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40x40

ClareR (5841 KP) rated Clear in Books

Nov 11, 2024  
Clear
Clear
Carys Davies | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clear is a gentle, rather beautiful story about an impoverished Scottish clergyman, who takes the job of evicting the last inhabitant of an island to the north of Scotland. His wife, Mary, isn’t keen to see him go, and can’t see how it can end well. John is determined to make some money to look after his wife.

John and the islands last inhabitant, Ivar, have nothing in common. Not even a common language. Yet Ivar cares for John after an accident. He’s a gentle, hardworking man who loves his island home and his animals. He doesn’t want to leave, but he doesn’t own his house or the land it stands on. It has been a part of his life and that of his parents and grandparents. But this is the last of the Scottish Clearances.

This novel made me think of the fragility of life, whether it be John after his fall from the rocks, how Ivar’s life must radically change, or Ivar’s animals after he leaves. And then there’s the delicate (yet at the same time, robust) ecosystem of the island.

John and Ivar find a bond, a relationship that neither wants to end after they leave the island, but what is Ivar going to be able to do when he leaves? How awful it must have been for those leaving their homes and ways of life during the Clearances.

This book was perfect, and I’d definitely recommend it.
  
40x40

James Morrison (7 KP) rated The Isle (2018) in Movies

May 12, 2019  
The Isle (2018)
The Isle (2018)
2018 | Thriller
2
3.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
The story was ok but it could have been over a lot quicker as their was not much contect to it. (0 more)
It was one of those films that you got half way though and start clock watching hoping it will be over soon. And you could tell the film was rushed out (0 more)
Should have left it on the isle
So i went to see this one at everyman cinema stratford upon avon where they also had a Q+A session with the two directors, alex and the woman who plays the part or the murdered victim was all their.

Now for me and the wife we feel that the film dragged on to long to the point I was falling asleep as it became that boring, i would say that if you liked the VVITCH then you may like this one but if not then its one to avoid as its the same kinda film.

As for fizz and ginger themself well lets just say they had a question possed at them during the Q+A "why did the people leave the island? Was it bacause of the highland clearances, fammine or the weather conditions?" Trying to get themself out of it they said "it was a combination of every thing" well at the end of the Q+A with me and the wife being scottish we had to give them a history lesson, the highland clearances happened in the 1600s after the battle of culloden, now if you know scotland this is the top end of the country and their "island" is not far from glasgow the bottom end of Scotland, added to this the clue highland clearances the island is in the lowlands, and adding even further after the battle of culloden the english pushed north slaughtering anyone wearing a kilt and banded the bagpipes and bonny prince charlie escaped the the closed island before going to france which was the isle of sky where people still live they would have seen that this does not match up.

On top of this the people left the island in the late 1800s, the highland clearances was 1600 so they were 200 years out of date the reason we know this is because the wifes great grand mother lived on the island.

For a film was written over a 2 year period and made on a small budget and film with in 4 weeks with trained actors this film would have been better being dumped in the loch never to be seen by the public but i guess we all need to start some where even if we open our gobs to make ourself look intelligent rather than be honest with the public and say we really dont know why they left