Flight of the Heron read-along: Part V chapters 1-2

[regshoe]

Tha's bahn' to catch thy deeath o' cowd...

Welcome back, everyone, and happy new year! We embark on the final Part...

Next week we'll continue with chapters 3 and 4 of Part V.

Comments

[regshoe]

Epigraph notes: The epigraph to Part V is from Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's As You Like It. Later in chapter 2, 'Thou art the same and thy years shall not fail' is a quotation from the Letter to the Hebrews.

The passage about Ewen's love and grief for the Highlands as he thinks he's seeing them for the last time is an utterly gorgeous piece of writing, and one of my favourite parts of the book. Strongly written, significant relationships between characters and places are something I always like in fiction, and my goodness, this is a good one. Aaargh. And, as Broster points out, chapter 5.1 follows much the same route along which we met Keith back in 1.1—and what a contrast in the style of the descriptions that provides. We're a long way from those elephants...

And the paragraph where Ewen is thinking about Keith is very lovely too. '...already as a friend, and with wonder', awww. Ewen's ongoing bewilderment at Keith's actions almost seems like a parallel of Keith's own failure to understand his own motivations earlier on—which is interesting, when Ewen understands very simply and naturally what was for Keith the key realisation which made sense of everything, that he feels friendship for him. In any case, I quite agree with Ewen's 'all honour to him for it'—indeed!

The meeting with the girl who gives Ewen the sgian is such a powerful moment. We've already seen Keith's reactions to what the victorious Government forces did to their defeated enemies after Culloden—now we see it from the other side, both for the Highlands generally and for Ewen personally.

A general 'oh, poor Ewen!' for everything he goes through in these chapters—all that pain and exhaustion and heartache. But impressive feats of physical endurance under highly discouraging conditions are a feature throughout Broster's writing, and it was surely something she knew about from her own experiences of war.

Mr Fosdyke and Mr Prescott! I love them—they're some of my favourite minor characters in the book. And Lassie too, of course. :) The combination of good nature, sympathy and independent-mindedness expressed by Mr Fosdyke in explaining his motivations for helping Ewen is great, and says so much in a short space. And they're funny, although Fosdyke's joke about the heads on Micklegate Bar is rather a dark one. The line about Alison's prayers and Ewen's 'simple and straightforward faith' is very sweet—but this time through the book, it struck me that perhaps there's a parallel here with Keith's painful struggle with prayer after he parts from Ewen in chapter 4.7. If these angelic Englishmen—who provide another demonstration of the power of kindness, compassion and personal honour even amidst political divides and cruelty—are indeed an answer to prayer, it seems fitting that it might be 'the prayer in [Keith's] heart' as he thought, as far as he knew, so fruitlessly of Ewen two chapters ago.

And there's even more lovely, beautiful sense of place towards the end of chapter 2! The description of Ewen's return to Ardroy while he thinks the house has been burnt, followed by the revelation that it hasn't been and Ewen's entry into the house like a 'ghost', creates such a strong and evocative mood, with its slow, almost dreamlike progression and its careful abundance of detail. The sparing of Ardroy from the devastation might perhaps have been a little convenient and/or indulgent on Broster's part as an author, but between the beautiful writing and, again, the already-established themes of individual compassion and honour amidst brutality, I think she makes it work. And Aunt Marget! Their reunion is such a lovely moment. <3

[osprey_archer]

The sparing of Ardroy is one of those things that ought to feel too convenient or indulgent, and yet it's so beautifully written that it works. It's a brief reprieve for Ewen after a time of great darkness in his life - the collapse of his cause, the death of his foster brother Neil, his imprisonment (and all the agony of that time he believed Keith had betrayed him and he himself had betrayed Lochiel) - and although he has escaped to home for now, he knows that he will have to leave his beloved house and loch to be truly safe.

So what comes across is not "our protagonist's house is protected by the special forces that protect protagonists and their things," but the sense that for once the chances of war have turned in Ewen's favor rather than against him - after a long string where they've turned over and over against him.

Also, I love the description of Aunt Margaret and company tending the smoking fires so that it would look to all the countryside as if Ardroy is good and burnt. It seems so in character for her, and also very characteristic that she might touch off a spark of humanity in an English officer so he'd purposefully set the fire badly.

