The Key Above the Door

by Maurice Walsh

"If, lured by the opening prospect of ben and corrie, you venture wheel on the old military road that run tortuously from the highlands of the Dee to the great rift of Glen Mhor, you will ultimately come, under the favor of Providence, into a very welter of hills - brown and gently rolling - at the top-end of the Province of Moray, and discover the Loch Ruighi shining in its hollow." (from the Foreword)

Genres: Scotland, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1926

About the author

Maurice Walsh was an Irish novelist best known for the short story The Quiet Man which was later made into an Oscar-winning movie directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Walsh was born in 1879 in Ballydonoghue near Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland. He was one of Ireland's best-selling authors in the 1930s.

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is absolute tosh, but enjoyable. If you like your men strong and your women in need of rescue from a blackguard, look no further. The best thing about Walsh's books is his lyrical descriptions of the Scottish highlands - the country is really the central character in this book at least.

I seem to remember that I read his books back in my teens, but I had absolutely no recollection of the plot of any of them. I suspect that could be because not very much actually happens.

[Ronda Echeverria · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read in 1954. Very impressed with Scottish geography and storyline as a 14 year old. girl
Carried this book for years but think I have at 80 years now think of it as a nostalic memory
but still love it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story with very real characters.

The Key above the Door was written during his first year in Dublin; at first unsuccessfully entered in a novel competition then published serially in Chambers’ Journal (Dec. 1925-May 1926), and in book-form in July that year; the novel concerns the competition between Tom King, gentleman farmer, and Edward Leng, a home-counties man of great wealth who has rented property in Scotland, for the heart of Agnes de Burc, a beauteous young lady and somewhat Celtic heroine; the novel enacts the struggle of the Celtic and Saxon, and celebrated the virtues of the more morally-developed Celtic type; written out of nostalgia for Scotland, sold 150,000 copies [var. 250k]; an unsolicited letter of praise from J. M. Barrie was used by Chambers in his subsequent publications.

Free download available at Faded Page.

3* The Spanish Lady
3* Danger under the moon
3* The Hill is Mine
4* The Key above the Door
TR And No Quarter

[Gilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favourite romantic oldie, beautifully and concisely written with wry characters and lovely descriptions of the Scottish landscape.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wandering tale of Scotch and Irish characters, their moody landscape, and run ins with a predatory man who conveniently happens to be a foreigner, or of foreign roots, or vaguely Hun in his "romantic" marauding ways. So basically, a romance for men with some great fight scenes, some way of finding women mysterious, and lots, lots, and lots, and by that I mean lots, of hilarious Irish philosophy. The dialog alone is worth the read.
A short, enjoyable book for those who enjoy hearing about heather and poaching and fist fights and smoking a pipe as the sun goes down. Surely and surely, that would be including myself.

[Azziba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually am reading the Spanish lady but couldn't find it.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful language.