A review by macwoods
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is economic and lovely… I also appreciate a little Gaelic in my life. There are so many relatable parallels here I’m not sure I understand its universal appeal though. The family is so wrapped up in a past that doesn’t describe their current experience, and yet somehow it does. The story is circular and iterative in the way that life is.

The image that most resonated with me was that of the tree that they cut down to build a wharf or some structure for boats… they cut the tree at its base but it just stayed there, held up by the others. I felt that was one of the important lessons of the book relating to the importance of family and the long felt connection between the folks in this particular culture. The fact that 3 characters had the same name (passed down from one generation to the next) had the effect of restating this more plainly

The end felt very rushed in relation to the rest of the story, and that is too bad. It was also so laden with nostalgia that I think younger readers might have a hard time relating… we’ll see.