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Canongate Classics #22
The Changeling
Thirteen-year-old Tom Curdie, the product of a Glasgow slum, is on probation for theft. His teachers admit that he is clever, but only one, Charles Forbes, sees an uncanny warmth in his reticence and in his seemingly insolent smile—so he decides to take Tom on holiday with his own family. This powerful novel explores one of Jenkins's consistent and most fruitful themes—how goodness and innocence are compromised when faced with the pressures of growing up and becoming part of society.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
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About the author
Robin Jenkins
54 books34 followersAuthor of a number of landmark novels including The Cone Gatherers, The Changeling, Happy for the Child, The Thistle and the Grail and Guests of War, Jenkins is recognised as one of Scotland's greatest writers. The themes of good and evil, of innocence lost, of fraudulence, cruelty and redemption shine through his work. His novels, shot through with ambiguity, are rarely about what they seem. He published his first book, So Gaily Sings the Lark, at the age of thirty-eight, and by the time of his death in 2005, over thirty of his novels were in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 21, 2022
One of the most devastating books I've ever read. I'd like to give it five stars - the quality of the writing is wonderful and its political message is second to none in importance - but the story is relentlessly bleak and almost entirely without hope, so I'm dropping the rating down to a four.
March 17, 2024
Was ever a good deed punished like this one….. Teacher in 1950s Glasgow has a slum kid in his class, already on probation for stealing, and the target of revulsion and mockery by the other kids. But Tom the slum kid is the smartest one in the class. So benignly selfregardingly wellmeaning teacher Charles decides it would be a great idea to introduce Tom to the finer things in life & open up his cramped horizons by taking him with his family off to the seaside cottage they rent every year for a fortnight. How great-hearted! How misguided! How disastrous!
It's a strong tale and the psychology of everyone is scored like a late quartet by Beethoven : the sceptical wife, the jealous but fascinated daughter, the oblivious son, the battleaxe mother-in-law, and most complicatedly, frantically virtue-signalling (to himself as much as anyone else) Charles and Tom, who wasn’t ever waving but always drowning. Leading us to the gloomy inevitability of the final chord.
3.5 stars
It's a strong tale and the psychology of everyone is scored like a late quartet by Beethoven : the sceptical wife, the jealous but fascinated daughter, the oblivious son, the battleaxe mother-in-law, and most complicatedly, frantically virtue-signalling (to himself as much as anyone else) Charles and Tom, who wasn’t ever waving but always drowning. Leading us to the gloomy inevitability of the final chord.
3.5 stars
August 30, 2020
Tom, thirteen, lives in a Glasgow slum with his alcoholic parents and is on probation for stealing. He has steely principles: ‘Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no one, not even yourself, know how near to giving in [to the vice and despair of slum life] you were.’ He is the cleverest boy in his school but is treated with contempt for his dirtiness and poverty. Charles Forbes, a teacher, takes pity on him and invites him on a family holiday to the coast for some fresh air, good food and the chance to experience solid family life for a couple of weeks with predictably strained and dreadful consequences.
Jenkins draws out key themes, notably the desire of a do-gooding middle class to rescue those in poverty whilst remaining deeply suspicious of them and holding them at arm’s length. He exposes the dishonesty of Forbes’ charity as a quest for admiration rather than any genuine concern for Tom’s welfare, for however much Forbes merely intended to give Tom a break from slum life what he actually does is rub his nose in a life he can never have before being sent back to the slums where he no longer belongs as a result. Tom himself senses the danger in which he has been placed and tries, though ultimately fails, to resist. When family life is disrupted by his presence, Forbes accuses him of being a changeling.
Changeling: a creature, in animal or human form, substituted by fairies in place of the one they have stolen, spreading an evil influence. But the other side of the changeling story is of the abducted human child who is put in the care of the Devil and Jenkins leaves the reader wondering which side of the coin is being seen here.
Jenkins draws out key themes, notably the desire of a do-gooding middle class to rescue those in poverty whilst remaining deeply suspicious of them and holding them at arm’s length. He exposes the dishonesty of Forbes’ charity as a quest for admiration rather than any genuine concern for Tom’s welfare, for however much Forbes merely intended to give Tom a break from slum life what he actually does is rub his nose in a life he can never have before being sent back to the slums where he no longer belongs as a result. Tom himself senses the danger in which he has been placed and tries, though ultimately fails, to resist. When family life is disrupted by his presence, Forbes accuses him of being a changeling.
Changeling: a creature, in animal or human form, substituted by fairies in place of the one they have stolen, spreading an evil influence. But the other side of the changeling story is of the abducted human child who is put in the care of the Devil and Jenkins leaves the reader wondering which side of the coin is being seen here.
August 25, 2020
This book is the story of what happens when teacher Charlie decides to take one of his brightest but most troubled and deprived pupils, Tom, on holiday with his family. Set in the 50's, the story takes us from a school in the East End of Glasgow, to the depths of a city slum where Tom lives, and then to the Argyll seaside where the drama really takes place. Tom struggles to assimilate into a middle class holiday, Charlie's children do not warm to him, and the adults (Charlie's wife and mother-in-law) are stacked against the idea from the beginning. Things do not go the way Charlie has hoped, and the result is devastating.
