't quite such a romp as the wonderful 'Whisky Galore' but I very much enjoyed the gentle satire in this book.

It's somewhat surprising/depressing to learn that Scotland's political landscape hasn't changed that much in the 75 years since this book was published. The land is still owned by a minority, the folk with power still think what's best for them is all that matters... and Scottish Nationalists are still, earnestly, trying to do their very best for Scotland. It is extremely gentle satire though. Everyone (except the hikers) comes out relatively unscathed.

Mackenzie's depiction of the Highland locals is reminiscent of those in 'Whisky Galore'. Apparently placid, backward bumpkins who really just move at their own pace and can totally get stuff done when required. I was particularly amused by the Laird's abysmal attempts at Gaelic ('half luke' instead of 'tha i fliuch') Obh obh!

So, a nice wee book. Gentle and amusing.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely nothing like the TV series, but a jolly fun read anyways!

[Yesenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, really.
this was one of the best silly books i have ever audioread. i had tons of fun, i smiled like an idiot, i snorted out loud quite often, i thoroughly enjoyed it! but i think that the great talent of the reader helped A LOT. if i had read this on my own, without the accents and theatrical nuances that the skillful reader brought to it, i know that i would not have enjoyed it as much.
i would have given it 5 stars if it had not started off a bit slow. for a fun, brain-candy read, , at least. it took me a few chapters to really get into the fun of it, and normally i don't mind that, but it does dock at least some of my "amazement" (if i am to use the goodreads rating system).
i cannot explain why, but there was a quality of "wholesome humor" that just felt like, i dunno, good. relaxing. i am sure that Compton Mackenzie would not pass a feminist test, if there was one. i mean, he was probably neither aware, nor interested, in the inherent inequalities between men and women in his patriarchal society, and in the world of arts and literature. but his characters and story in this novel are not the type that make you have to sigh and say, "it was a different time", as so many others do. that the two big, "hefty" sisters dislike the two pretty, feminine sisters-in-law is perfectly reasonable--mackenzie doesn't even use the word "fat", he is so not fatphobic (wink, wink). he makes fun of and/or critiques nationalists, scots, canadians, gringos, butlers, cooks, customs, hunting, fishing, marriage, bachelorhood, rich people, hiking, camping, English railroads, men, women, mountains, mountain views, castles, dungeons, big chins, corduroy shorts... and you don't have to adhere to any ideology or political perspective to see the humor in what he writes, there is no canon of theoretical or popcultural discourses that you have to know, in order to smile, snort or laugh.

it was great. it was so absurd. it was ridiculous. it was cute and feel-good. i might read more Compton Mackenzie...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this...with some reservations. It's often funny but toes the line at being just "silly", with some running gags overstaying their welcome (as with any humor, the gags I liked will probably be the ones you think were overused). The characters were right on the borderline between likeable and not. The storyline was better than I feared it would be based on the first couple chapters.

Like many other reviewers, I came to this because of the 2000-2005 BBC TV series with the same name. As others have mentioned, it bears almost no resemblance to the show. Only a few names are the same.

Speaking of names, this book blasts about 10 different people with 20 different names at you in the first chapter. If you plow through it, I think you'll do alright. But if you want to have everybody straight from the get-go, be prepared to write some notes. I didn't bother and it was fine. The initial cast remained consistent throughout the book and there are only a few additional important characters to meet a big later.

So: a silly farce, but entertaining. You'll learn a little Gaelic. You might pine for some whisky.

