Summer of the Red Wolf

Not my normal read. The small cast of characters is set in the modern isles of Scotland. It's about a few people interacting, especially two very tough men, both pretty worn by life. It's a relationship story that would never be my first pick for reading - HOWEVER - I really liked it.The story itself didn't grab me, at first. I'm not into how other guys think or pissing contests between them, but this story went far beyond that. There was a lot of mystery in the characters. We never fully know the story of any of the small cast & the mystery helps underscore the main strength of the book & that is the description.I HATE long descriptions, as a general rule. West writes descriptions like a bard. They're interesting & give such a depth to show more the most mundane objects & actions that they could become an end to themselves. They don't, thankfully. No, they just underscore a story that became more & more interesting until on a beautiful day, I was stuck reading the last of this novel. (Curse you, Janny! I had too many other things to do!) I couldn't put it down. I had to find out how it ended.There is a bump at the beginning of the novel. He says something about the girls being 'as buxom as a clover fed heifer'. I've never heard that phrase, but a heifer is a virgin cow, so it just doesn't work for me. I thought if I read many such gaffs, I'd have to put the book down. I never did, though. Instead, he reeled me. show less

This is one of my all-time favorite books. It's a story about a man, identified only as Seannachie, who goes to Scotland to visit an old friend. There he meets Red Ruarri MacTyre: a man who lives by old codes, some of them violent. The two men form an unlikely brotherhood, and Seannachie is drawn into Ruarri's life and into rivalry for the exceptional woman they both desire.

To tell more of the story would involve spoilers. Suffice to say, this is a deeply engaging story of people who find themselves living on the very edge of civilized life and accepting the consquences.

A writer, accustomed to writing about the troubled spots of the world and living in the hustle and bustle of the cities, decides to take time off in order to recharge his spirit and find a certain peace of mind. He travels to the Western Outer Isles of Scotland, known as the Outer Hebrides, and settles in and around the islands of Lewis and Harris. His arrival to the area and his friendships with two young men, as well as his love for one young woman, Kathleen, provide the spark that ignites a drama of madness and terror that forever changes all their lives.

I really enjoyed this book, the first of Morris L. West's works that I've ever actually read although I may have some of his other books on my bookshelves downstairs. They are so show more well-hidden that I haven't actually investigated very well. I give this book an A+! and look forward to finding out whether I actually do have any more of Morris L. West's books around. He is an Australian author whose earlier life sort of mirrors my late husband's - as my husband spent roughly five years studying to become a priest, but left before he took his final vows. show less

Great

Novela de magia, de misterio y de fuerzas primitivas. El escenario son las islas Hébridas, esa desolada región al norte de Escocia, donde el mundo parece terminar. La costa se despeña en arrecifes y frente a ellos, simplemente mar... sin término.. hasta las costas de América. Los protagonistas son dos hombre y dos mujeres. A primera vista parece una simple historia de amor, de rivalidad, de fraternidad y de violencia. Al profundizar en la novela surge algo más: es un intento del hombre moderno de fugarse de esta civilización que se ha tornado demasiado compleja para su frágil espíritu.

Novela de magia, de misterio y de fuerzas primitivas. El escenario son las islas Hébridas, esa desolada región al norte de Escocia, donde el mundo parece terminar. La costa se desempeña en arrecifes y frente a ellos, simplemente el mar... sin fin... hasta las cosas de América. Los protagonistas son dos hombres y dos mujeres. A primera vista se trata de una simple historia de amor, de rivalidad, de fraternidad y de violencia. Pero al profundizar en la novela surge algo más: un intento del hombre moderno de huir de esta civilización que se ha tornado demasiado compleja para su frágil espíritu.

Twee bereisde mannen ontmoeten elkaar bij het eiland Lewis (Hebrides). Ze hebben veel gemeen, maar er is ook onmiddellijk spanning tussen hen. Het verhaal is geschreven als een soort grafschrift voor de Rode Wolf uit de titel. Spannend en soms verrassende wendingen.