I really enjoyed this book, from so many angles and on so many levels. As a story, it's well paced and the writing is flawless. The characters are really well developed, and the ending left me speechless. As a resident of a similar "doon the watter" town where Glaswegians used to spend their holidays, and being really familiar with Dunoon (which I think Dunroth is based on) and Rothesay, it was a joy to read this slice of history which is so personal. My parents are babies of 50's Glasgow and my dad had similar holidays, so this was such a visceral read for me.
But more than anything, this is such a keen look at performative altruism and the damage that can be done by taking the "white knight" approach to those who live in poverty and deprivation. Particularly taking someone vulnerable out of their environment and expecting them to seamlessly assimilate. Charlie had good intentions, but the benevolence he extends doesn't go far enough as to create any sort of bond with Tom which could have made the situation much better for all involved. His choice of Tom as his beneficiary is likely more down to how it will reflect on him, and this is really shown in how he reacts when confronted by another boy from the slums, who he leaves to trail behind him like a dog and muses that if he actually were a dog he would throw stones at him to chase him off. When the whole family is confronted with the reality of Tom's background, we really see the attitudes that have made it so difficult for them to actually do any good for Tom. And I don't judge them for that, as gulf between them is massive and it's likely they've never been exposed to such different circumstances, but it acts as a perfect example as to why Charlie was never equipped for his act of charity. It serves to underline the importance of systemic change as opposed to hobbyist philanthropy.
This is the first Robin Jenkins' book I've read, but it wont be the last.
I really enjoyed this book, from so many angles and on so many levels. As a story, it's well paced and the writing is flawless. The characters are really well developed, and the ending left me speechless. As a resident of a similar "doon the watter" town where Glaswegians used to spend their holidays, and being really familiar with Dunoon (which I think Dunroth is based on) and Rothesay, it was a joy to read this slice of history which is so personal. My parents are babies of 50's Glasgow and my dad had similar holidays, so this was such a visceral read for me.
But more than anything, this is such a keen look at performative altruism and the damage that can be done by taking the "white knight" approach to those who live in poverty and deprivation. Particularly taking someone vulnerable out of their environment and expecting them to seamlessly assimilate. Charlie had good intentions, but the benevolence he extends doesn't go far enough as to create any sort of bond with Tom which could have made the situation much better for all involved. His choice of Tom as his beneficiary is likely more down to how it will reflect on him, and this is really shown in how he reacts when confronted by another boy from the slums, who he leaves to trail behind him like a dog and muses that if he actually were a dog he would throw stones at him to chase him off. When the whole family is confronted with the reality of Tom's background, we really see the attitudes that have made it so difficult for them to actually do any good for Tom. And I don't judge them for that, as gulf between them is massive and it's likely they've never been exposed to such different circumstances, but it acts as a perfect example as to why Charlie was never equipped for his act of charity. It serves to underline the importance of systemic change as opposed to hobbyist philanthropy.
This is the first Robin Jenkins' book I've read, but it wont be the last.
August 27, 2013
This is a beautifully written book, but it's a pretty bleak and harrowing read. It's grimly fatalistic - some reviewers here have likened it to Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure', and it does share some of that novel's themes. Characters are trapped by class, background and poverty, and any attempt to break away from the path life has mapped out for them seems to be doomed to failure at best, or punishment by vengeful gods at worst.
The premise is simple and set up with little fuss - schoolteacher Charlie arranges to take one of his slum pupils, Tom, along to the family holiday cottage on the Clyde coast, for reasons which are complex but essentially well-meaning. But it's obvious from the start that this misguided attempt at charity has set up an impossible situation that can only end badly. The inevitability of a horrible ending contributes to an atmosphere of suffocating dread, which Robin Jenkins keeps stoked with small incidents which are unremarkable on the surface but deeply unsettling in the context.
Robin Jenkins writes with a beautiful economy of style, and a lot of the power of his writing comes from what is left unsaid. Tom barely says more than a few words in the entire book and we only learn directly what he's thinking once or twice, yet he's a vivid, fully-drawn character. We hear Charlie's words and thoughts constantly, yet as a character he's very difficult to pin down - his speech is usually some variety of obfuscatory, pompous bluster, and his inner thoughts swing wildly between self-congratulation and self-pity. Although well-meaning, he is a weak man, and ultimately it is his failure of imagination, compassion, and empathy that ensures a miserable ending for Tom.
This is a short book, but it's so densely packed that any attempt to discuss all the characters and themes would go on for pages. All the characters are brilliantly drawn, from Charlie's cynical teaching colleagues and his class- and covention-bound wife and mother-in-law, to Tom's mother and stepfather, grotesque characters who have been corrupted by poverty. I loved the book's honesty about poverty - there is no attempt to romanticise it - it is degrading, and the products of the slum, Tom included, are inevitably degraded. The middle-class characters are degraded too, in their attitudes and behaviour towards Tom. They expect gratitude and conformism to contextually inappropriate behavioural norms, and Tom's implacable refusal to meet these expectations is both dignified and admirable.