[Bob Dyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compton MacKenzie's Four Winds of Love, Sinister Street, and the oddly-mannered The Passionate Elopement were much admired in their day, but time has not been kind to them, and Compton MacKenzie's reputation is not what it was. Nowdays he is known almost exclusively for his more light-hearted Whisky Galore, The Monarch of the Glen, and Hunting the Fairies. As humorous novels go, The Monarch of the Glen is great fun. Donald MacDonald of Ben Nevis is plagued by campers on his land; the hard-up Hugh Cameron of Kilwhillie wants to sell off a dilapidated hunting lodge to an American millionaire; the American milionaire's sister-in-law takes a shine to a Scottish nationalist poet, and everything comes out right in the end. The flow is a little disturbed by the bee that the author has in his bonnet about Scottish nationalism (he's all for it, and inclined to preach), but he writes engagingly, his characters are likeable, and the story bowls along at a fine pace. If you enjoy The Monarch of the Glen you'll enjoy the (much funnier) Hunting the Fairies more. Not great literature, but good enertainment, and well recommended.

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his dedication(published in 1941), the author calls this a 'farce.' And, in the tradition of the 1930s romantic comedies like Topper, or the early 40s The Canterville Ghost - I would definitely agree. While some of this delightful novel was carried over into the ITV series, the novel was way more enjoyable for me. And much more a period piece than the TV series. Although, in some ways, it felt very much like many of the movies and books written after WW2 as a bit of a 'send off' of the 'nouveau' American. The characters are quite well drawn. Myrtle and Carrie really carry the story. There is one chapter, I was in the lounge at the Lexus dealer and I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud that I must have turned red. And had to take the glasses off to dry my eyes. So, take a break from the serious stuff.

[Cazzaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the fake place names (eg: Strathdiddle) there are many threads of humour to both savour and endure. These derive from an enjoyable set-up of different groups of people each with their own “narrative” of what Scotland means to them: history, romance, freedom, access, an expression of wealth, or just camping. The resulting farcical conflict is as much a love triangle as it is class war and hypocrisy. A little overlong and slow, but delightful enough. Didn’t finish the book, but I could pretty much anticipate the multi-way fight that was coming - contemporary clan warfare enacted as an Ealing Comedy

[Mrs B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this wry, dry, Scottish comedy, which sees Highland Chieftain Ben Nevis embark on prolonged warfare with the campers who are trespassing on his land.

There’s kidnapping, battering down the castle, and cunning tactics on both sides of the war, but it all culminates in a grand heroic battle when Ben Nevis is forced to make an alliance with a loathsome bunch of students from Glasgow.

Very clever pastiche writing with joyful characters - American Chester (with his garish kilts) and “hefty” hiker-throwing daughters Catriona and Mary amongst them.

[Davidg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A jolly romp. Unlike Wodehouse say, this shows it's age a little. Mackenzie tries to have it both ways, mocking both the landowning clan chief and the hikers who want to walk and camp on his land.

At the end, Mackenzie leaves us with the aristocracy back in charge and no change to the status quo. This doesn't sit well in these more democratic days.

But it's all meant as fun.

[Sir Robbiethehoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolly good highland mysticism! Craggy mountains, a stately manor house in a remote highland wilderness, eccentric millionaires and a headstrong highland chieftain waging war on pesky, sleekit campers. A book packed full of wonderful Scottish romanticism.

[Eireann Lalor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this lil, light book set in Scotland. I think the humour tended to be very dry and sarcastic which I love. Over all liked reading it but don’t think it’s one that will stick in my mind forever.

[Andrea Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the funniest books I have ever read. I am collecting and reading all of Mackenzie's Highland novels. I actually read "The Rival Monster" first, which is also hilarious. I will read the rest in order of publication.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, a bit drawn put, but charming characters who fill out better in the tv series

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 *

An hilarious romp in the Highlands of Scotland! Ben Nevis for ever!

[James Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst many may remember the TV series, and good as it was, this is far superior. Mackenzie has a perfect grasp of Scottish dialect.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A entertaining comedy yarn set in the Highlands of Scotland, with humour, romance and witty dialogue. I throughly enjoyed it.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old fashioned writing, dry wit that you often have to read carefully to get. A look at a quaint world beginning to cope with a "modern" world a hundred years ago!

[JoJo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get in to the spirit of this - a bit too old-school comedy for me at the moment