Homeward Journey

Canongate Classics #13

by John MacNair Reid

A young man, haunted by the death of his mother, tries to break free with a night on the town, and falls immediately in love with the first girl he meets. The novel, set between the two World Wars, charts the love affair and courtship of two people, David and Jessie, worlds apart in culture, upbringing, aspirations, attitudes and temperament. It was based from the start upon concealment and deception, laced with an innocence which left them unprotected.

Genres: Scotland

179 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

John MacNair Reid wa a Scottish journalist, author and poet. He worked at The Glasgow Herald and was Convener of the Saltire Society Publications Committee.

Reviews

[Veromika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book in my local thrift store few years back. I wanted to begin the year with a short classics and grabbed the first slim book on my bookshelf.

This underrated story of a couple's courting in the early 19th century Glasgow speaks about grief, familial duty, fleeting nature of love, and how morality can become a weapon to manipulate and destroy relationships.

My love for classics lies in its beautiful duality. When the story might falter the writing holds the ship afloat. Though the story is mundane, meandering, and melancholy, the writing is sharp, harsh, and decisive. I was often swept away by the imagery used by the author. He plays the role of a bystander brilliantly and gives us the naked account of David and Jessie's feelings without worrying about their reputation as protagonists.

If you're looking for a well written short literary novel, go for it. I've to warn you though that the tone is bleak and can feed into your cynical soul.

[Spencer Fancutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delivers a very precise analysis of the desires and fears in the mind of the main character as he tries to overcome his Calvinist upbringing in a night on the town, only to discover that it is more powerful than his love affair can bear. Great as a character study, crammed with passages that demand to be reread as he paints feelings with astonishing accuracy. Plot-driven it is not, but it is always rewarding to read a writer so in command of his prose.