Mac

by Cecil Aldin

This the first reprint by Past Times, Oxford, England. Written colloquially in "Scottish" about a West Highland Terrier and his friends and antics.Cecil Aldin was born in Slough, Berkshire, in 1870. His father was a builder, notably of houses in Kensington, where Cecil attended National Art Training School. He afterwards worked under the well-known illustrators John Leech and Randolph Caldecott. He was perhaps the most versatile of a talented group of early nineteenth-century sporting artists that included Alfred Munnings and "Snaffles"; he was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1898. His illustrations for magazines and books, some of which he wrote himself, are full of charm and humour. A Dog Day, and Mac, are book that have made Aldin a household name on both sides of the Atlantic. He died in 1936.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Cecil Aldin was a British artist and illustrator, best known for his work of animals.

Reviews

[Georgetowner · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's written in Scots! What Englishman does that?! Even celebrated Scottish National Bard, Robert Burns, admitted he found it difficult, though he did do it well. Now, I used to live in Scotland, so I am no stranger to Scots, but the entire story seemed contrived around using quaint Scots words and expressions gratuitously. Cecil Aldin did not write in Scots well! It was the most tedious book I have read in a long time and I would not have finished it had it not been for the redeeming brevity of the book. The illustrations are completely wonderful, which is clearly the real talent of the author!

[Karen Hollenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, the book was written over 100 years ago. I imagine the phraseology was much different then. Second of all, the text was meant to be over the top. And lastly, it is a wonderful, entertaining book with drawings of an adorable Westie during the first decade of their recognition as a breed. Criticizing the text because (in someone else’s opinion) the colloquialisms seem inauthentic is really missing the point. It’s a humorous poke at Westies and Scottish-English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