Liveblogging the beginning of Flight of the Heron

[luzula]

regshoe is going to reread Flight of the Heron, and I figure that I'm going to do that as well, partly just because I want to, and partly to get the details down better for writing fic. So here is basically some liveblogging of the prologue and the first three chapters of the book.

- This is probably my favorite thing that Ewen says to Alison: "You shall always wear the Grant [tartan] if it pleases you better." Aww. (Alhough clan tartans at that time did not actually exist, but let's go with book canon...) Also ties into something I recently read about women in the 18th century Highlands, that they had a fairly good position and also didn't always take their husbands' names. Ewen's aunt being the factor of his estate was also not an uncommon thing.
- I love this description of Keith: "Captain Windham's own dark and rather harsh features were not unpleasing, save when he frowned, which he was somewhat given to doing." ♥ Whereas the description of Ewen is more: he is really hot, reader, you know this because Keith thinks so multiple times on first meeting him (well, not in those words, but…).
- I think the contrast between the prologue (Ewen's POV) and the first chapter (Keith's POV) is really well done—those are two very different views of the Highlands.
- On the scene where Ewen makes Keith surrender his sword: Nnnngh, why don't we see Ewen swordfighting more in the book?? Someone write fic where he does.
- Hee, I love the bit where Keith thinks that he should stop teasing Ewen, and then comes: "But he was not to keep this resolution."
- "He was wearing the kilt today, and for the first time Keith Windham thought that there was something to be said for that article of attire—at least on a man of his proportions." Ha ha, oh Keith.
- I really get so much more out of the book after my research reading. Like, now I know what non-juring Episcopalians are and why it's significant that the Camerons belong to that church. Also, from what I've read of the culture among military officers at the time, Keith would probably not be very religious, which agrees with the book in that he basically doesn't think about it. In fact, officers who were seriously religious were often made fun of for it.
- I also didn't look at any maps the first time through, so that's another thing I've got a better handle on now.

Today was book club discussion, but I had failed to read the book because I still don't have the emotional bandwidth for other fiction. Oh well. But I'm not sure I could have taken the book seriously anyway, because one of the main characters was called Lord Frith and he was not the sun god of the rabbits…

Comments

[regshoe]

An excellent decision! :D

Whereas the description of Ewen is more: he is really hot, reader, you know this because Keith thinks so multiple times on first meeting him. :D I absolutely love how blatantly obvious Keith is at this point, constantly thinking about how hot Ewen is, quite happily admitting to himself that he admires him, writing in his actual diary and calling Ewen 'my young Achilles', all while it apparently doesn't occur to him at all that he likes Ewen and wants to be friends with him (let alone anything else :P), and he keeps wondering why on earth he should care so much about leaving Ewen and not seeing him again. It's such an enjoyable sort of obliviousness. I love him so much, and can't help thinking how much fun it'll be to write a 'realisation of feelings' scene from his POV set a bit later on.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the contrast between their views of the Highlands—that was very well done! The POV in this book is interesting, because there is clearly an omniscient narrator who comments on the characters from her own perspective and knows things they don't, but the narrative also follows the POV and thoughts of one character at a time, and it's interesting the effects that can create—like here.

And I agree on following things better after doing a little research, as well—although for me so far it's mostly just appreciating just how much research Broster must have done to get things in that much detail. It's really impressive! (and I have so much more still to learn...)

[luzula]

Ooh, interesting analysis of Keith's obliviousness.

can't help thinking how much fun it'll be to write a 'realisation of feelings' scene from his POV set a bit later on.

Yes, you should do that! And Keith is so much fun to write in general.

I think the book shows us Keith's feelings for Ewen more than they do Ewen's for Keith. That's part of why I enjoyed Hyarrowen's Shore and Ship and Moonrise so much, because it shows us Keith from Ewen's POV and the ways in which Keith is also totally hot seen through Ewen's eyes.

[ainsley]

Now I super want to read this book.

[regshoe]

It's as though Keith is perfectly comfortable having thoughts and feelings about Ewen and the situation in general from a disinterested, outside perspective, but can't comprehend the idea that those feelings are personal, are his feelings for Ewen. (When he does finally get it, in their last meeting at Fort Augustus, it's 'as if a lightning flash had stabbed asunder the sky above him' <3)

Yes! (and absolutely agree about Shore and Ship and Moonrise, Ewen's POV there is really great) What we do get is intriguing, though, especially later on—he's clearly affected very much by what Keith does on Ben Loy, and when he finds out that Keith didn't betray him after all. It just makes me want to know more about how his feelings are actually changing through those events. You could do some interesting things with analysing that in a fic, I think... (I hope to do so, I just need a plot first!)

[luzula]

Yesssss, you should totally read it! If you can't find it in a library, you can get it cheap on betterworldbooks.org. *enables*

[luzula]

Re: Ewen, I think he is so immersed in ties of kinship and clan and Jacobite allegiance that when Keith, who is outside all of those things, still sacrifices and cares so much for him, it moves him deeply. But he seems a bit oblivious, too--there's that line about how he couldn't imagine he personally had attracted Keith. Ha.

[regshoe]

Oh, yes, I love that bit! They're both oblivious but in such different ways, it's delightful. :D

[ainsley]

I will be reading this in February, I hope! It has been acquired! \o/

[luzula]

Yay! Looking forward to your thoughts. : )