[sanguinity]

I agree about Aunt Margaret taking care to fake the burning of Ardroy! Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

And Lassie is such a good girl to find Ewen! I know Ewen wouldn't have hurt the dog, but I could still very much feel Fosdyke's distress that Lassie might get stabbed by the rebel she flushed. Why that fear should be so agonizing to me given everything else, I don't know, but it was very important to me that in all this desperation and heartbreak, this one happy creature should be allowed to keep her happiness.

[killclaudio]

Me too, I wouldn't have been able to handle it if Lassie had been hurt. She's just being a good girl! And I like that part of the reason Fosdyke decides to help Ewen is because he refused to hurt her.

[sanguinity]

There's something so straightforward about the dog's point of view: "Here is a person in distress! Come help the person in distress!" Which is the way it should be, honestly, and isn't nearly often enough.

[killclaudio]

Exactly! Dogs are such great role models, honestly. ♥

[friendofthejabberwock]

I also really liked how Fosdyke helps Ewen partially because he doesn't harm Lassie -- he has excellent priorities. :D

[killclaudio]

Lassie is a good judge of character, and obviously Fosdyke knows it. ;D

[regshoe]

Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

Aww, yes <3

Lassie is great. Amidst all the difficulties of these chapters, a dog simply being a good dog and showing kindness and liking towards Ewen, and being shown kindness in return, does stand out as a terribly important thing—I think because, as you say, it's so simple and straightforward a piece of goodness.

[regshoe]

That's very true—Ewen has already lost and suffered so much that, even after his escape, sparing him this one thing doesn't come across as overly special or protagonist-y.

Yes, Aunt Margaret and the household spending the day tending the fire of damp wood is a great bit of description—I'm sure she enjoyed it!

[sanguinity]

Oh, well-spotted that it could as easily have been Keith's prayers as Alison's -- yet another parallel between the two of them. The bit in 5.1 about Ewen's wedding night being holy, which is also how he describes the night in the shieling, is another one, I think.

And I said much earlier in rot13, so I'll say it again here: it's a beautiful bit of writing to have Ewen traveling the same route Keith did. Not only as an exercise in contrasts between how the two characters see the landscape, but it ALSO beautifully sets up Ewen's escape. Broster didn't just randomly declare that you can't see the bridge from the road, exactly where it would be most convenient for Ewen's escape: she materially demonstrated it for us right back at the very beginning of the book. Beautifully, elegantly done, that.

[regshoe]

Oh yes, that is a very good point! Ingenious, Broster. :D

[hyarrowen]

I hadn't thought of the two Yorkshiremen (and dog) being the answer to Keith's prayer. What a lovely idea. I love the picture of Mr Fosdyke wanting to take his meal by the river too. An unexpectedly poetical disguise for this angel in disguise.

[regshoe]

Aww, it is—he's a surprising man in many ways, Mr Fosdyke. :D

[hyarrowen]

I do like the instance of nice Hanoverians that we get in this section, I must admit. The soldiers are kind (I wonder what happened to them?) and so are the farmers; and also the officer in charge of burning Ardroy. It’s humanising to see them so; they’re just people.

It hadn’t occurred to me that Ewen is taking the same route as Keith did here, though the return to Spean Bridge is an obvious and nicely circular arc. It was on TV here the other night - Portillo, perhaps - and though I’ve been to the town, I didn’t make it to the bridge. They are not kidding when they call it High Bridge.

I hope that Ewen sends help to the women who helped him, and what was he doing looking down the girl’s blouse anyway, good grief, Ewen! She was damn clever about getting it to him, though.

[killclaudio]

I liked the nice Hanoverians as well! There's a good sense of balance to the whole book, realistic about the horrors that happened but full of wonderful acts of human kindness too.

I was so worried about the soldiers who were transporting Ewen, because I don't like to think of them being punished for their kindness. I'm just going to assume that in the chaos of chasing down the remaining rebels, nobody had time to do more than give them a stern talking-to. :)

[hyarrowen]

Yes, fingers crossed for the soldiers. Gurer'f n uvag va n yngre puncgre bs jung gur bhgpbzr bs gur punfr jnf. Be ng yrnfg, gur fgbel gung jnf chg nobhg.

