Scan barcode
crabbygirl's review against another edition
5.0
such a beautiful novel about a family in cape breton with deep ties to scotland. their clan have this mystical bond that is both enviable and recognizable. they just seem to 'know' one another when they meet - by their red or jet black hair, the colour of their eyes, their turn of phrase, and even the loyalty of their dogs who cared too much (descendants of that first dog who jumped from the shores of scotland and swam to the family's boat). i loved it as if it were my own family's history.
and it is a deeply canadian novel, the geography and the attempts to tame it, the Wolfe and Montcalm underpinnings, the french canadian detours that acknowledge their clans go just as deep. we are all one.
and it is a deeply canadian novel, the geography and the attempts to tame it, the Wolfe and Montcalm underpinnings, the french canadian detours that acknowledge their clans go just as deep. we are all one.
kelownagurl's review against another edition
5.0
Good stuff. I really enjoyed it although it wasn't exactly an uplifting book. Probably not for everyone.
nadoislandgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Non-linear narrative. Great sense of place and family. A bit melancholy.
msjoanna's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book -- much more than I'd expected to from reading the description. I know very little about Canada's history or even its geography, so I actually found myself occasionally consulting a map to locate the relevant places from the text. The writing was beautiful and managed to be sentimental without being sappy or sarcastic. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful read that sneaks up on you as you're going along.
mamasquirrel's review against another edition
3.0
I have two comments on this book.
One, while the sense of family history and story and destiny caught me up emotionally and took me in, I found it fantastical. Could a family really have this strong genetic and historical character? Certainly not my family.
Two, I found the repetition used throughout the book somewhat annoying. Ok, it was largely to reinforce the symbolism of each phrase or detail, but I found that in addition to the "important bits" being repeated, seemingly meaningless details were also repeated over and over. The sister's "modernistic" house. The story and plite of the Ontarian farm workers.
Ok, make that three comments. In the light of the recent tragic death of Raylene Rankin, I couldn't help but think of the Rankin family and their place in East Coast history while I read this book.
One, while the sense of family history and story and destiny caught me up emotionally and took me in, I found it fantastical. Could a family really have this strong genetic and historical character? Certainly not my family.
Two, I found the repetition used throughout the book somewhat annoying. Ok, it was largely to reinforce the symbolism of each phrase or detail, but I found that in addition to the "important bits" being repeated, seemingly meaningless details were also repeated over and over. The sister's "modernistic" house. The story and plite of the Ontarian farm workers.
Ok, make that three comments. In the light of the recent tragic death of Raylene Rankin, I couldn't help but think of the Rankin family and their place in East Coast history while I read this book.
dannybengert's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
orangecanary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
slrsmith's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sure I read this years ago and had just forgotten. Either that or being a Canadian of partially Scottish descent myself I know alot of family stories like this. No matter either way. It is an enjoyable read. Familiar like putting on an old pair of shoes.
paperbackmatt's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I would say I enjoyed this book. I don’t usually opt for historical fiction, but Alistair MacLeod is name that I have seen on bookshelves in local shops in my native Cape Breton.
I won’t lie, I was allures to purchase the book mostly because of its ties back to my home.
Al of that being said, I was at first kind of put-off by Alistair’s style of writing. This is something I would’ve read in my university English 101 class and would’ve been told to write a 1500 word comparative essay on one of “thee three topics”.
He has a way of repeating the same words over and over again. In short, it grew on me. I believe through the melody of stories he weaves with his language the use of repetitive words and names he is able to bring the reader back to stories he has already told. It is an interesting mechanic or style of writing we could play with in the future.
I think this was probably my favourite part of this book to be honest - the rest of the stories are relatively average but it was still able to maintain my interest to the end. I really felt like I was almost part of the MacDonald clan because I learned so much about the family.
I also guiltily enjoyed the scenery from back home mixed with my current life in Ontario. A lot of the names and places I can picture. I have either been there or know people from these places.
Despite the 3 stars I would recommend the great Canadian story to family and friends who like a good fictional memoir. Especially if they are from Cape Breton.
I won’t lie, I was allures to purchase the book mostly because of its ties back to my home.
Al of that being said, I was at first kind of put-off by Alistair’s style of writing. This is something I would’ve read in my university English 101 class and would’ve been told to write a 1500 word comparative essay on one of “thee three topics”.
He has a way of repeating the same words over and over again. In short, it grew on me. I believe through the melody of stories he weaves with his language the use of repetitive words and names he is able to bring the reader back to stories he has already told. It is an interesting mechanic or style of writing we could play with in the future.
I think this was probably my favourite part of this book to be honest - the rest of the stories are relatively average but it was still able to maintain my interest to the end. I really felt like I was almost part of the MacDonald clan because I learned so much about the family.
I also guiltily enjoyed the scenery from back home mixed with my current life in Ontario. A lot of the names and places I can picture. I have either been there or know people from these places.
Despite the 3 stars I would recommend the great Canadian story to family and friends who like a good fictional memoir. Especially if they are from Cape Breton.
taisie22's review against another edition
5.0
No Great Mischief comes from a letter from General Wolfe about the Highlanders fighting with him to take Quebec. The full quote is "no great mischief if they fall" as he didn't regard the Scots highly. The book by Alistair MacLeod tells the story of a MacDonald family branch that comes to Cape Breton to settle. Living off the land and sea, it is a hard life. They follow their customs, speak Gaelic, and play the music of the Highlands.
Alexander MacDonald is a twin with his sister who are the youngest of a family that undergoes a terrible tragedy. Raised by his grandparents, he tells the story of his family with frequent flashbacks from his current life as a well-to-do dentist.
It is a story about family and tradition. There's a quote repeated throughout the book: 'All of us are better when we're loved.' No matter their difficulties, these people stuck together through good times and bad.
Mr. MacLeod's writing is lovely. He has a style of writing much like a tone poem. Each paragraph is a new painting set before the reader to savor and absorb. I'm usually a fast reader, but I found myself taking my time through this story, sometimes only reading a page and putting the book aside, the better to reflect.
One of the classics of Canadian literature, No Great Mischief is a book to be cherished and reread.
Alexander MacDonald is a twin with his sister who are the youngest of a family that undergoes a terrible tragedy. Raised by his grandparents, he tells the story of his family with frequent flashbacks from his current life as a well-to-do dentist.
It is a story about family and tradition. There's a quote repeated throughout the book: 'All of us are better when we're loved.' No matter their difficulties, these people stuck together through good times and bad.
Mr. MacLeod's writing is lovely. He has a style of writing much like a tone poem. Each paragraph is a new painting set before the reader to savor and absorb. I'm usually a fast reader, but I found myself taking my time through this story, sometimes only reading a page and putting the book aside, the better to reflect.
One of the classics of Canadian literature, No Great Mischief is a book to be cherished and reread.