There is finally a small glimmer of hope in the character of Gillian, Charlie's daughter, who suceeds where the adults have failed in making the imaginative leap towards some sort of understanding with Tom. Although, at the back of my mind there is the horrible suspicion that Gillian's innocent reaching out to Tom actually makes his situation even worse, in a grim echo of her father's mistake. But surely it can't be that bleak?
The premise is simple and set up with little fuss - schoolteacher Charlie arranges to take one of his slum pupils, Tom, along to the family holiday cottage on the Clyde coast, for reasons which are complex but essentially well-meaning. But it's obvious from the start that this misguided attempt at charity has set up an impossible situation that can only end badly. The inevitability of a horrible ending contributes to an atmosphere of suffocating dread, which Robin Jenkins keeps stoked with small incidents which are unremarkable on the surface but deeply unsettling in the context.
Robin Jenkins writes with a beautiful economy of style, and a lot of the power of his writing comes from what is left unsaid. Tom barely says more than a few words in the entire book and we only learn directly what he's thinking once or twice, yet he's a vivid, fully-drawn character. We hear Charlie's words and thoughts constantly, yet as a character he's very difficult to pin down - his speech is usually some variety of obfuscatory, pompous bluster, and his inner thoughts swing wildly between self-congratulation and self-pity. Although well-meaning, he is a weak man, and ultimately it is his failure of imagination, compassion, and empathy that ensures a miserable ending for Tom.
This is a short book, but it's so densely packed that any attempt to discuss all the characters and themes would go on for pages. All the characters are brilliantly drawn, from Charlie's cynical teaching colleagues and his class- and covention-bound wife and mother-in-law, to Tom's mother and stepfather, grotesque characters who have been corrupted by poverty. I loved the book's honesty about poverty - there is no attempt to romanticise it - it is degrading, and the products of the slum, Tom included, are inevitably degraded. The middle-class characters are degraded too, in their attitudes and behaviour towards Tom. They expect gratitude and conformism to contextually inappropriate behavioural norms, and Tom's implacable refusal to meet these expectations is both dignified and admirable.
There is finally a small glimmer of hope in the character of Gillian, Charlie's daughter, who suceeds where the adults have failed in making the imaginative leap towards some sort of understanding with Tom. Although, at the back of my mind there is the horrible suspicion that Gillian's innocent reaching out to Tom actually makes his situation even worse, in a grim echo of her father's mistake. But surely it can't be that bleak?
November 10, 2012
This is an old-fashioned book, but that’s not a complaint. Written in the mid-1950’s, it describes a world almost as remote and alien to us now as the medieval period or the Regency. Superficially there are resemblances - suburban houses, family life, schools with teachers and pupils, ‘difficult’ estates - but below the surface lurk strangenesses which are difficult to comprehend from a distance of fifty-something years. The style is odd, too. Modern novels insist on rigid points of view, so that the author stays firmly within the perspective of a single character for a time, before a clearly marked shift to another. Here, the author jumps from head to head with abandon, now telling us the thoughts and feelings of one character, leaping to another for three sentences and then on to yet another. So, this is not the easiest book to read, in many ways.
The plot revolves around a pupil and teacher at an east Glasgow school. Charles Forbes, the idealistic teacher, decides to take his star pupil, Tom Curdie, a slum child, on holiday with his family of wife, two children and mother-in-law. It will, he thinks, show the boy the possibilities of a better life. How this generous plan gradually unravels forms the essence of the story, although for modern readers the vignette of post-war life is at least as interesting as the story itself.
The characters are mostly finely drawn, particularly Charles and Tom, and it’s a pity that the slum-dwellers, namely Tom’s own family and his friends, are not much more than caricatures, simply wheeled on for comic or shocking effect. Gillian, Charles’s daughter, has a difficult role, being initially a jealous and spiteful thorn in Tom’s side, and later a sympathetic and compassionate helper, and the transition isn’t entirely convincing. The two women of the family, Mary, Charles' wife, and her mother, struck me as the most realistic, being a nice mixture of common sense, self-interest and prejudice which I found wholly believable.
The setting, a peaceful holiday resort and the gentle pursuits of the family, which the author brilliantly evokes, form a stark contrast to the inevitable disaster which concludes the story. It's obvious almost from the start that things are not going to end well, but still when the final moment comes, it's surprising and shocking. It's also a bit of a contrivance, depending on a whole series of coincidental events, as well as Gillian's somewhat implausible change of heart. This is in the nature of fiction, of course, to call on unlikely events, but I can't help feeling that a great deal of grief could have been avoided if some of the central characters had simply sat down and talked honestly to each other at key moments, and this strikes me as a major flaw.
