The Small Dark Man

by Maurice Walsh

Hugh Forbes, the small dark man, is a swash-buckling black-haired Irishman who descends on the Scottish Highlands in this tale of adventure and romance. Here he encounters Frances Mary, and comes into violent conflict with the arrogant Vivian Stark.

Genres: Fiction

205 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1929

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

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine book if ever there was one, barring the Good Book if ye must, of course. Me only complaint, if there be complainin' to do, rests with something a bit of a pet peeve of mine. It's when two characters just need to have a conversation, you see, but being unwilling, they add a hundred pages or so to their fine, if whimsical, narrative. This is certainly a fine thing when done among the natural descriptions of heather and glen. It even stands to reason when we visit inside characters' heads. So I suppose it's an allowable thing insofar as the rest of the book makes up for it. But it is, after all, a pet peeve of mine.

[Tyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the story's really simple... but somehow I like it. Maybe because of the characters.

[Rachel Glass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came in a gift subscription to Bookishly where I got a vintage paperback and packet of coffee every month (fantastic idea). It's rather an odd one. As there are few reviews I shall briefly describe it.

The story opens with Hugh, an eccentric young Irishman described about 500 times as being 'small' (I'm not sure why this makes any difference) bumping into a young couple as they're about to cross a cairn in Scotland and receiving instructions on the best route from the local post office owner. Hugh then chats to him and also sets off towards the cairn, as he is headed that way to visit his good friend Charles at his home. Hugh runs across the young couple later, who aren't really a couple (or are they?) but Charles's sister Frances Mary and their cousin Vivian Stark. Eventually they get to their destination and what I can only describe as a love pentagon ensues, involving all four of the already-mentioned characters and Allison (I'm not sure why she's there as I don't think Walsh ever explains).

My main question was: why did Frances Mary need instructions on how to walk 16 miles to her home, where she has clearly lived most of her life? A few other things that troubled me follow. For example, if Hugh and Charles are such great friends (described more than once as 'David and Jonathan'), why can't Hugh just tell Charles the truth about his feelings for Allison? Why on earth is Hugh so fixated on red-headed women (seems extremely odd and unlikely to me)? What happens to poor old bruised Vivian in the end? And additionally, why do some of the characters speak in such an odd way, as if in a hidden code? I'm fairly well acquainted with pre-1960s literature but I couldn't get my head around it.

Despite some repetitive descriptions (Hugh is 'small', Frances Mary is 'tall' and 'tow-haired', Vivian is 'tall and blond'), I did generally enjoy Walsh's style. His descriptions and representations of Frances Mary and Allison were somewhat patronising at times but not too bad on the whole. It's not a particularly taxing book, and isn't really trying to get across any 'big ideas' I don't think, but it does provide some lightly romantic entertainment (though I'm not sure I would go so far as to call it a 'romance' novel).

[Omiai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I inherited it from my grandmother, amoung many other books. It didn't take long, at only 304 pages with rather big words, I moved through it at quite a speed.

It was a strange one, because at the start every single important character is described in great detail (and yet for some reason i found it didn't really help me visualise the characters). It was a little cumbersome, but I kept with it.

By the end, I felt like I had read a very long short story, and something that could easily have been kept shorter and more interesting. Another issue I had was that I felt the ending was really very obvious. However, I'm not entirely sure that is the fault of the book itself, and more from the fact that I'm used to reading more complex books with several storylines running at once, whereas this is pretty much a one-storyline book.

It centres around the meeting of Hugh Forbes and Frances Mary. Hugh has come to scotland from ireland to find himself a beautiful redheaded girl. In doing so, he runs into Frances Mary, who is in love with a man called charles (but is known as Vivian). Hugh and Vivian don't get along and hugh ends up breaking vivian's collar bone. Hugh later meets a friend of Frances Mary's, a lovely redhead called Allison. He believes he will fall for her, as she is a redhead, but soon finds he is falling for Frances Mary.

This is a nice romance tale, nothing too heavy or hardgoing, and I'd say just the kind of book you can imagine reading sitting back in a rocking chair. Although it's not my normal type of book, I did enjoy it quite a bit (despite my complaining!). If you are a fan of Walsh's writing, obviously this is one to read. If not, I wouldn't expect anything too exciting.

[Linda Amos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hugh Forbes travels to Scotland to see his friend, Taleath Grant. They have been through thick and thin together and their friendship ensures. On the way he meets Taleath's sister and their cousin, Vivian. Vivian takes an instant dislike to Hugh and when they are stranded at night on the hills things come to a head. The hills and glens are beautifully portrayed as are the animals and games in which Hugh takes part.
Yes, it's an old-fashioned romance and great fun but it's also about people growing up. Some of the names and Scottish words will be challenge if you aren't familiar with them which only adds to the fun.
I read the 1943 edition which has 304 pages but I suppose there aren't many other changes.

[Thomas A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine, pleasant tale it is, too.

If you’ve ever known an Irishman, you can hear the brogue as you read, and that of the Scot, too. It is not a page-turning action story, but it has plenty of suspense, intrigue, action of its own kind and deep relationships that regardless of how positive or negative the nature of them, are held with great respect for each person.
This is a book you will not only be glad you read, but will be better for having done so. And a fine, pleasant tale it is, too.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escaping to the Highlands from his native Ireland, Hugh Forbes spends time with his friend Charles Grant in order to hunt, fish and hopefully meet a red haired maid to own his heart. However, he doesn't take into account Charles' sister, Frances Mary.

A mild romance, in which nothing much happens, but Walsh brings a joie de vivre to the novel which is very reminiscent of 'The Quiet Man', John Ford's film of one Walsh's short stories.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this a great many years ago, as my mother had a collection of Maurice Walsh's books. I enjoyed it, probably as much because I was revisiting it after such a long time. Walsh describes the Highlands of Scotland beautifully and in many ways the landscape is the most important character in the book.

Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author writes great stories with vivid backdrops. Head to the Scottish Highlands and meet Hugh Forbes, a black-haired Irishman who is a swash buckler. Hugh meets Frances Mary, and discovers life and love but he also finds himself in a battle with Vivian Stark.

[Miles Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real romance

How women were wooed in days of yore. It could be worse. It could be Tinder or Grindr….or not…please..
Ya

[Nicholas Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really a simple matchmaking love story at heart but Maurice Walsh's scottish setting is so beautifully rendered it becomes nearly as breathtaking as the real thing (Scottish Highlands). Some gorgeous writing raises this man meets woman, falls in love, tale to another level.. Misunderstandings and flirtatious circlings and adventures ensue with the mountains and valleys of Scotland as the background. A popular and prolific author of his time Walsh on this evidence is well worth more perusal.

[Chris Culleton]

I read this Book in January 2016 but still think about it now because even though it was written in 1929 certain things it spoke about such as Post Offices haven't changed much.