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ealish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I have no idea why prior to this, I have never thought to delve into Manx classics. For a Manx reader, this book feels like a preservation of heritage. A time of Manxness now largely gone, preserved so lovingly and vividly in the pages of this book. I had never heard of Oiell Verree or many Manx phrases and songs mentioned before, and that’s only sparked my love for this island more. The islands legal system was crazy back then though. Mally Kerruish deserved so much better.
Caine writes with a clear love for the characters he has created, the people the story revolves around and the land it is set on. This love echoes throughout the entire book, which helps it feel cosy even in its darker moments. And as we get to the third act of the book, it gets exceptionally dark. It is dramatic in every sense, in every twist and turn. For every cold character there is a warm one which gives so much complexity to the Myrlea family and certainly kept me hooked. I love Ewan and Kerry.
The only bad thing I can say about this book is that towards the end, it did begin to drag. The perspective switching to Dan’s was incredibly personal and expertly done, and proves to me that Caine’s message was to empathise with all, to see inside their heads and feel with them. But it did drag. There’s all this high tension with the trial and Dan’s banishment which makes the details of Dan’s life feel a bit flat. It definitely picked up toward the end though. This also might be to do with the fact that this edition is small pages with teeny tiny text, making it feel slower.
Overall, I’m now converted to a Hall Caine lover. I will definitely be reading The Manxman and his other works and there is no doubt in my mind that our island, it’s hertiage and it’s culture, cannot be the centre of an incredible story of my own.
Caine writes with a clear love for the characters he has created, the people the story revolves around and the land it is set on. This love echoes throughout the entire book, which helps it feel cosy even in its darker moments. And as we get to the third act of the book, it gets exceptionally dark. It is dramatic in every sense, in every twist and turn. For every cold character there is a warm one which gives so much complexity to the Myrlea family and certainly kept me hooked. I love Ewan and Kerry.
The only bad thing I can say about this book is that towards the end, it did begin to drag. The perspective switching to Dan’s was incredibly personal and expertly done, and proves to me that Caine’s message was to empathise with all, to see inside their heads and feel with them. But it did drag. There’s all this high tension with the trial and Dan’s banishment which makes the details of Dan’s life feel a bit flat. It definitely picked up toward the end though. This also might be to do with the fact that this edition is small pages with teeny tiny text, making it feel slower.
Overall, I’m now converted to a Hall Caine lover. I will definitely be reading The Manxman and his other works and there is no doubt in my mind that our island, it’s hertiage and it’s culture, cannot be the centre of an incredible story of my own.
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