On the other hand, perhaps reticence was too much a part of their characters, or perhaps it was just part of the social fabric of the time that adults didn't talk openly to children, or to each other, sometimes. Perhaps the gulf between classes was too great to be bridged under even the most favourable circumstances. And of course, it’s perfectly possible that the half century of distance makes it impossible for me to truly empathise with the characters and their dilemmas. Still, I felt it was a weakness, so despite the overall quality of the writing, that keeps it to three stars for me.
The plot revolves around a pupil and teacher at an east Glasgow school. Charles Forbes, the idealistic teacher, decides to take his star pupil, Tom Curdie, a slum child, on holiday with his family of wife, two children and mother-in-law. It will, he thinks, show the boy the possibilities of a better life. How this generous plan gradually unravels forms the essence of the story, although for modern readers the vignette of post-war life is at least as interesting as the story itself.
The characters are mostly finely drawn, particularly Charles and Tom, and it’s a pity that the slum-dwellers, namely Tom’s own family and his friends, are not much more than caricatures, simply wheeled on for comic or shocking effect. Gillian, Charles’s daughter, has a difficult role, being initially a jealous and spiteful thorn in Tom’s side, and later a sympathetic and compassionate helper, and the transition isn’t entirely convincing. The two women of the family, Mary, Charles' wife, and her mother, struck me as the most realistic, being a nice mixture of common sense, self-interest and prejudice which I found wholly believable.
The setting, a peaceful holiday resort and the gentle pursuits of the family, which the author brilliantly evokes, form a stark contrast to the inevitable disaster which concludes the story. It's obvious almost from the start that things are not going to end well, but still when the final moment comes, it's surprising and shocking. It's also a bit of a contrivance, depending on a whole series of coincidental events, as well as Gillian's somewhat implausible change of heart. This is in the nature of fiction, of course, to call on unlikely events, but I can't help feeling that a great deal of grief could have been avoided if some of the central characters had simply sat down and talked honestly to each other at key moments, and this strikes me as a major flaw.
On the other hand, perhaps reticence was too much a part of their characters, or perhaps it was just part of the social fabric of the time that adults didn't talk openly to children, or to each other, sometimes. Perhaps the gulf between classes was too great to be bridged under even the most favourable circumstances. And of course, it’s perfectly possible that the half century of distance makes it impossible for me to truly empathise with the characters and their dilemmas. Still, I felt it was a weakness, so despite the overall quality of the writing, that keeps it to three stars for me.
July 12, 2020
Tom knew very well that the majority of children were far more fortunate than he, but he had never envied them. Envy, like pity, was not in his creed. What he hoped to do or to become was apart altogether from what others did or became. To have been envious would have been to become involved and so weakened. His success, if ever it came, must owe nothing to anyone.
This novel is a really fascinating look at empathy; whether it comes from a place of genuine care and interest or for underlying selfish reasons to illustrate one’s own goodness. Jenkins brilliantly captures this complex issue through his characters as we watch their perspectives continually shift, from black to white and rarely grey. Through their eyes, Tom Curdie moves from being an innocent trapped in terrible circumstances to a duplicitous, untrustworthy character set out to deceive and ultimately harm them. We see the characters veer from one extreme to the other, and we see them fail Tom over and over again. We also have to scrutinise the motives of characters like Mr Forbes, as we ascertain whether he is just that naive to think he can change a young working class boy’s life by giving him a glimpse of middle class experience or if he’s merely doing it to look like a good person.
It’s a really tragic story of how those in poverty are demonised or made into these figures of pity, who are so ignorant and merely need to be shown the good side of life (i.e nice clothes, pretty surroundings and food) to change their ways. Tom is rarely given the opportunity to speak, as he conceals his emotions not only from the other characters but from the reader as well, which forces the reader to read between the lines and form their own opinions.
While some aspects of the story were complex, others felt a little two dimensional to me, particularly in the portrayal of Tom’s family, who are only depicted as slurring, grotesque creatures with missing teeth, terrible skin conditions and foul smell. Not all of it felt honest to me, which marred my feelings towards this book a little but it’s still an excellent novel that encourages its reader to think and unravel things for themselves.
This novel is a really fascinating look at empathy; whether it comes from a place of genuine care and interest or for underlying selfish reasons to illustrate one’s own goodness. Jenkins brilliantly captures this complex issue through his characters as we watch their perspectives continually shift, from black to white and rarely grey. Through their eyes, Tom Curdie moves from being an innocent trapped in terrible circumstances to a duplicitous, untrustworthy character set out to deceive and ultimately harm them. We see the characters veer from one extreme to the other, and we see them fail Tom over and over again. We also have to scrutinise the motives of characters like Mr Forbes, as we ascertain whether he is just that naive to think he can change a young working class boy’s life by giving him a glimpse of middle class experience or if he’s merely doing it to look like a good person.
It’s a really tragic story of how those in poverty are demonised or made into these figures of pity, who are so ignorant and merely need to be shown the good side of life (i.e nice clothes, pretty surroundings and food) to change their ways. Tom is rarely given the opportunity to speak, as he conceals his emotions not only from the other characters but from the reader as well, which forces the reader to read between the lines and form their own opinions.
