Elegiac, hypnotic, by turns joyful and sad, no great mischief is a spellbinding story of family, loyalty, exile, and of the blood ties that bind us, generations later, to the land from which our ancestors came. Alistair macleod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us no great mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it. Wonderful, amazing, brilliant seem trite to convey the journey that this book takes you on. Click below to download the full study guide for no great mischief. When he started to write it he was already a worldfamous short story writer, on the strength of just two. Jan 11, 2012 in 1999, macleods first novel, no great mischief, was published to great critical acclaim, and was on national bestseller lists for more than a year. Download now including personal interviews, background information, and criticism, this collection of essays examines renowned canadian author alistair macleods life and the writing of his novel no great mischief. Alistair macleod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give usno great mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it. It is the 1980s by the time our narrator, alexander macdonald, tells the story of his family, a thrilling and passionate story that intersects with history. No great mischief reading group guide knopf doubleday. On cape breton island, the gaelic stronghold of nova scotia a land of windswept crags and rocky shores memories of years long past still reside in the hearts and minds of the people. This extraordinary novel, telling the story of the substantial branch of the macdonald clan that settled on cape breton island off nova.
In 1779, 55yearold calum ruadh, or the red calum macdonald, left the. A deep and moving look at the life of a family with long roots and traditions, sad and wondrous experiences together and how they cared for and looked after each other through many changes. About this guide the following questions, discussion topics, and author biography are intended to enhance your groups reading of alistair macleods first novel, no great mischief. I made a point of finishing it the night before we started our journey to the island. Its a tale of truth about people who care for one another and for the living world around them. No great mischief is a 1999 novel by alistair macleod. Ordinary life as recounted in no great mischief is tragic and beautiful, harsh and sweet, full of unrelentlng toil and unrelenting love.
Alexander macdonald guides us through his familys mythic past as he recollects. Literature and the construction of identity in alistair macleods no. Alexander alex macdonald alexander macdonald, known as simply alex, is the narrator of the book. Aug 12, 2011 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Goodreads members who liked no great mischief also liked. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Jul 22, 2000 no great mischief alistair macleod cape.
And there is alexander and his twin sister, who have left cape breton and prospered, yet are haunted by the past. This 68page guide for no great mischief by alistair macleod includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 43 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. The full quote is no great mischief if they fall as he didnt regard the scots highly. Books similar to no great mischief no great mischief.
The narrative is woven with their family memories, and the saga of their ancestor calum macdonald, who left the scottish highlands in 1779 and settled in nova scotia with his family. Globe and mail no great mischief is one of the best canadian novels ive read in years. Pdf no great mischief book by alistair macleod free. Jan 25, 2001 no great mischief is the book of the year and of this decade. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Buy no great mischief book online at low prices in india no. No great mischief comes from a letter from general wolfe about the highlanders fighting with him to take quebec. I think my wife got a bit annoyed with me as i was reading the book because i couldnt help but talk about it since she was alone in the car with me for hours on end, she got to be the lucky one. Apr 03, 2001 no great mischief by alistair macleod alistair macleod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us no great mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it. Buy no great mischief book online at low prices in india. Maybe under all the hyperbole the book was wan, weakly. Alistair macleod musters all of the skill and grace that have wo.
No great mischief ebook by alistair macleod rakuten kobo. Publication date 2001 topics immigrants, scots publisher london. Generations after their forebears went into exile, the macdonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and cruelties of life. Elegiac, hypnotic, by turns joyful and sad, no great mischief is a spellbinding story of family, loyalty, and of the blood ties that bind us to the land from which our ancestors came. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Various literary critics explore themes present in his work, such as memory versus myth and the blending of history. No great mischief ebook by alistair macleod 9781551995472. Alistair macleod booklist alistair macleod message board. So it was a strange sort of relief to read no great mischief and find otherwise, that its a rich, evocative, satisfying novel about family and the proximity of the past, and how it sustains the present. Though alistair macleods first novel drew unqualified praise from critics when it. Apr 03, 2001 i came across no great mischief set in cape breton. I came across no great mischief set in cape breton. No great mischief is the book of the year and of this decade.
No great mischief major character analysis supersummary. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 304 pages and is available in paperback format. Pdf no great mischief download full pdf book download. Though alistair macleods first novel drew unqualified praise from critics when it was first published here. Buy no great mischief by alistair macleod from amazons fiction books store. No great mischief by alistair macleod overdrive rakuten. Alice munro says of no great mischief by alistair macleod you will find scenes from this majestic novel burned into your mind forever.
Subjects brothers, immigrants, fiction, scots, uranium mines and mining, young men, history, families. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are. The book by alistair macleod tells the story of a macdonald family branch that comes to cape breton to settle. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it. Although he ostensibly is the protagonist, he functions more as the conduit through which the audience is introduced to clann chalum ruaidh. No great mischief by alistair macleod book club discussion. Buy no great mischief book online at best prices in india on. Including personal interviews, background information, and criticism, this collection of essays examines renowned canadian author alistair macleods life and the writing of his novel no great mischief. This beautiful, elegiac novel portrays a tightlyknit scottish family plagued by loss and clinging loyally to the legacy of its heroic past. A beautifully written family story that spans three generations of the mcdonald clan both in scotland and after their immigration to nova scotia. The title, no great mischief if they fall, is found most easily in findlay, j. Rather than possessing a character arc of his own, he is the unifying factor that unites the stories. This is the driving force behind the family, its what drove alexander to put his career on.
No great mischief by alistair macleod librarything. Macleod, a canadian of scottish lineage, has earned a sterling reputation north of the border based on two collections of stories barometer rising. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. No great mischief by alistair macleod books the guardian. No great mischief by alistair macleod, 2001, vintage edition, in english no great mischief 2001 edition open library. The novel won the international impac dublin literary award, the dartmouth book award for fiction, the thomas raddall atlantic fiction award, the trillium award for fiction, the caamosaid. As birds bring forth the sun, and with his first n. As related in the novel, general wolfe describes the members of the macdonald clan who fought under his command at quebec by writing in a letter, they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country, and no great mischief if they fall. An earlier use of the citation that macleod used for his title appears in gibson, john g. Identityfamliy monologue 1 can anyone compare no great mischief with king lear. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every. Read no great mischief by alistair macleod available from rakuten kobo. In 1999, macleods first novel, no great mischief, was published to great critical acclaim, and was on national bestseller lists for more than a year. Alistair macleod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us no great mischief.
Alexander, orphaned as a child by a horrific tragedy, has. No great mischief by alistair macleod, paperback barnes. Find books like no great mischief from the worlds largest community of readers. For businessexclusive pricing, quantity discounts and downloadable vat. No great mischief is narrated by successful orthodontist, alexander macdonald, who visits his ailing alcoholic brother in toronto. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Better kids institute michael gililland experience seeing and knowing. I am having difficulty finding the words to describe this book.