Flight of the Heron read-along: Part I chapters 5-6

[regshoe]

What is right and what is wrang, a short sword and a lang, a weak arm and a strang for to draw...

Welcome back to the read-along! This week's chapters are getting a bit more serious, historically and for our characters...

Next week we'll read the first two chapters of Part II.

Comments

[killclaudio]

Hi! Luzula recommended the book to me and told me about the read-along, I hope you don't mind me joining in. :)

The scene with Alison and Keith was lovely - possibly one of my favourites so far. We've mostly only seen both of them interact with Ewen, so it added a new dimension to their personalities, and it was really endearing that they're both trying so hard to meet the other half-way, even if it fails.

Keith's feelings about the Jacobites worked really well for me - it feels like the natural result of his kindness coupled with his 'ugh, look at these savages' attitude from the earlier chapters. Even though I don't know much about this period of history, I know how things shake out, so everything has a kind of...dramatic irony? And I like that both sides are a bit wrong in their ideas about what's going to happen, it makes everything feel more complicated and human.

Keith's pining was so good, wasn't it? It really does read like he's repressing his attraction, especially with the way every chapter includes at least one reference to how fine Ewen looks in his kilt, and so on. And 'conversational complexity' is a perfect way to describe it! There's been a bit about Keith's backstory, but I like actually seeing the consequences on the page, where he can't help but say something heartfelt, but then he kind of shies away from the intimacy of it?

Thank you for that really helpful video! I was struggling a bit to visualise that part, about as much as Keith was struggling to actually put it on. :D That explains all the stuff about sitting on and sleeping on his plaid, although I'm still very sceptical of Ewen's claim that wet plaid is warmer.

[regshoe]

Hello! :)

And I like that both sides are a bit wrong in their ideas about what's going to happen, it makes everything feel more complicated and human.

That's a good point! I do like the balance at this point between the omniscient narration, which does ultimately know what's going to happen both in history and in Keith and Ewen's story, and showing the perspectives of people who don't know how things are going to end and make wrong predictions in ways that make sense from their own perspectives.

Hehe, yes, this is some excellent oblivious pining :D

Wet plaid being warmer, I don't know—wool does cope better than a lot of fabrics with getting wet, at least. Perhaps I should find a suitable blanket and try to test this theory...

[luzula]

Hi, glad to see you! : )

So glad you're enjoying Keith's pining. I feel like it's almost...fanfic quality pining? Like, this is pining written by someone who knows that this is what she wants out of this part of the book.