While some aspects of the story were complex, others felt a little two dimensional to me, particularly in the portrayal of Tom’s family, who are only depicted as slurring, grotesque creatures with missing teeth, terrible skin conditions and foul smell. Not all of it felt honest to me, which marred my feelings towards this book a little but it’s still an excellent novel that encourages its reader to think and unravel things for themselves.
August 31, 2019
I am feeling very conflicted about this book. I liked the themes of poverty and altruism and how they were explored quite realisticly. Especially the character of Charlie who says he wants to help a poor boy get a better life, but this only applies to the smart, relatively clean Tom, not his less bright friend Peerie. It was an interesting portrayal of the 50s in Scotland and I enjoyed recognising some of the places Jenkins describes.
However, reading this book felt like a chore. It took me 4 days to finish a 230-page novel although I had a lot of time to read. I'm not sure it was the writing style or the bleak situation, but I had a hard time getting into the book.
However, reading this book felt like a chore. It took me 4 days to finish a 230-page novel although I had a lot of time to read. I'm not sure it was the writing style or the bleak situation, but I had a hard time getting into the book.
August 17, 2025
A brilliantly written book. Some of the most evocative & beautiful descriptions I've read but, it is a bleak read. The end was literally shocking & the last 3 paragraphs will stay with me for a long time.
The insights into the lifestyles & hardship of a bygone era were fascinating. Especially as it would have been the time when my father was a child. It is astonishing what has changed (& what hasn't) in just 70 years. Have people learnt from this? Sadly the answer is probably no.
I would still recommend reading the book but with caution as many people will find triggers in the story, setting & writing. Just don't expect a neatly presented "happy ending". There are many unresolved threads at the end, all of which are dark.
The insights into the lifestyles & hardship of a bygone era were fascinating. Especially as it would have been the time when my father was a child. It is astonishing what has changed (& what hasn't) in just 70 years. Have people learnt from this? Sadly the answer is probably no.
I would still recommend reading the book but with caution as many people will find triggers in the story, setting & writing. Just don't expect a neatly presented "happy ending". There are many unresolved threads at the end, all of which are dark.
January 4, 2017
The Changeling Robin Jenkins
This is a first class novel, which merits wider recognition outside Scotland. Underneath the amiable, laconic style lies a vision of how aspiration and reality can differ widely, and of how character and events can intersect to bring tragedy despite the best of intentions. It is a very Scottish novel, not just in its portrayal of the contrasts of the slums and coastal beauty of Western Scotland, but in the bleak Calvinism of its perspective on life.
Stylistically one notes the pervasive authorial voice, often explaining characters' feelings. On balance this is quite a successful technique. Language is used with great economy, but this non-lyrical style makes it difficult to evoke the beauty of the West coast. On the other hand, the grimness of the Donaldson's Court slum is vividly evoked, with its memorable description of it as a place in which even the splendour of a tiger would be extinguished....
This is an extract from a review at http://monthlybookgroup.wordpress.com/. Our reviews are also to be found at http://monthlybookgroup.blogspot.com/
This is a first class novel, which merits wider recognition outside Scotland. Underneath the amiable, laconic style lies a vision of how aspiration and reality can differ widely, and of how character and events can intersect to bring tragedy despite the best of intentions. It is a very Scottish novel, not just in its portrayal of the contrasts of the slums and coastal beauty of Western Scotland, but in the bleak Calvinism of its perspective on life.
Stylistically one notes the pervasive authorial voice, often explaining characters' feelings. On balance this is quite a successful technique. Language is used with great economy, but this non-lyrical style makes it difficult to evoke the beauty of the West coast. On the other hand, the grimness of the Donaldson's Court slum is vividly evoked, with its memorable description of it as a place in which even the splendour of a tiger would be extinguished....
This is an extract from a review at http://monthlybookgroup.wordpress.com/. Our reviews are also to be found at http://monthlybookgroup.blogspot.com/
April 17, 2023
I don't think I've read a novel that has impacted me more than this one. I usually don't really recommend novels, but The Changeling is an exception as it has affected the way I think about kindness and my role in the lives of others both in a personal as well as a professional sense.
August 18, 2018
This book took me a while to get into. I don't think it was the fault of the book, but the state of my health at the time of starting it. I think that because it really is a good story.
The whole idea conjured up by the misguided teacher is, unfortunately, doomed from the very beginning.
That, however, should not put you off reading, as it's a brilliantly crafted and enthralling read.
I meanly, only gave it 4 stars because I prefer a more uplifting ending!
The whole idea conjured up by the misguided teacher is, unfortunately, doomed from the very beginning.
That, however, should not put you off reading, as it's a brilliantly crafted and enthralling read.
I meanly, only gave it 4 stars because I prefer a more uplifting ending!
