tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post2060178151935026810..comments2024-03-28T13:27:46.447-06:00Comments on Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan: The Hills is Lonely by Lillian BeckwithBill Selneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-50613085524029471252016-03-24T10:47:27.488-06:002016-03-24T10:47:27.488-06:00Margot Kinberg labours under the delusion that Bec...Margot Kinberg labours under the delusion that Beckwith's novels are "a rich portrait of life in the Hebrides at the time." They are not. They are a parody of island life and a gross calumny on the good folk who lived there. They owe a little to Ms Beckwith's experiences but are mostly a figment of her imagination. I was in the Hebrides at the time and often on the island of Soay where I met Ms Beckwith just after the publication of "The Hills is Lonely". I speak, therefore, from an intimate knowledge of island life (and the language and culture) and not from any dislike of Ms Beckwith as a person, though I do find her portrayals extremely patronising- but, of course, for her, they were very profitable. UilleamUilleamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-73606708348937455112016-03-24T09:06:38.155-06:002016-03-24T09:06:38.155-06:00Many Gaels (people who speak the Scottish Gaelic ...Many Gaels (people who speak the Scottish Gaelic language and are native to the Scottish Hebrides) absolutely hate Lillian Beckwith and her corny novels. Her portrayal of native island Scots as comical half wits and of their language and culture as something quaint and amusingly backward is deeply resented. Her English colonial attitudes should be put in the cultural deep freeze, where they belong. Uilleam Foirbeasach MacBhatairUilleamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-90570417487170681012015-01-18T18:25:56.395-06:002015-01-18T18:25:56.395-06:00TracyK: Thanks for the comment. Paper copies would...TracyK: Thanks for the comment. Paper copies would be used copies published probably decades ago. I think you would like the series if you get a chance.Bill Selneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-89956489232956886552015-01-18T18:23:53.867-06:002015-01-18T18:23:53.867-06:00Moira: Thanks for the comment. I hope you try the ...Moira: Thanks for the comment. I hope you try the series. It is rich in imagery.Bill Selneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-16954892767643241272015-01-18T18:23:03.469-06:002015-01-18T18:23:03.469-06:00Margot: Thanks for the comment. It is a lively and...Margot: Thanks for the comment. It is a lively and engaging portrait of life in the Hebrides during the 1950's.Bill Selneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-27888544453851253392015-01-18T16:01:22.424-06:002015-01-18T16:01:22.424-06:00This does sound interesting and fun. I have seen i...This does sound interesting and fun. I have seen it on a list of books to read for the Read Scotland challenge. Don't think I have ever run into any of her books, though.<br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-57190941416318147512015-01-18T14:22:51.568-06:002015-01-18T14:22:51.568-06:00I've heard of this author many times - those b...I've heard of this author many times - those books are always around in UK charity shops - but never knew what she wrote about. Thanks for the info, this sounds charming. Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644690488802388716.post-22315183055923016692015-01-18T06:23:42.656-06:002015-01-18T06:23:42.656-06:00Bill - This sounds like a a very rich portrait of ...Bill - This sounds like a a very rich portrait of life in the Hebrides at that time. I like the writing style and the use of dialect just from the bits you've shared. And you're right: there is something to re-discovering a book you've loved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com