![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regshoeThese are some more thoughts arising out of the research I did to put together the FotH Wikipedia article, which involved sorting through decades' worth of writing about and references to The Flight of the Heron on the Internet Archive and other places. Going through the sources over time like this, one gets a broad sweep of general opinion about the book, and a view of how ideas about it have developed over time.
Flight of the Heron and its sequels are fairly widely recommended in guidebooks to the Scottish Highlands, which is just charming. I especially like this one, which discusses Broster for a little bit longer than a brief rec and mentions the homoeroticism of FotH; I know when I'm going on holiday what I always look for from a guidebook is recommendations for relevant slashy novels.
The first published omnibus edition (in 1984) had the title A Jacobite Trilogy, not The Jacobite Trilogy,so actually—— There are in fact various references to the three books as a trilogy before this, but a) as far as I can tell, neither Broster nor the publisher Heinemann used the term and b) from context, they're using an older, looser sense of the word 'trilogy' to mean any three related works of fiction, rather than the modern idea of three closely-linked works forming a single overarching story. (Vocabulary and publishing habits do change in this way; the Waverley novels would not be called a series if they were published today!)
There is a general view that FotH is a children's book—or rather what would now be called a YA book—and more broadly that Broster is a children's author. This isn't present at all in the contemporary reviews of FotH, which treat it as the adult novel as which it was published; it seems to have originated a few years later (perhaps in the US and especially with the second American edition published by Coward-McCann in 1930, which seems to have been treated as a children's book from the start). I don't really like this! On the one hand, there is certainly a lot in the novel to appeal to romantically- and adventurously-minded young readers, and it certainly has been widely read and enjoyed by them. On the other hand, it wasn't written or published as a children's book, and there's not really any reason for all these people to suppose it was aimed at young readers—the characters are adults dealing with adult problems—and one gets the distinct suspicion that its being a) historical fiction, b) not grimdark and c) written by a woman contributed as much to its perception as children's fiction as its actual readership. Certainly female genre authors getting inappropriately categorised as YA is a thing that one hears of happening now.
There is a definite view—only somewhat present in the contemporary reviews, but getting stronger in responses and commentary further onwards in time—that Ewen is the sole hero of the book, that the Highland and Jacobite side of it is its most important aspect and that Ewen's relationship with Keith, while appealing, is merely one of various appealing things in Ewen's story. (Well, there's an argument to be made that this originated with Broster herself in writing the sequels the way she did—it's a big part of why I dislike them—but on the other hand, it's right there in the title...) What a shame! I'm so glad the current fandom is redressing this balance by giving Keith the appreciation he deserves.
As suggested by its being so widely recommended for children, the 'it's kind of gay' element was certainly not widely enough noticed by early readers to create any idea of inappropriateness (the reviewer who talked about 'the love of David and Jonathan' probably didn't mean it that way). I must wonder if the general emphasising of Ewen and the Jacobites at the expense of Keith and Ewen/Keith had anything to do with this. On the other hand, it was noticed by various people independently before modern slash fandom got to it: Patricia Beer in 1968, Belinda Copson in 2000 and, most interestingly, Diana Wallace in The Woman's Historical Novel in 2005 all discuss it. Beer actually succumbs to the 'Ewen as sole hero' fallacy in a particularly bizarre way: she acknowledges Ewen/Keith as homoerotic, but describes it as only one of several compellingly homoerotic relationships in Ewen's life, the others being with Lochiel and Archie. I have multiple questions about this (not least why on earth would you talk about Archie and not Lachlan), but that's beside the point. Copson disagrees with the queer interpretation, but that she, as someone who disagrees, feels it appropriate to mention it as a plausible reading is significant in itself. Wallace makes a very interesting argument about the fantasy element in the book allowing the otherwise suppressed, forbidden desire between the men to find expression, and places it in a broader context of twentieth-century women's writing about relationships between men which one could indeed regard as being somewhat in continuity with modern slash fandom.