October 23, 2024
Charlie Forbes is an English teacher married to Mary, with a daughter Gillian and son Alistair. To the scorn and dismay of his headmaster and colleagues he considers one of his pupils, Tom Curdie, to be highly intelligent and worthy of encouragement. For Tom’s home is in Donaldson’s Court, ‘one of the worst slums in Europe’ and his dress matches that environment. Tom’s mother, her bidey-in - the crippled Shoogle not Tom’s father – and Tom’s brother Alec and sister Molly all share a single room in the Court. That Tom is sensitive - shown by his essays and choice of song at a competition - is a testament to him.
Forbes conceives that taking Tom on their annual holiday with his family “doon the watter” to Argyll will be to Tom’s benefit. (This is set in the grand old days when such expeditions by Clyde steamer were all but mandatory for Glasgow folk.) Forbes’s wife begs to differ about the prospect, Alistair is not bothered either way, but Gillian is suspicious. Prior to the trip we are made privy to Tom’s instincts when he breaks into the school at night to steal some money he knows has been left in a teacher’s desk. Nevertheless, Jenkins engages our sympathy towards him by revealing the circumstances of his home life.
As they approach the holiday destination, Forbes thinks to tell Tom, “‘In no other country in the world, not even in fabled Greece, is there loveliness so various and so inspiring in so small a space,’” but an inner voice, echoing one of his teaching colleagues, says to him “it’s guff, a lot of guff.” On landing, observing the other passengers disembark, Forbes recalls a coast landlady had once told him Glasgow folk were ones to splash the siller, East coasters and the English were far cannier.
A curiosity here is that Jenkins mentions other Clyde ports of call such as Kilcreggan, Craigendoran, Tighnabruaich, Largs, Millport and Rothesay but calls the Forbes family’s destination Towellan and its neighbour Dunroth rather than the Innellan and Dunoon on which they are obviously modelled.
Key incidents involve an encounter with a myxomatosic rabbit, Gillian spying on Tom on a trip to Dunroth where she witnesses him stealing two items of little worth but buying a more valuable present for Mary, the arrival of Tom’s friends Chick and Peerie and later of his mother and her brood, Shoogle and all.
While Forbes oscillates between being understanding to Tom and feeling there is nothing to be done to help him there is an evolution of others’ attitudes as the book progresses. Gillian eventually warms to Tom while Tom himself, having seen the possibilities life could have held for him turns in on himself. To reveal any more would constitute a spoiler.
As always with Jenkins the writing is assured, the insights sharp and his compassion for his characters shines through.
Sensitivity note. The text describes a photographer as a Jew.
Forbes conceives that taking Tom on their annual holiday with his family “doon the watter” to Argyll will be to Tom’s benefit. (This is set in the grand old days when such expeditions by Clyde steamer were all but mandatory for Glasgow folk.) Forbes’s wife begs to differ about the prospect, Alistair is not bothered either way, but Gillian is suspicious. Prior to the trip we are made privy to Tom’s instincts when he breaks into the school at night to steal some money he knows has been left in a teacher’s desk. Nevertheless, Jenkins engages our sympathy towards him by revealing the circumstances of his home life.
As they approach the holiday destination, Forbes thinks to tell Tom, “‘In no other country in the world, not even in fabled Greece, is there loveliness so various and so inspiring in so small a space,’” but an inner voice, echoing one of his teaching colleagues, says to him “it’s guff, a lot of guff.” On landing, observing the other passengers disembark, Forbes recalls a coast landlady had once told him Glasgow folk were ones to splash the siller, East coasters and the English were far cannier.
A curiosity here is that Jenkins mentions other Clyde ports of call such as Kilcreggan, Craigendoran, Tighnabruaich, Largs, Millport and Rothesay but calls the Forbes family’s destination Towellan and its neighbour Dunroth rather than the Innellan and Dunoon on which they are obviously modelled.
Key incidents involve an encounter with a myxomatosic rabbit, Gillian spying on Tom on a trip to Dunroth where she witnesses him stealing two items of little worth but buying a more valuable present for Mary, the arrival of Tom’s friends Chick and Peerie and later of his mother and her brood, Shoogle and all.
While Forbes oscillates between being understanding to Tom and feeling there is nothing to be done to help him there is an evolution of others’ attitudes as the book progresses. Gillian eventually warms to Tom while Tom himself, having seen the possibilities life could have held for him turns in on himself. To reveal any more would constitute a spoiler.
As always with Jenkins the writing is assured, the insights sharp and his compassion for his characters shines through.
Sensitivity note. The text describes a photographer as a Jew.
May 17, 2023
The Changeling, by Scottish author Robin Jenkins (1912-2005) is an unsettling novel. I would dearly love to give a copy of it to every politician around the world who is turning a blind eye to poverty. Without a single sentimental word, Jenkins depicts the soul-destroying misery of childhood privation and dispenses with firm authority any fantasies of well-intentioned but useless help.
Charles Forbes is a middle-aged teacher in Glasgow. He's a well-meaning and kindly fool, mocked behind his back and protected at home by his tolerant wife Mary and his children Gillian and Alistair. And when he takes it into his head to Do a Good Deed for one of the slum children he teaches, he compares himself to the Good Samaritan.
