"Oystercatchers" is one of my all-time favorite books and it has captivated me again and again ever since I was around sixteen. That book helped me grow up - of course, I was at first more interested in the youth of the main character Moira, but re-reading it later I was more fascinated by the grown-up Moira and her darkness and bitterness, but ultimately the hope she stood for. "Eve Green" made me cry for about two days straight, it was so beautiful and sad. It's been a little while since I've read either of these two, so I finally decided to read "Corrag" (or "Witch Light", as my edition was called). Fletcher, Highlands, witches, massacre of Glencoe - let's just say I could not see how this book might be anything short of perfect. Sadly, I was immensly disappointed.The first and second part of the book, which are the introduction and the early, ot "first" life of Corrag, captivated me. While there were some oddly modern ideas and stances I was prepared to look past that for the sake of the story. At first, I liked the change between Corrag's narrative and the letter Charles writes back home to his wife. But then... what really is it that I did not like about this book? I haven't quite figured it out a 100% yet, but here are a couple of things that I can point out so far:- the language Fletcher uses is usually poetic and masterfully crafted. She finds ways to describe water (Oystercatchers) or farm land (Eve Green) in ways that literally made my jaw drop. After I'd stopped reading "Corrag" I went back to look at some parts of Fletcher's other books, and they don't seem nearly as - dare I say it? - swollen. Pretentious. Right now, I feel like if I read "I know this, for I have seen it" or a similar construct one more time, I will punch someone in the face. My reaction is only so passionate because I was looking forward to this book so much - I did not start reading it intent on not liking it, you can believe that. But it is like Fletcher has forgotten how to construct any other kind of sentence except a "for"-clause (yes, I am making this term up). And while her other books were obviously also very heavy and laden with extensive descriptions and musings, they were what made them so wonderful. In "Corrag", it's just annoying. Like the author did not know how else to fill the pages.- the character of Corrag is not very likeable, I think. She just seems a bit pompous. The way she describes herself to Charles is very irritating. I think some passages would have greatly profited from a third-person narrator, and Fletcher writes in the third person quite well, so I don't know why she did not use this here. Of course, Corrag is a tragic character, no doubt about that, but does she need to be so insanely holy and sweet. Fletcher is great at describing the subtle ugliness in characters, the one we all have, and she even finds them in her heroines - but manages to bring them forth with the utmost of understanding and sympathy. Corrag's character is about as round and complex as a frisbee.- now, Fletcher was never the best in creating male romantic interests. Her strength lies in female characters, their power, their weakness, their heartbreak, their losses (as can be seen in "Corrag" with the three broken witches Corrag encounters in Glencoe). Point being, her male characters sometimes turn out a little flat if their purpose is to be romantically involved with the main character (she does fine with non-romantic males). However, Charles and Alasdair have to be some of the most characterless chumps you could find. The change of mind that happens in Charles is so uncomplex that it is baffeling. Lastly, I know that this is a book that is more about painting pictures and creating feelings than it is about an actual story. And that is absolutely fine. But I was sadly not captivated in the least, which is a shame, because I was almost giddy with excitement when I started reading. Still, I'll always have Moira and her dark Welsh coasts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was about the massacre of the MacDonalds at Glencoe and it is the story of my people, my own mothers' clan, so it evoked a lot of emotion in me. It is such a beautifully written book. The author truly makes the magnificent Scottish landscapes of Glen Coe come alive, and though the book is about something ultimately so shameful and sad, it is written with so much beauty and attention to detail, that it softens the blow when it finally comes. The book follows the life of Corrag, a young woman running from pointing fingers and the hissed accusations of 'witch'. The story is told retrospectively, as she waits to burn as a witch in jail and is part the story of her life and the massacre that she tried to prevent and part written from the point of view of Mr Leslie, a Jacobite preacher trying to put the Stewart king back on the throne by revealing the bloodthirsty double dealings of the 'Orange King'.I highly recommend it and doubly recommend that you listen to the audio as it is beautifully narrated.A wonderful book that made me heartsore and long for home.
What do You think about The Highland Witch (2011)?
One of my favourite books of all time, if I ended up stranded on a desert island I would bring this.
—laura
This book was absolutely breathtaking and I don't have any other words to describe it.
—christy
