Andrew Greig is a storyteller and a poet, and in this new novel both strands of his talent combine to create an enchanting tale set in two very different worlds. In the early nineteen thirties, an ambitious young Scotsman sets out on the long sea voyage to Penang, eager to take up his post running a maternity hospital in the colony, and eager for the new opportunities that will open up for him there. He very quickly makes the acquaintance of two sisters, both very beautiful young women, one looking for a husband, the other married. In the confines of the ship, when conventional morality is shelved for the duration, the seeds of a scandal which will rock the close island community of Penang are sown. Seventy years later, forty-something engineer Edward Mackay, recuperating from illness on the wild isolated island of Orkney, begins to unravel the story of a man he thought he knew: his father, the respectable Doctor Alexander Mackay, now years dead after a long and blameless career. What he discovers astonishes him, and begins to shed light on his own existence.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'Andrew Greig's fifth novel is big, rich and as ambitious as any novel by a Scots writer that I have read in years. -- Allan Massie, THE SCOTSMAN
'From wild, windswept Orkney we are constantly plunged into the lushness of the tropics. Penang in the declining years of empire is skilfully recreated: bluff colonials down their stengahs in cool billiard rooms, while outside the jungle steams, along with the emotions of the reserved Scottish doctor as he encounters passion for the first time.
'From wild, windswept Orkney we are constantly plunged into the lushness of the tropics. Penang in the declining years of empire is skilfully recreated: bluff colonials down their stengahs in cool billiard rooms, while outside the jungle steams, along with the emotions of the reserved Scottish doctor as he encounters passion for the first time.
These two stories run together. Although 70 years and half a world separate them, Greig succeeds in making the strands weave in and out with considerab -- Carol Birch, THE INDEPENDENT
'Greig's writing about the Orkneys is vivid and convincing' -- Tessa Hadley, THE GUARDIAN
'IN ANOTHER LIGHT, like all Greig's writing exudes vitality and hopefulness - renewal to offset the loss.' -- Sam Phipps, THE HERALD
'The result is a heart-breaking tale by a leading Scottish writer, who reminds us that whilst love's image changes through time, it has always felt the same.' -- Daisy Foster, Jack
'This is a strongly visual novel, where objects from the past are rediscovered in the present and given context...This is a mature work, and Greig's sparing use of Scots borders on the poetic. Wide in scope yet intimate in execution, the light in this fiction will illuminate many dark nights.' -- David Martin, SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (2.5.04)
'a writer of integrity and imaginative energy.' -- TLS
'it is enjoyably written.' -- Gerard Woodward, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
'the settings flip between the heat and lushnes of Thirties' Penang and the wild beauty of Orkney today. With his poet's eye, Greig brings both brilliantly to life.' -- CHOICE
'the words are so expressive...... he just tells the and story and tells it well... Greig is master of his material and unfurls his canvas with meticulous care -- David Robson, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
About the Author
Andrew Greig is a poet and novelist. He has published six volumes of poetry (Bloodaxe) and four novels, the most recent of which, That Summer, brought him to a wide readership. He was born in Bannockburn in Scotland and educated at the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Orkney and Sheffield (with his wife, the writer Leslie Glaister). Among other things, he is known as the unofficial poet laureate of the mountaineering community, and a love of the land characterises much of his work.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fathers and sons,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: In Another Light (Paperback)
Andrew Greig, the Scottish novelist, poet and mountaineer has written a brilliant, moving and exciting book that swings in time from the British colony of Penang in the 1930s to the present day Orkney Islands. Edward Mackay suffers a severe brain trauma, and when he comes out of it, he begins to reassess his life and that of his late father, who was both older and distant. With more investigation, Dr. Alexander Mackay proves to have been involved in scandal in Penang, and the ramifications extend to today.
The connections of past to present, plus the tight knit relationships in the two island communities provide a vivid canvas for Greig, and he makes the most of it. He is the real deal - a novelist with a sense of poetry, and with a gift of narrative, description and a feeling for his characters that is very appealing. He rolls the narrative along, and you roll with it. I don't know why Andrew Greig is not better known here. His writing is just terrific. His book "The Return of John McNab" is high adventure, and "That Summer" is one of the best novels about the impact of the battle of Britain on ordinary people. "Preferred Lies" is a wonderful overview of Scottish golf. Check Greig out. "In Another Light" is a great read, with mature insight into the relationships between fathers and sons, men and women, and what it takes to keep life moving forward. Highly recommended!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
