The Crow Road
Encyclopedia
The Crow Road is a novel by the Scottish writer Iain Banks
, published in 1992.
, sex
, relationship
s, drink
(and other intoxicants) and God
, with the background a celebration of the Scottish landscape.
This family saga
is set in the fictional Argyll
town of Gallanach (by its description, reminiscent of Oban
but on the north east shore of Loch Crinan
), the real village of Lochgair
, and in Glasgow
where Prentice McHoan lives. Prentice's beloved uncle Rory disappears mysteriously while writing a book called The Crow Road. Prentice becomes obsessed with the papers left behind by his missing uncle and sets out to solve the mystery.
A large part of Prentice's growing up is his gradual understanding of his wealthy and eccentric family
, especially his parents' tragic and complicated generation. This becomes particularly important to him after his father Kenneth, a committed atheist, is killed by lightning while climbing a church tower, trying to settle an argument about the existence of God
. The family has already suffered tragedy through the death of Kenneth's sister Fiona (married to Fergus Urvill) in a car crash.
Prentice's old friend Ashley Watt and others help him in his quest to find the key to Rory's disappearance.
') and dark humour (c.f. the opening sentence reproduced above) with an interesting treatment of love. Banks uses multiple voices and points of view, jumping freely in both time and character. Even quite minor characters like Prentice's grandmother, the fictional town of Gallanach and his family's home in Lochgair are carefully described, giving Prentice's life depth and context.
The book is about Prentice's journey of discovery about himself, those he loves, and the ways of the world. (This type of novel is sometimes called a 'Bildungsroman
'.)
The Crow Road, as explained in the book, as well as being a real-life location in the west of Glasgow, is an expression for death, as in "He's away the Crow Road". The appropriateness of this title becomes apparent as the novel progresses.
for the BBC
in 1996. See The Crow Road
.
Iain Banks
Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
, published in 1992.
Plot introduction
Prentice McHoan's life, growing up in a complex but coherent Scottish family with many mysteries is described, seen through his preoccupations with deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, relationship
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
s, drink
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
(and other intoxicants) and God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, with the background a celebration of the Scottish landscape.
Plot summary
The book begins: 'It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.'This family saga
Family saga
The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time...
is set in the fictional Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
town of Gallanach (by its description, reminiscent of Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
but on the north east shore of Loch Crinan
Loch Crinan
Loch Crinan is a seawater loch on the West of Scotland, leading into the Sound of Jura and being the western end of the Crinan Canal. The village of Crinan is at the entrance to the canal at the eastern end of the loch. Duntrune Castle stands on the northern shore...
), the real village of Lochgair
Lochgair
Lochgair is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the coast of Loch Gair, a small inlet on the west of Loch Fyne. The A83 road runs through the village....
, and in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
where Prentice McHoan lives. Prentice's beloved uncle Rory disappears mysteriously while writing a book called The Crow Road. Prentice becomes obsessed with the papers left behind by his missing uncle and sets out to solve the mystery.
A large part of Prentice's growing up is his gradual understanding of his wealthy and eccentric family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, especially his parents' tragic and complicated generation. This becomes particularly important to him after his father Kenneth, a committed atheist, is killed by lightning while climbing a church tower, trying to settle an argument about the existence of God
Existence of God
Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and others. In philosophical terms, arguments for and against the existence of God involve primarily the sub-disciplines of epistemology and ontology , but also of the theory of value, since...
. The family has already suffered tragedy through the death of Kenneth's sister Fiona (married to Fergus Urvill) in a car crash.
Prentice's old friend Ashley Watt and others help him in his quest to find the key to Rory's disappearance.
Literary significance & criticism
It combines menace (it contains an account of a 'perfect murderPerfect murder (fiction)
The perfect murder is a murder which benefits the murderer, but also has no negative consequences for him or her; usually, this simply means that the murderer is never caught...
') and dark humour (c.f. the opening sentence reproduced above) with an interesting treatment of love. Banks uses multiple voices and points of view, jumping freely in both time and character. Even quite minor characters like Prentice's grandmother, the fictional town of Gallanach and his family's home in Lochgair are carefully described, giving Prentice's life depth and context.
The book is about Prentice's journey of discovery about himself, those he loves, and the ways of the world. (This type of novel is sometimes called a 'Bildungsroman
Bildungsroman
In literary criticism, bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood , and in which character change is thus extremely important...
'.)
The Crow Road, as explained in the book, as well as being a real-life location in the west of Glasgow, is an expression for death, as in "He's away the Crow Road". The appropriateness of this title becomes apparent as the novel progresses.
Adaptation
The Crow Road was adapted for television by Bryan ElsleyBryan Elsley
Bryan Elsley is a Scottish television writer, known most notably for the co-creation of E4 teen drama Skins with his son, Jamie Brittain...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1996. See The Crow Road
The Crow Road (TV series)
The Crow Road was a television miniseries by BBC Scotland in 1996, based faithfully on the complex novel by Scottish novelist Iain Banks. It was directed by Gavin Millar....
.
External links
- Bloomsbury review
- 2004 review
- 2009 retrospective review by Jo WaltonJo WaltonJo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...