Flight of the Heron and its sequels are fairly widely recommended in guidebooks to the Scottish Highlands, which is just charming. I especially like this one, which discusses Broster for a little bit longer than a brief rec and mentions the homoeroticism of FotH; I know when I'm going on holiday what I always look for from a guidebook is recommendations for relevant slashy novels.
The first published omnibus edition (in 1984) had the title A Jacobite Trilogy, not The Jacobite Trilogy,
There is a general view that FotH is a children's book—or rather what would now be called a YA book—and more broadly that Broster is a children's author. This isn't present at all in the contemporary reviews of FotH, which treat it as the adult novel as which it was published; it seems to have originated a few years later (perhaps in the US and especially with the second American edition published by Coward-McCann in 1930, which seems to have been treated as a children's book from the start). I don't really like this! On the one hand, there is certainly a lot in the novel to appeal to romantically- and adventurously-minded young readers, and it certainly has been widely read and enjoyed by them. On the other hand, it wasn't written or published as a children's book, and there's not really any reason for all these people to suppose it was aimed at young readers—the characters are adults dealing with adult problems—and one gets the distinct suspicion that its being a) historical fiction, b) not grimdark and c) written by a woman contributed as much to its perception as children's fiction as its actual readership. Certainly female genre authors getting inappropriately categorised as YA is a thing that one hears of happening now.
There is a definite view—only somewhat present in the contemporary reviews, but getting stronger in responses and commentary further onwards in time—that Ewen is the sole hero of the book, that the Highland and Jacobite side of it is its most important aspect and that Ewen's relationship with Keith, while appealing, is merely one of various appealing things in Ewen's story. (Well, there's an argument to be made that this originated with Broster herself in writing the sequels the way she did—it's a big part of why I dislike them—but on the other hand, it's right there in the title...) What a shame! I'm so glad the current fandom is redressing this balance by giving Keith the appreciation he deserves.
As suggested by its being so widely recommended for children, the 'it's kind of gay' element was certainly not widely enough noticed by early readers to create any idea of inappropriateness (the reviewer who talked about 'the love of David and Jonathan' probably didn't mean it that way). I must wonder if the general emphasising of Ewen and the Jacobites at the expense of Keith and Ewen/Keith had anything to do with this. On the other hand, it was noticed by various people independently before modern slash fandom got to it: Patricia Beer in 1968, Belinda Copson in 2000 and, most interestingly, Diana Wallace in The Woman's Historical Novel in 2005 all discuss it. Beer actually succumbs to the 'Ewen as sole hero' fallacy in a particularly bizarre way: she acknowledges Ewen/Keith as homoerotic, but describes it as only one of several compellingly homoerotic relationships in Ewen's life, the others being with Lochiel and Archie. I have multiple questions about this (not least why on earth would you talk about Archie and not Lachlan), but that's beside the point. Copson disagrees with the queer interpretation, but that she, as someone who disagrees, feels it appropriate to mention it as a plausible reading is significant in itself. Wallace makes a very interesting argument about the fantasy element in the book allowing the otherwise suppressed, forbidden desire between the men to find expression, and places it in a broader context of twentieth-century women's writing about relationships between men which one could indeed regard as being somewhat in continuity with modern slash fandom.
no subject
Date: Jun. 4th, 2023 07:29 pm (UTC)On a semi-related note, I recently decided to search the Furrowed Middlebrow database (http://furrowedmiddlebrow.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-new-improved-and-even-more.html?m=1) on the off-chance it unearthed any obscure Jacobite books, and I came across one called "The Fiery Cross" by Lady Kitty Vincent-- published in 1930, so perhaps influenced by FotH? It doesn't seem to be available online, but second hand copies are available quite cheaply...Anyway, I bring that up in case you're interested ;)
no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 03:39 pm (UTC)why don't they love my fave as much as I do???Aah, another Jacobite novel—thank you very much :D *adds to list*
no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 06:14 pm (UTC)Hmm, where do you see those cheap second hand copies? I can only see two copies and not very cheap ones. By the dust jacket, it appears to be a het romance between a finely-clad black-haired woman, and a bewigged gentleman in a red coat who is kneeling to kiss her hand against a backdrop of battle. Not sure he is a redcoat, though--I can't see any epaulettes on that coat.