[killclaudio]

I actually just finished the book tonight, and yes, ubcrshyyl gur ehzbhef bs Rjra'f qrzvfr jvyy znxr vg zhpu rnfvre ba gurz! Nygubhtu V'z thrffvat ybfvat n cevfbare vf sebjarq hcba rira vs gurl qba'g xabj ur tbg njnl. :)

[sanguinity]

Ru, fnirf gur pbfg bs n gevny naq gur snss bs svaqvat jvgarffrf. Naq gung tebhc bs fbyqvref arire jnagrq gb znxr gur fvqr-gevc gb Sbeg Jvyyvnz naljnl.

[killclaudio]

Very true!

[regshoe]

I'm just going to assume that in the chaos of chasing down the remaining rebels, nobody had time to do more than give them a stern talking-to. :)

Aww, I hope so!

[regshoe]

That's a good point about the soldiers—it's not a great position for them to be in, losing such an important prisoner so carelessly! I hope they don't suffer for their kindness.

High Bridge is certainly a feat of military engineering. I was reading Burt's Letters from the North of Scotland, written by an officer who worked on the building of Wade's roads, recently and he tells some pretty impressive stories about the work.

The incident of the girl's knife is an impressive bit of work from both of them—Ewen's quick thinking in taking advantage of his position as interpreter, then the girl's ingenious manoeuvring in getting the knife to him. A good moment.

[luzula]

The real pairing in these two chapters is neither Ewen/Keith nor Ewen/Alison, but Ewen/Ardroy! And I really ship it. : )

Even having read both chapters multiple times before, they still put tears in my eyes. That bit where he is riding alongside Loch Oich, looking up at Beinn Tigh and the glen beyond it that he can't see, is one of my favorite bits in the whole book: No, never again; neither in this world nor the next. For Loch na h-Iolaire was not like Alison and him; it had not a soul free of time and space. Loch na h-Iolaire existed over there, only there, on that one spot of earth, and in all the fields of heaven there would be no lake so lovely, and in heaven the grey mists would never swoop down on one who ambushed the deer.

And it's also interesting in the context of Ewen's faith: he's sure that he will see the people he loves again, in the next life: but what about the places and earthly things that he loves? It's just heartbreaking.

On another level, Ewen's escape is also a good bit of adventure writing! Even weak as he is, he manages to outwit his guards--and avoid the ending which Broster is feinting towards. She does love a good will-he-die-or-won't-he.

I'm fond of the angels from Yorkshire, and can't help hearing them in regshoe's voice, since she recorded their dialogue for me in the right dialect, as preparation for my audiobook recording. Not that I actually could do the dialect myself (those pesky glottal stops replacing "the"!). I also like them for being ordinary people doing a stranger a good turn. Although it's a bit of a contradiction, that at the same time they have no problems with buying cattle which the government has taken from people, but then feel that they've gotten even with government for giving them a bad bargain...but then, people are contradictory. Do check out regshoe's little fic about Mr Fosdyke. And heh, I've never heard that Yorkshire song. : )

Ewen returning to Ardroy, and to Aunt Margaret, again puts tears in my eyes. That bit where he doesn't look because he knows (or thinks he knows) what he will see, and then does look and doubts his vision. And later he doubts his own reality instead... I also love that he thinks about the welfare of all the people at Ardroy: Aunt Margaret first and foremost, the servants, old Angus and his grandchildren, the womenfolk, the fugitives from Drumossie Moor.

And the officer who doesn't set fire to Ardroy is a lovely proof that Keith isn't the only one among the Hanoverians who has compassion and common decency.

Okay, I wrote this without first reading regshoe's comment; let's see how much overlap there is. *hits post*

[killclaudio]

The passages where Ewen thinks he's leaving Ardroy forever are so beautiful, I will never be over it. The way he drinks in the sight of it like a lover, the way heaven is unfavourably compared to it, trying to disguise that he's crying...

Also agree that the escape was a great bit of adventure writing! I've been reading some writing advice about making your plot unexpected in small ways, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect example. I suspected Ewen was going to escape, but didn't forsee how he would outsmart the soldiers by hiding in the undergrowth, and the Yorkshiremen were a complete surprise that could have plausibly gone either way. I was genuinely holding my breath at some parts.

