Sunset Song (A Scots Quair, #1) in Never too Late to Read Classics

Dec 13, 2011 Chrissie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hf, classics, scotland, favorites, great-britain, ww1, audible-us, 2016-read, love

Voted "Best Scottish Book of All Time" by "the public" in 2005

Look here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/sc...

The lines are gorgeous. When you listen to this you are there in the Scottish Highlands. When? At the beginning of the 20th century. Writing can be all about creating the atmosphere of a particular time and place.

I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Eileen McCallum. You have to pay attention. Understanding the Scottish dialect is difficult, but worth it. I don't understand all Voted "Best Scottish Book of All Time" by "the public" in 2005

Look here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/sc...

The lines are gorgeous. When you listen to this you are there in the Scottish Highlands. When? At the beginning of the 20th century. Writing can be all about creating the atmosphere of a particular time and place.

I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Eileen McCallum. You have to pay attention. Understanding the Scottish dialect is difficult, but worth it. I don't understand all the words. Most you understand from the context. The dialect captures the colloquial speech of the area. The dialect is said to be artificial, but I didn’t realize this. McCallum's intonation reflects the humor, sadness and anger found in the lines. She sings the Scottish tunes. Five stars for the excellent narration. In my view the narration enhances one's appreciation of the text.

I absolutely adored this book. I love the story, how it plays out, as well as the writing. If you look on Wiki you will get a map of the fictional town of Kinraddie. It is near Aberdeen. After reading the article I thought that while I agreed with all that was said, the article fails. It fails because it does not convey how the reader / listener will be drawn into the story. That is the magic of good writing.

The themes are the impact of the First World War and pacifism, socialism, the disappearance from the Scottish Highlands of the traditional small-scale croft farming, the cutting of the forests and the subsequent increase of sheep raising. One world is replaced by another. The inevitability of change. A world that changes means that people's lives change too. The characters fall in love, they are happy, they are sad, they hurt each other and some die. Life goes on. The land is a constant.

This is not a light book. People are drawn accurately ...and we aren't always nice! Some readers may be upset by the realistic description of childbirth. There is incest and sex. I didn't find any of this graphic. Keep in mind that a threat can be more disturbing than an actual event.

This book will be loved by those who appreciate nature, those who prefer country over city, those who have been to and love Scotland, and all of you who appreciate superb writing. ...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction-20th-century, scotland, family-saga, hf-world-war-i, read-2012, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, hf-scotland

What to say about this magnificent book? This is the first boot of the trilogy A Scots Quair.

According to George Malcom Thomson, to whom the book is dedicated, wrote that "this Chris of yours is surely the greatest woman character in Scottish fiction...She is intensely Scottish and yet universal".

I just found these little gems:

Sunset Song (BBC 1971) Clips 1, 2, 3 and 4.

This book was a kind gift by dear friend A aka B.
...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Christine rated it liked it

Shelves: location-scotland, historical-fiction, radio-bbc-4, family-relationships, tower-team-wind-dancers

Classic Serial

Gerda Stevenson's dramatisation of the 1932 novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, set in north-east Scotland before and during the First World War.

Chris Guthrie is torn between her love of the land and her ambition to become a teacher. As Chris' domineering father struggles with the harshness of the land, her mother's fear of childbirth leads her to despair.

Chris Guthrie ...... Lesely Hart
John Guthrie ...... Liam Brennan
Jean Guthrie ...... Bridget McCann
Will Guthrie ...... Gordon Brandie
M ...more

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