ETA: I see that Lady Kitty was born an Ogilvy! Is it too much to hope that it is the romance of Margaret and David Ogilvy?? Because I would definitely read that. : D
ETA 2:
no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 4th, 2023 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 03:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 12:26 am (UTC)I never picked up on the idea that Ewen is the protag until I got the illustrated edition, which has mostly pictures of yes you’ve guessed it. I was peeved because Keith is my fave – he’s just much more interesting and downright funnier than Ewen. Having said that, it’s a nice enough edition apart from the typos (produced in Switzerland.)
I’m glad to know that you, too, actively dislike the sequels! I remember a school friend , taking TGitN out of the library after me, anxiously asking if there was anything about Keith in it, and being as disappointed as I was by my answer.
why on earth would you talk about Archie and not Lachlan
An excellent question!
Interesting that its reputation as a children’s book has increased over time. I have a feeling that it be partly because there’s no sex in it, no other reason, and therefore children’s librarians and teachers could recommend it with a clear conscience. It’s what we might call YA now except that most YA has a good dollop of sexual stuff in it. But the adult themes – war, duty, sacrifice, conflicts of loyalties – are things that mid-20th century British kids would have been horribly familiar with. You see them in other kids’ writers of the era all the time.
no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 03:52 pm (UTC)Agh, the sequels... it's a difficult question, and Gleam in the North at least is a very good book in parts (The Dark Mile, otoh, undermines whatever good stuff there was in it with that exceedingly silly ending); but as sequels to FotH, yeah, I dislike them. That's not the story I stuck around here for, and it's not what really matters ( ♥ ).
Those are both good points! And I know I've read things from that era that were actually published as children's books and thought they didn't really seem like it (e.g. Sutcliff's stuff, which is pretty similar to Broster's really).
no subject
Date: Jun. 5th, 2023 06:02 pm (UTC)which discusses Broster for a little bit longer than a brief rec and mentions the homoeroticism of FotH; I know when I'm going on holiday what I always look for from a guidebook is recommendations for relevant slashy novels.
Ha, yes! That's a frank guidebook; on the next page there's a section that goes "oh no, I forgot my HIV medication".
I think it's clear that Keith and not Ewen is the fannish favorite--I think it's because he's the emotionally repressed character who we love to crack open...
she acknowledges Ewen/Keith as homoerotic, but describes it as only one of several compellingly homoerotic relationships in Ewen's life, the others being with Lochiel and Archie.
That is strange! Especially Archie. I mean, I can see the loyalty kink aspect with Lochiel, though for me it would feel a little too incestuous.
(Someday I will write the loyalty kink story with BPC and O'Sullivan, though...)
no subject
Date: Jun. 6th, 2023 05:27 pm (UTC)I think it's because he's the emotionally repressed character who we love to crack open...
That's about it :D
(Someday I will write the loyalty kink story with BPC and O'Sullivan, though...)
Oh, yay! I'm reading a biography of BPC at the moment and the author is not terribly keen on O'Sullivan (he thinks BPC should have trusted more in Lord George Murray instead, though also sympathetically analysing the reasons why he didn't). But anyway, opportunities for slashy hurt/comfort there certainly are :D
no subject
Date: Jun. 6th, 2023 07:58 pm (UTC)ETA: Having looked up a little bit about the guidebook author, he sounds like a pretty cool person—and he has a new book out just now!
Awww, he actually lists Kidnapped as an influence on his writing! <3
no subject
Date: Jun. 7th, 2023 06:07 pm (UTC)Awww, he actually lists Kidnapped as an influence on his writing! <3
Aww, yay! Hmm, there's one mention of Kidnapped in the guidebook, although it's not a slashy rec this time :D
no subject
Date: Jun. 6th, 2023 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 6th, 2023 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 7th, 2023 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 7th, 2023 06:10 pm (UTC)