[hyarrowen]

I've been reading some writing advice about making your plot unexpected in small ways

Oooh... is it possible to have a link? (Or author\title, if it's a book.)

[killclaudio]

There were about three or four different articles, and when I checked my bookmarks, I only remembered to save one of them. *facepalm* Brain like a sieve.

Anyway, the one I kept was Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene by September C. Fawkes. I also like the book she mentions by Robert McKee, but only one chapter of it covers the surprise thing.

One was some meta about an episode of Person of Interest called 'Matsya Nyaya', and I'm kicking myself that I can't find it again. But basically, the setup of Person of Interest is that Reese and Finch can predict future crimes through unrealistic computer shenanigans I won't go into. In the episode, they're protecting a guy who works for an armored truck company, so it's pretty obvious that the truck is going to get attacked by thieves. But instead of that happening directly, there are several false alarms where the crew stops at a jeweler but actually they're just picking up employee payslips, etc, and then at the end there's nothing left but a medical supply company, medical equipment isn't exactly easy to fence. Oh, they're picking up platinum for pacemakers, which is massively valuable, oh no! and then they're attacked. It was pretty much just an example of how to feint to keep the audience engaged.

[killclaudio]

I just had a look for the Robert McKee book out of curiosity, and it looks like it's really hard to buy an ebook but there's a version available for free on archive.org: 'Story' by Robert McKee. (Hopefully a legal one? But I'm surprised.)

You probably want to read the bit on p. 35 where he talks about scenes and beats, and then p. 147 where he talks about 'The Gap'.

[hyarrowen]

I read those sections and it looks like a good way in to something that's always baffled me, ie plot. So I've ordered a copy, thank-you!

[hyarrowen]

Thank-you - there are some very helpful pointers in there, and it's good of you to type it all out! I like the example that's given in the tumblr post, and also your example from person of Interest. It just keeps ramping up the anticipation, because each possible incident could go so many ways. And I immediately thought "I don't have to think up each incident in sequence, I can just decide on the big one and jam in the extras once that's sorted out," so I guess I'm learning... slowly...

I looked at the Robert McKee book and it's expensive even s/h! So it's obviously very good. I've made an alert for it and will probably end up with a very battered and dog-eared copy which suits me just fine.

[killclaudio]

I don't have to think up each incident in sequence, I can just decide on the big one and jam in the extras once that's sorted out

This is how I do it, too! Or at least, try to do it. I've got an idea of the theory, but the practice still eludes me. :)

I couldn't believe how expensive the book was! Hopefully the copy you found was reasonable. It's 400-and-some pages and pretty densely packed with advice, so at least you get a lot for your money. I hope you find it helpful!

[regshoe]

There's something so poignant in the combination of faith and simple logic leading to Ewen's grief that he won't see the Highlands again in heaven.

Making the plot unexpected in small ways—that's a very interesting idea, and yes, it is just what Broster is doing here.

[regshoe]

Ewen/Ardroy is an OTP, indeed. And heh, I'm glad you agreed with me about that passage before reading my comment :D

I agree about Ewen's escape as adventure writing! At this point it's so uncertain where the story will go—what with Broster's liking for feinting and going back and forth over who will and won't die—and, even once it becomes clear that Ewen is going to escape, it's a gripping bit of story in the details.

Thank you for the fic rec! :) The angels from Yorkshire are lovely. As for the cattle, I suppose they may as well buy them now that they've been taken anyway—Mr Fosdyke comes across as an odd blend of compassionate and pragmatic (and it also sounds like his sympathy for the rebels has increased since he arrived in Scotland, already committed to the cattle-buying, and heard what the Government have been doing to them).

Heh, the song seemed an appropriate choice... Although happily, whether or not Ewen is dressed for the weather, there's no being eaten by worms for him here.

That bit where he doesn't look because he knows (or thinks he knows) what he will see, and then does look and doubts his vision. And later he doubts his own reality instead...

