- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co.; 1st American Ed edition (21 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0393049701
- ISBN-13: 978-0771055676
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,661,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In 1779 Calum MacDonald set sail in exile from the Highlands of Scotland with his wife and 12 children, landing in the New World at Cape Breton after a catastrophic crossing. Two hundred years later, another MacDonald tells the story of coming of age in that same Cape Breton landscape.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written- an epic,
By
This review is from: No Great Mischief (Hardcover)
I was hesitant to read this book, and only did so upon the recommendation of my sister. The reason for my hesitation was that it seems every book to have come out of Canada in the last ten years is a family saga, predominantly of Irish or Scottish ancestry, set in the Maritimes (examples include "The Shipping News" by E. Annie Proux, "Fall on Your Knees" by Anne Marie-MacDonald, "Mercy Among the Children" by David Adams Richards... I could go on) I thought "No Great Mischief" would be another such book.I was, however, very pleasantly surprised. Not only was it original, it was lyrically written, in a style very similar to Hemmingway. MacLeod takes us through the history of the MacDonald family, from the battle at Bannockburn in the 14th century to 21st century Canada with emotion and realism. I would recommend it to anyone- especially those who think they have read too many family sagas!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary.,
By
This review is from: No Great Mischief (Vintage International) (Paperback)
Alexander MacDonald, the narrator of this warm and ennobling family saga, comments to his brother that "Talking about history is not like living it...Some people have more choice than others." And there, in a nutshell, is the essence of this tender generational novel. The MacDonalds are, in many ways, an "ordinary" family on Cape Breton, but MacLeod creates a history for them so alive that the reader experiences it, too, feeling their sorrow and joy, admiring their pluck and independence, and celebrating their loyalty and bravery as they make the hard choices their lives require. They become heroes to us not because they have performed unusual feats but because they have achieved nobility within the collective memory of their own family. Alexander MacDonald, the speaker, no longer lives on Cape Breton. An orthodontist, he travels weekly to Toronto to visit his alcoholic brother Calum, named for the family patriarch who came to the island in 1779 from Scotland. As he travels back and forth and reminisces, sometimes in Gaelic, with his much less fortunate brother, many generations of MacDonalds come to life, and we see how these forbears have shaped the two brothers and influenced their different, but shared, destinies. MacLeod is very lyrical. Like a musician, he repeats certain themes. Gaelic phrases echo throughout, almost like a refrain. First names continue in different generations to remind the reader of historical resemblances and differences. And always, in every generation, he celebrates the dominance of the original Calum MacDonald and of Cape Breton in shaping their lives. MacLeod never stoops to sentimentality, however. His main characters are all macho males living macho lives, and he includes no romantic love story to soften the harshness of life. Still, he has created one of the warmest, most loving, and enduring family stories anyone will ever find. The book pulses with heart, an unforgettable novel by a writer who is so precise in his structure and word choice that in his entire career he has produced only this one novel and fourteen short stories published in two extraordinary collections. Reading MacLeod is a great, rewarding pleasure for anyone interested in beautiful prose and careful execution. Mary Whipple
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (77 customer reviews) 63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Canadian Grapes of Wrath,
By Alan Scheer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: No Great Mischief (Hardcover)
I was suspicious when I read the early acclaim for this novel, but just having finished reading it myself, I have to agree that this is a masterpiece and will be one of the novels that people will remember for a very long time. The quality of prose is so intelligent in this work, the story is so moving and encompasses so many different experiences in such an imaginative manner. The book is incredibly life- affirming and it not only speaks to the experience of one community of people as Steinbeck's great novel did decades ago, it also speaks to the entire experience of being an immigrant in the New World. I can't wait to read this book again. It's magnificent.
50 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Chointhe, lochran aigh nam bochd.",
By taking a rest - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: No Great Mischief (Hardcover)
When more familiar sounds are heard, the above becomes, "Look, the lamp of the poor." The lamp is the moon and the reference encompasses what those may do when the moon is bright that otherwise would require the means they do not have.This is a beautifully written story of the MacDonald Clan that spans nearly three centuries in length. How Mr. Alistair Macleod conveys this epoch of this Family in such a relatively short work (283 pages) is enigmatic. The Author accomplishes this in part I believe by using not only the words he needs, but the most appropriate as well. The reading is so rewarding because the Author gives you so much to absorb, to ponder, and at times to puzzle over. Prior to this work Mr. Macleod published two books of short stories that I have not read. Another Author stated, "He is one of the great undiscovered writers of our time." A heady endorsement, but one I cannot argue with. Other reviewers have made reference to some literary talents whose work has become timeless and by extension classic. I agree without reservation. This book joins some others that never seem to receive the public acclaim they are due. I thought of "The Banyan Tree", and "Life Is So Good", and also "No News At Throat Lake". It may be that these books don't have a publicity machine behind them, and if that is the case it truly is a loss to readers. One of the wise Elders in the story says." Music is the lubricant of the poor. All over the world. In all the different languages." Books like these and the people who write them provide the same comfort, encouragement, and incentive for readers to go on reading when there seems to be less books of this caliber offered. False muses, the French Ships that never came, and the body that moves inland while the heart was left at the sea. This is a book that will move and satisfy, and keep looking for the next great Author you have yet to find. Absolutely outstanding! Read it! 24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you love Frank McCourt, you'll love this,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: No Great Mischief (Hardcover)
Stellar writing by one of North America's greatest living writers, this novel is loaded with the same kind of emotional authenticity, lush language and courage as ANGELA'S ASHES. MacLeod brings the mythic, the historical and contemporary experience together in a way that is magical, poetic and yet unpretentious. MacLeod is also a wonderful antidote to the American writers who, I'm told, describe my experience. MacLeod is not Joyce Carrol Oates or E.L. Doctorow, thank God.
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