Customer Reviews

Highland River (Canongate)

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As an analogy for life, you can't get any more meaningful than Highland River. A story of a young boy's maturation, told in the brutally honest and realistic context of life in the Highlands of Scotland, before the First World War. His life is intertwined with that of the battle of the salmon, both for survival and to achieve it's mysterious returning to its birthplace. Both are searching for the river's source.

Gunn's writing is breathtaking in its ability to articulate the most intangible of emotions, and there are passages in the book which will stay with me for the rest of my life. Gunn's understanding of the Highland psyche, and his ability to translate it into the most moving prose, is never better exemplified than in this book.

Neil Gunn's prose in this work is pure perfection. His description of life in the Northern Highlands is passionate, beautiful and refreshingly honest. A complex coming-of-age story that becomes a study of the connections between the working class and the land they live and die on. Gunn is one of Scotland's greatest writers. Contains some absolutely brilliant descriptions of Scotland's natural beauty. If you are interested in great fiction look no further, especially if you have an interest in Scotland. Highly recommended.