Adrian Harvey

It started off a bit odd, with an elephant in India - I thought I had picked up the wrong book, but then the description of the parade was so atmospheric that I could have read a whole book about Indian elephants and been completely content. Then the author flies us across continents to London and James makes an appearance. He meets Lainey in a professional capacity and, when they accidentally meet later in a social environment, I really felt that something special had begun.

James and Lainey appear to be a perfect couple, but we all know that life isn't like that. This is where this book stands out from the crowd; the author is not afraid to take us on a journey through the highs and lows of this relationship. There is an amazing passage describing the exact moment in time that James realised that he had fallen out of love with Lainey. It brings new meaning to the phrase "seeing people differently".

An outstanding debut.… (mehr)

The remote Scottish island of Hinba may be very sparsely populated, but within its population there are numerous feuds and conflicts. Some of these are relatively recent but others span generations, such as the one between the two most powerful families on the island, the Buchanans who have run the post office for generations, and the MacLeods, who run the pub but covet the more powerful position of postmaster. Cantankerous Fingal Buchanan is the current postmaster although, because of his advanced age, for many years he hasn’t fulfilled any of the duties of the job. This task falls to his son Davey whom he allows to carry out all the day to day duties of postmaster, even though he doesn’t regard him as a worthy future successor to the post. Instead, he hopes that he will live long enough to see his beloved grandson Fergus come of age so that he can inherit the sinecure directly.
Fergus is fast approaching his twenty first birthday and feels happy in his charmed life as cherished son and grandson, respected by other islanders. He loves the history-steeped island, with its rich history; he is about to become engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Shona MacLeod and is optimistic that their union will help to heal the rifts between the two families. Then, on the day of his engagement, news is brought to the island that the “Cursing Stone”, a missing, and much sought for, antiquity from the days of St Columba, has been offered for sale at an auction house in Glasgow. The islanders are agreed that this priceless stone must be tracked down and returned to its rightful home and it is decided that Fergus should be the one to carry out this task. Although reluctant to leave Shona so soon after becoming engaged, he recognises that, as a member of one of the leading families, it is his duty to accept this responsibility. His journey takes him away from the security of all that he knows; exposing him to new experiences and making him question his relationships.
The story follows Fergus on his quest and his exposure to experiences which challenge his beliefs and expectations. Apart from a few years living on the mainland during the week when he was going to secondary school, he has had no experience of life away from Hinba and of the pressures of urban living. This sudden and unexpected exposure means that he feels very unsure of himself and increasingly vulnerable because he has no idea what the different social mores are in the situations he encounters. He also has to face dealing with strangers and finding his way around strange places. Initially he is helped by his sister Mary, who is studying at university in Glasgow, and this relationship allows an insight into how the siblings differ in their feelings about, and connection to, the island. His search then has to move to London and his exposure not only to another country, but also to a much wider range of people and experiences. He finds it all quite a culture shock; it is an anxiety-provoking time but not without its frissons of excitement
The novel starts with a dream and it soon becomes clear that Fergus is a vivid dreamer. On waking each morning, he feels that he cannot start the day until he records his latest dream in great detail. These dreams, and his reflections on them, are recorded throughout most of the story and give the reader an early insight into this naïve young man’s thoughts, feelings and anxieties. I found the story to be full of well-drawn characters and the quality of the author’s writing is such that I very quickly felt engaged with their lives and their experiences. I found myself taking sides, being drawn into their feuds and wanting old injustices to be put right! The way in which the past resonates in the present was a theme which ran throughout the story, offering insights into the reasons behind the behaviour of the characters.
I thought that the sense of dislocation Fergus felt when he was thrust so abruptly into an alien, crowded, vibrant, world after being used to the space, peace, predictability and remoteness of island life was captured very vividly. It seemed that two activities helped Fergus to manage his life and his anxieties. His fascination with postcodes seemed to be a metaphor for finding his place in the world and for grounding himself, whilst his need to write down his dreams was a way of keeping things in their right place, on one side or the other as represented by night and day. I thought that the author demonstrated the conflict between a sense of duty and a desire for personal fulfilment in a very powerful and convincing way as he enabled Fergus to begin to explore the possibility of a different kind of life, one which didn’t need to follow a pre-ordained path. There is a quote on the cover of the book – “Oh come now Mr Buchanan. When one goes out into the world, one always ends up smelling of something or other.” This reflection represents a message which runs through the story – that our experiences always leave a mark of some kind!
I really enjoyed this complex, thought-provoking – and ultimately rather sad – story. It is written in such an eloquent, at times poetic and mystical, way that I found myself savouring the narrative, frequently pausing to reflect on many of the themes which emerged as it developed. I found the dream sequences fascinating and enjoyed the extra dimension they added to the story. It may be that some readers will not share my fascination, and may even be put off by these “diversions”, but I would encourage them to persist because I think the developing story is worth it!
This is Adrian Harvey’s second novel so not only do I now plan to seek out his first, Being Someone, but I will also be looking forward to future ones!… (mehr)