Reviews for Castle Warlock

The average rating for Castle Warlock based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-05-27 00:00:00 Joseph Simonetti Castle Warlock, whilst being one of MacDonald's realistic novels (or to further subdivide, one of his 12 Scottish novels) comes close to fantasy in a more overt way, perhaps, than many of the others: though there are elements of the fantastic in everything he wrote, the author being an inveterate, even when an unconscious, weaver of mystical tales. A ghost story is at the heart of this one, the eponymous castle having had a nefarious character amongst its previous occupants, in the form of 'the old captain', who was said to have plundered other ships of their spoil during a career as a pirate, and returned home with a wealth beyond reckoning. Nobody has seen the treasure, but handed down by the old captain is a rhyme Catch yer naig an pu' his tail In his hin' heel caw a nail Rug his lugs frae ane anither Stan' up, an' ca' the king yer brither (Catch your horse and pull his tail In his hind heel drive a nail Pull his ears from one another Stand up, and call the king your brother.) Which is reputed to be the key to the mystery of the hidden treasure. Whether this treasure is real or only a family legend, and if real, whether or not it is found, the reader is left to find out as the story unfolds. In the meantime, the current occupants of the castle, the young boy Cosmo, and the old laird his father, have to struggle against encroaching poverty as best they might: their ownership of the ancient castle and lands making no difference to the declension of the family wealth, to the point of poverty even at the story's commencement, and near starvation at one or two points throughout the tale. We are made to feel however, despite this encroaching penury, that a man can have very few material possessions and yet be 'one of the heirs of all things', and know himself to be so, and be glad. They endure and enjoy their lot together, and the trust they both repose in God is too great for either of them to wish for great riches, unless it should please Him to send them in their great need. Along the way, we meet a rich cast of other characters, including the old family retainer Grizzie, who often speaks in rhyming couplets, Cosmo's girl-friend Aggie, a drunken lord, a villainous landed proprietor, and a gardener who I thought owed something to Walter Scott's Andrew Fairservice. But there is no doubt that the central theme is the bond of love between father and son, the inspiration for which it takes little imagination or insight to conclude must have been that same filial tie between the author and George MacDonald senior. Of that real-life father, MacDonald said elsewhere that he was his"refuge from all the ills of life, even sharp pain itself" and of that unique bond he said, addressing those who take no pleasure in the name FATHER, "interpret the word by all that you have missed in life. Every time a man might have been to you a refuge from the wind, a covert from the tempest, the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, that was a time when a father might have been a father indeed." I have only touched on the bare bones of the plot, as with MacDonald it's always the inner life which is essential, and that's what we see delineated here once again. To paraphrase Shakespeare, 'the preaching's the thing', but I cannot accept C S Lewis's view that GM's novels should be read ONLY for the preachments-you'll love this one if you love the homely and the true, particularly in a Scottish setting, and if you're happy for that to be juxtaposed with the eerie and the spine-chilling, which the ghost story provides in abundance. Look out also for GM's trademark 'stories within the story'-there are some real beauties in this one, some of which point a clear moral, but all of which are told with consummate skill by a master of the craft.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-07-17 00:00:00 James Callaghan Cosmo, our main character, is the laird's heir and only child. In material possessions there isn't much for him to inherit. Castle Warlock and a small percentage of the original land are all that remain of a legacy that was always modest. However, Cosmo's spiritual inheritance from his father compensates for any lack on the material side of things. A man of uncommon sense and true righteousness, the laird successfully passes these attributes to his son and they prove more valuable than a mound of precious jewels. That's enough on the plot; this definitely isn't a plot driven book. Instead, I'd like to call it truth driven. The plot and characters are the vehicle, but truth is firmly behind the wheel. One of those main truths is the importance of childlikeness. In the time covered by this book, Cosmo grows from youth to manhood without losing a sense of wonder, and innocent spirit, a desire for truth, and a child's simplicity of speech and action. While I know some readers would be annoyed by Cosmo's near-perfection, that's a plus for me because I like characters I can admire and -- more importantly -- emulate. (Though I do recognize that sometimes a bad example in literature can teach most effectively.) Poverty and wealth is also a big theme as the laird and Cosmo, not to mention Grizzie and Aggie, struggle to provide their household with basic necessities. MacDonald points out that wealth is a greater hindrance to spiritual health than poverty is. "The first question is not how to do good with money, but how to keep from doing harm with it." (p. 307) Both of these concepts are important to me: childlikeness because it's difficult for me to practice but I know it's vital if I'm to continue growing, not only in my relationship with God, but in every area of life; and poverty and wealth because I'm a rich American and I often wonder why Christians consider that such a great blessing, especially considering Jesus' teaching. As for my personal enjoyment: This book practically forced me to think and it challenged me in more ways than one. That's a main factor in most of my favorite books. The book is also full of poetic prose and well worded expressions. The stars were bright-eyed as if they had been sleeping, and were so joyously consoled that they forgot to wipe away their tears. [p. 134] He woke so suddenly that for a moment he knew himself only for somebody he knew. [p. 109] Every time we say "What a lovely night!" we speak of a breach, a rift in the old night. There is light more or less, a positive light, else were there no beauty. Many a night is but a low starry day, a day with a softened background, against which the far-off sun's of millions of other days show themselves: when the near vision vanishes, the farther hope awakes. It is nowhere said of heaven, there shall be no twilight there. [p. 42] Plus it's long and chock-full of quotable bits. Those who do the truth are raised even above defying the world. Defiance betrays a latent respect.... Those who are of the world may defy, but the cannot ignore it. [p. 310] In proportion as a man cares to do what he ought, he ceases to care how it may be judged. [p. 269] There are Christians who in portions of their being, of their life, their judgements, and aims, are absolute heathens, for with these, so far as their thought or will is concerned, God has nothing to do. [p. 171] All truth understood becomes duty. [p. 224] I must admit I relished the last chapter: proof of Cosmo's humanity. (And I'm totally allowed to say he behaved stupidly because poor Joan thought as much.) The slow pacing/lack of plot was occasionally distracting. Other than that, I can't think of anything to complain about! (Savor the moment while it lasts🙄) Robert Falconer is the next one of MacDonald's Scottish novels on my list. The future looks bright! *I'd recommend David Jack's awesome translations to anyone who's uncomfortable with the idea of tackling the Scotch dialogue on their own, especially those who still want the full experience of a George MacDonald novel. These editions contain all the original text, but also includes translations of the Scotch. If the thought of a 300-page novel -- and these pages are about twice the normal size -- with very slow pacing is what makes you uneasy, try one of Michael Phillips's condensed versions or read some of MacDonald's fairy tales like At the Back of the North Wind or The Light Princess before you delve into the realm of MacDonald's original Scottish novels.*