by Nancy,
It seems in the Chess Men we are introduced to a different chapter in Fin’s life. How do we feel about this?
Does it flow with the other two books?
We also have a whole new load of characters to get to know
Do we have a favourite book in this series?
When we read the Pat Barker series those books also each had their own tone and style. Although they were also set in different locations their major theme remained the same, ie the devastation WW1 wrecked on the mental and physical health of a nation.
The Black House series is set in one specific locality and moving through different periods of time in the main character’s life.
While Peter May’s series is not the serious subject matter of the Regeneration series, although it does tackle some dark times in Scottish history I thought maybe we could compare the writing styles.
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteHow are you both? Good news about Charlie, Nancy. And interesting to read your views on the difference in the reading process when you know what happens in the end. However it’s approached, there’s a lot to be said for a plot that forces you to rush onwards. Hope you and the children enjoyed Halloween, Katie. We were lucky enough to have a dry evening so the children could show off their costumes. And did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
I enjoyed this novel best, I think. The idea of history repeating itself in the relationship between Whistler and Fin, and the inter-relationships between people in a small community were fascinating details. Mercifully, we saw a smaller number of abused/deprived children. The main characters seemed less vulnerable because they were older – though given how many died (Kenny, Donald, Whistler . . .) they clearly weren’t less vulnerable at all. And one does fear for Anna Bheag’s future. I can only hope Mairead gets what’s coming to her - a nasty piece of work. May generally provides redeeming features or a reason for a person’s more unpleasant characteristics. However if there were any excuses for Mairead I missed them.
These new characters and the fact we left Scotland did make this final book in the trilogy rather different from the first two. Nevertheless, it reflected, though to a lesser extent, what seems central to these books - a consideration of childhood and its impact on adult life. This is perhaps even more important a topic then the impact of WW1 on its participants. I admire May for tackling this. But I felt much greater sympathy with Pat Barker’s characters. I think this was because of the quality of her writing and the much larger landscapes it considers.
Gunn is a saint. I must find Coffin Road. (Unsurprisingly, not a very cheerful title.) I can only hope Gunn’s allowed to shine here instead of acting as Fin’s stooge. Fin’s transformation into a responsible, caring person has clearly not convinced Marsaili. May is too good a writer to give us a simplified happy-ever-after, but I did have hopes. And they’re not entirely dashed are they? However, I’m not sure I’d want Fin around. He wouldn’t be reliably around would he? Constantly dashing off to satisfy his curiosity – and maybe a need to feel important? I could be being a little unkind there.
The Iolaire disaster was discussed at on a Radio 4 programme last week. The tragedy will be commemorated in Lewis on New Year’s Eve. Seems the 205 deaths were rarely mentioned in the past. Such huge loss of life caused only grief and economic ruin, as there were not enough young men to fish, farm, etc. Now there’s a gallery of paintings based, as far as possible, on photos of the drowned, and installations, songs, and sculpture also act as memorials. Lamps are to be lit on New Year’s Eve as if to guide the drowned men home. The loss of so many young men motivated much emigration in the years afterwards. Mary Anne MacLeod, Donald Trump’s mother, left Tong, a small village near Stornoway, in 1929. Just thought you might like to know that, Katie.
I have enjoyed this series and the Scottish setting, Nancy. Have you read any of Ian Rankin’s Rebus books? Many are set in Edinburgh and the surrounding area. Highly recommended.
Much love to you both, and to your families.
Sue
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteWow what a busy and wonderful month it has been. Sam and Gracie have both been home visiting. It is very rare to have us all together at the same time so we’ve had an early Christmas and much fun and laughter.
We also included a visit to Sydney so Gracie could catch up with family there, specifically her Grandma who she doesn’t get to see very often. It was a wonderful visit with Gran sharing many stories of her childhood and an amazing bonding time.
Our weather here has been changeable today is rather cool and rainy which is such a blessing after last weeks scorching heat where you quite simply lose the will to do everything. I shouldn’t complain too much though some parts in our north are experiencing temps of high 40’sC. Don’t know how we are going to cope in the future.
Sue, how are you coping with all the Brexit drama?
Will there be another referendum or is it too late for that?
We live in such crazy convoluted times.
Katie, how goes it with you?
I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and all is well with the family.
I think we can all call the political sitch in our respective countries broken [It’s as nice as I can be}.
On to The Chess Men !
I very much enjoyed our final instalment, however my favourite book was The Lewis Man. I think I fell in love with Tormod and that sealed the deal.
It was interesting to read another time period in Fin’s early life, and a reminder we all have such different chapters to our lives and many experiences that can define us.
How our lives have a stream of people running through them, that at the time can seem so important and yet in hindsight very few stick for the long haul.
I have enjoyed this series of books and feel more familiar with the Islands they were mostly set on. Peter May has done a fine job of evoking a mystery and otherness to the Islands and their inhabitants, while also allowing the reader to feel for a short while part of the community.
I realise my question on comparing our two series was a little naive. Thank you Sue for answering it so eloquently and perhaps instead of saying more serious subject matter I should have said different. Both Pat Barker and Peter May are very accomplished authors however it was asking us to compare apples and oranges…sorry.
I agree with your comments on Fin, Sue he does seem to be a little bit of a wild boy. Which can be attractive in theory but not so for poor Marsaili. It is interesting I think of these characters as people, well done Peter May, and over the course of the series feel I know them very well.
I have enjoyed this series and look forward to another maybe sometime next year. Let’s keep our eyes out for a good one Ladies.
Much love,
Nancy
Hello Ladies!
ReplyDeleteLovely as always to hear from you. To answer your question, Sue, we did have Thanksgiving. It was nice. We saw both sides of our family. I believe that I may recommend hosting it next year so we do not have to travel from one place to the other. It would be a bit more work, but it would come with no travel and more leftovers. I’m glad that you got to spend time with the kids, Nancy. It is one of my favorite things!
This was an excellent series, thank you for the recommendation. I have already recommended it to a colleague that would appreciate it. I think the Chess Men was probably my least favorite in the series. Although I did find the theme of repeated histories interesting too, I felt the other two novels had me guessing a lot more. I predicted Roddy had faked his death fairly early into the novel. The last novel seemed to care less about a murder than about Fin’s childhood. Our first two novels seemed more like murder mysteries than the final installment.
I don’t know that I would call Fin a wild boy but certainly death seems to follow him too closely. He’s like some mythical harbinger of death. I think Marasili would benefit from staying away if for no other reason than the sheer fact that he always seems to get himself into dangerous situations. It seems Fin cannot leave well enough alone nor leave his police days behind him.
I find it very coincidental when something we’ve read about appears in another area of our lives. As with your radio program, Sue, I have seen Frida Kahlo referenced in many different places since finishing The Lacuna. Have you run into anything like this, Nancy? Wonderful book series! I just requested our next book from the library. If we do not talk sooner, I want to wish you both a very merry Christmas!
Much love to you and your families!
Katie