Agh, I know... the whole mood of that passage is such a strong and vivid way of conveying Ewen's physical and emotional exhaustion, as well as just how important it is that his home is still there. Good point about him thinking of all the people at Ardroy, too—he's a very caring and responsible laird, even now.

[friendofthejabberwock]

I think these might even be my favorite pair of chapters thus far, which is saying a lot. Everything just makes for a lovely combination for me -- Ewen leaving for his trial (D":), more English side characters with a lot of humanity, the escape, the dog (:D), and coming home to find Ardroy and Aunt Margaret very much intact.

Somehow the fact that Ewen regrets leaving his land behind, while being comparatively calm about his family and friends, made that scene even more affecting for me. Focusing primarily on, say, Alison instead would have been more conventional, but I don't think it wouldn't have worked as well.

[hyarrowen]

Yes, it points up how important his religion is to him. He's sure he's going to meet his loved ones in the next life. But he loves this mundane world, and his own home, so very much too.

[sanguinity]

:-(((((

[friendofthejabberwock]

It's a really moving angle to take, even when I'm not at all religious myself. I was reasonably sure this wasn't going to be the end for him, given this is only the first book, but Broster did a wonderful job of keeping me wondering and feeling for Ewen anyway.

[hyarrowen]

I read it when the books were only available as single volumes and I was on tenterhooks throughout FotH. It really worked as a suspense story then.

...I'm still miffed about it all being lumped together as "Jacobite Trilogy" on the AO3 - as if anyone would go looking for fic under that name! That combined edition only came out in the 1980s anyway. It's be like having Richard II - Richard III all lumped together under "History Plays" and not listed under the individual plays.

mutter mutter mutter, broken record, waste of breath, etc

[friendofthejabberwock]

I'll bet it did! Prior to this read-along I hadn't even heard of the book, and I didn't realize until partly through this that there were sequels (it was probably mentioned, and I just overlooked it.) The tagging decision is odd -- the fandom tag for one of my main fandoms has kept both the series name and the name of the first book in it, so I'm not sure why this one didn't. (i.e., The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir.)

[hyarrowen]

Much easier to find fic if it has the name of book everyone's interested in as well as the series name (which in DKB's case wasn't given until 30 years after her death and was entirely due to Penguin publishing it in one volume.)

*grumps*

[regshoe]

You're certainly not alone in your broken record-ness about this. Aargh, especially when the majority of the fic that exists is based entirely on FotH and uses at most a few background details from the other two books—GitN fic would be a different thing!

At least 'Flight of the Heron - D. K. Broster' is still synned to the canonical tag, so one can at least tag one's own fic accurately, even if only as a symbolic gesture. Perhaps I take this too seriously...!

[hyarrowen]

Perhaps I take this too seriously...!

NEVER.

/did librarianship training

[regshoe]

They are a very lovely pair of chapters—even though Keith isn't in them. :)

Yes—it's a non-obvious and interesting angle to take on both Ewen's faith and his feelings when he thinks he's going to his death. I love the emphasis on specific place and its meaning ('over there, only there, on that one spot of earth...').

[friendofthejabberwock]

Well, ya know, insisting on being honorable and doing your best to torpedo your own career in the process has be tiring. He's allowed a break from being the POV character sometimes. :D

(But you're right -- I don't think there's a such thing as too much Keith.)

And yes -- I think the way that the narrative is so tightly tied to the land itself works especially well when the broader conflict is over the rule of that land. I really love the result, too.

[regshoe]

XD

I think the way that the narrative is so tightly tied to the land itself works especially well when the broader conflict is over the rule of that land.

That's a very good point! Huh, yes, Broster's strengths as a descriptive writer really go well with her choice of historical setting there.

[philomytha]

Joining in with everyone else to say that the way Ewen's physical ordeal and grief is balanced out by the unexpected acts of kindness from people who are technically enemies is one of the loveliest things about this section. It's possible, actually, this this whole section is responsible for my long-abiding love for narratives containing unexpected kindnesses from enemies.

And, Lassie <3

[regshoe]

It's really adding to the general theme of the book, isn't it—for all that Keith is so cynical about the world in general (and for all that his kindness and honour get him into such trouble with his own superiors), he's not alone in 'acting otherwise'. :)

Lassie! :D