His benevolent intentions are prompted by an essay by Tom Curdie. A bright child, whose academic ability transcends the appalling circumstances of his home life in the slums of Donaldson St, Tom has written a beautiful essay about the sea, and Mr Forbes is transfixed when Tom tells him that he has never seen the sea.
And from this scene the reader gets a first intimation of the complexity of this child character. When he says that he just made up his composition, and the disdainful class sneers at him like so many little Columbuses with the marvels and avarice of oceans in their eyes...he had lied. And he lied because he knew that they, and the teacher, were greedy for it. (p.2)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/05/17/t...
Charles Forbes is a middle-aged teacher in Glasgow. He's a well-meaning and kindly fool, mocked behind his back and protected at home by his tolerant wife Mary and his children Gillian and Alistair. And when he takes it into his head to Do a Good Deed for one of the slum children he teaches, he compares himself to the Good Samaritan.
Though no one would belittle the benevolence of the Good Samaritan, in one respect he was lucky: he was alone with his conscience and his neighbour in trouble.
There were, for instance, no business or professional colleagues to warn against the folly of interference, and no wife to cherish him for his altruism but also to shrewdly point out the likely repercussions. Those voices Charles Forbes had to heed on the occasion when he, too, decided not to pass by on the other side. (p.1)
His benevolent intentions are prompted by an essay by Tom Curdie. A bright child, whose academic ability transcends the appalling circumstances of his home life in the slums of Donaldson St, Tom has written a beautiful essay about the sea, and Mr Forbes is transfixed when Tom tells him that he has never seen the sea.
And from this scene the reader gets a first intimation of the complexity of this child character. When he says that he just made up his composition, and the disdainful class sneers at him like so many little Columbuses with the marvels and avarice of oceans in their eyes...he had lied. And he lied because he knew that they, and the teacher, were greedy for it. (p.2)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/05/17/t...
May 24, 2021
A beautifully observed tragedy.
So often in modern literature and media the tendency is to peddle the “meek will inherit the Earth” narrative. That people can rise above their humble beginnings and “become anything they want to be” - what twaddle. Perhaps such misguided fantasy is to provide hope in a world with so little hope, where reality is that those born with the silver spoon will do anything in their power to make sure that spoon isn’t taken away, and will do everything to turn it from silver to gold. Thus we live in unprecedented times where greed is regarded as good and the gulf between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider.
But this story takes us back some six decades to a time around my birth and introduces us to a school teacher who by his small actions clearly believes in social reform. Believes that there is good in those, who through no fault of their own, have had to grow up in the appalling conditions of the Glasgow slums. He wants to give one small boy a chance. It throws a light on the social classes of the 1950’s and how people of a certain class fail to understand, and thus prejudge without fully comprehending the drivers behind alien behaviours. Only the young daughter finally sees the light and perhaps this was written in hope that future generations might be more enlightened. Alas if the writer was alive today he might be so disillusioned. In reality little has changed and the prejudices against the poor remain.
The outcome of the story is more realistic that many a modern take would tell and this makes the book so especially appealing to me.
If only there was more equality in our world.
So often in modern literature and media the tendency is to peddle the “meek will inherit the Earth” narrative. That people can rise above their humble beginnings and “become anything they want to be” - what twaddle. Perhaps such misguided fantasy is to provide hope in a world with so little hope, where reality is that those born with the silver spoon will do anything in their power to make sure that spoon isn’t taken away, and will do everything to turn it from silver to gold. Thus we live in unprecedented times where greed is regarded as good and the gulf between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider.
But this story takes us back some six decades to a time around my birth and introduces us to a school teacher who by his small actions clearly believes in social reform. Believes that there is good in those, who through no fault of their own, have had to grow up in the appalling conditions of the Glasgow slums. He wants to give one small boy a chance. It throws a light on the social classes of the 1950’s and how people of a certain class fail to understand, and thus prejudge without fully comprehending the drivers behind alien behaviours. Only the young daughter finally sees the light and perhaps this was written in hope that future generations might be more enlightened. Alas if the writer was alive today he might be so disillusioned. In reality little has changed and the prejudices against the poor remain.
The outcome of the story is more realistic that many a modern take would tell and this makes the book so especially appealing to me.
If only there was more equality in our world.
November 23, 2021
From the Afterword: "There is no getting away from the fact that this is a bleak little book". And I could not agree more, yet - in all of its bleakness, it gave me moments of hope, and much to ponder.
The story is that of a very smart little boy whose lot in life is set due to his being born into the slums of Glasgow. One of his teachers - for several possible reasons - believes that bringing this child along to his much loved family holiday will do him a world of good.
The characters do not disappoint, and children carry the story. The 2 children of the teacher work their way through this encounter for which they had no say. The wife and mother-in-law are actually quite relatable, even though this book is from the 50's.
It isn't an easy read due to plenty of Scottish broque being included. It is after all, a book that takes place in Scotland, written by a Scottish author. Add to that the heavy themes, and it wasn't a book that yelled pick me up.
The story is that of a very smart little boy whose lot in life is set due to his being born into the slums of Glasgow. One of his teachers - for several possible reasons - believes that bringing this child along to his much loved family holiday will do him a world of good.
The characters do not disappoint, and children carry the story. The 2 children of the teacher work their way through this encounter for which they had no say. The wife and mother-in-law are actually quite relatable, even though this book is from the 50's.
It isn't an easy read due to plenty of Scottish broque being included. It is after all, a book that takes place in Scotland, written by a Scottish author. Add to that the heavy themes, and it wasn't a book that yelled pick me up.
January 29, 2024
Bought this book and was informed by my son that he had read this as prescribed text at school. Given the dross I had to read at school I was a bit disappointed. When asked if he enjoyed it, he replied ‘it was alright.’ High praise indeed.
This allegorical novel set in the West of Scotland in mid 1950’s surrounds an altruistic teacher who decides to take one of his pupils, an underprivileged and clever boy, Tom Curdie who lives in the slums of Glasgow on a family holiday ‘doon the watter’ to experience the joys of ‘normal’ family life.
Though Tom never causes any trouble and never complains there develops increasing suspicion and dislike towards Tom.
Throughout this simply told story there is a sense of foreboding reaching a climactic end which I didn’t see coming. Or did I?
Reminds me of Susan Hill’s writing style.
Thoroughly recommend it.
This allegorical novel set in the West of Scotland in mid 1950’s surrounds an altruistic teacher who decides to take one of his pupils, an underprivileged and clever boy, Tom Curdie who lives in the slums of Glasgow on a family holiday ‘doon the watter’ to experience the joys of ‘normal’ family life.
Though Tom never causes any trouble and never complains there develops increasing suspicion and dislike towards Tom.
Throughout this simply told story there is a sense of foreboding reaching a climactic end which I didn’t see coming. Or did I?
Reminds me of Susan Hill’s writing style.
Thoroughly recommend it.
August 8, 2021
I read Robin Jenkins' novel The Cone Gatherers a few years ago and thought it wonderful, it's taken a further 20 to get round to reading him again. The Changeling is equally good - a very dry and dark humour with a plot that gets progressively darker. The novel does not unwrap itself in the predicted way. The Changeling is, and is not, the Changeling of legend, and there are deep currents going on throughout the story. All the time the story is told with an acute eye both for pictorial detail (the Glasgow slums and the beauty of Argyll are wonderfully portrayed and the characterisation for each person is pencil-sharp).
Robin Jenkins deserves to be known south of the border a lot more than he is.
Robin Jenkins deserves to be known south of the border a lot more than he is.
February 6, 2024
Not for the faint hearted. The language is of its time, and may be a little inaccessible to some. The study of I’ll conceived “best intentions” and the internal justification for taking those actions (as well as the ramifications) are described in accomplished detail. None of the characters are particularly likeable other than Tom, imho, who is a pawn pushed into untenable positions by the selfishness of the other characters. That said, it is a good book, well written, and whilst I can’t say I enjoyed the ride or the destination, I’m glad to have been on the bus.
February 19, 2018
This was a very dark novel! I think it was way ahead of its time (Some dark stuff for a 1950's family holiday). Jenkins explores family relationships through contrasting the seemingly delightful Forbes' life with the Curdies mere existence. And we discover what teenage angst really is. To be something impossible and to be the very thing you despise; adolescence in a nutshell.
October 1, 2024
This book was written in the year I was born. I will reflect on this next time I feel that our society is superior to those where there are sharp divisions between the classes in which the more fortunate believe that the poor are undeserving. The Forbes's descent from benefactor to someone contemplating throwing a stone at a hapless child to get rid of him is subtly depicted.
January 9, 2020
Read this over a couple of days. As one other reviewer said, it is quite a bleak book. I found it fascinating from the point of view of the questions that it actually raised regarding social class divisions and beliefs that they can/can’t be overcome.
December 10, 2021
A step back in time both in terms of the setting and writing style. It makes for uncomfortable reading as all the characters have flaws which make you dislike them, but that’s kind of the point.
Worth a read if you want to get out of your comfort zone.
Worth a read if you want to get out of your comfort zone.
September 13, 2022
Fantastic book, always a twist and turn, simply amazing descriptions of some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. Tom Curdie was an unbelievable character who I never really made my mind up on. Read this book.
August 3, 2017
An insightful novel, full of a clear eyed vision of human foibles and frailty.
Probably the bleakest thing I've ever read.
July 8, 2018
Well written and evocative. Heartrending story. Extremely three dimensional characters.
May 31, 2019
This was an enjoyable read. The ending w a little abrupt but I understand why. It will definitely keep you thinking looking after you read it.
August 17, 2019
Brilliant.
April 9, 2020
4.5 stars.
Found the writing unnecessarily convoluted at times but nonetheless it was such an enjoyable and heartbreaking read! Puir wee Tom Curdie
Found the writing unnecessarily convoluted at times but nonetheless it was such an enjoyable and heartbreaking read! Puir wee Tom Curdie
December 15, 2020
Fantastic language. Makes you love English.
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