Gallowglass

by Barbara Vine

When Sandor snatched little Joe from the path of a London Tube train, he was quick to make clear the terms of the rescue. 'I saved your life,' he told the homeless youngster, 'so your life belongs to me now'. Sandor began to tell him a fairy-tale: an ageing prince, a kidnapped princess chained by one ankle, a missed rendezvous. But what did this mysterious story have to do with Sandor's preparations? Joe had only understood his own role: he was a gallowglass, the servant of a Chief...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Suspense, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Pseudonym of Ruth Rendell.

Rendell created a third strand of writing with the publication of A Dark Adapted Eye under her pseudonym Barbara Vine in 1986. Books such as King Solomon's Carpet, A Fatal Inversion and Anna's Book (original UK title Asta's Book) inhabit the same territory as her psychological crime novels while they further develop themes of family misunderstandings and the side effects of secrets kept and crimes done. Rendell is famous for her elegant prose and sharp insights into the human mind, as well as her ability to create cogent plots and characters. Rendell has also injected the social changes of the last 40 years into her work, bringing awareness to such issues as domestic violence and the change in the status of women.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss Rendell so much and this book is a reason why.

Damn, She takes a bunch of unlikable people and makes a compelling dark story. Stephen King eat your bloody heart out (and I know he is because he likes Rendell).

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great twist at the end. Sandor is obsessed with Nina aka The Princess. Nina was kidnapped in Italy five years before when married to her first husband. She is now up to number three.

Sandor saved Joe a mentally ill man from suicide on the underground. Joe becomes his gallyglass which is a servant for life for someone whose life you save. Unluckily Sandor is obsessed and insane to the point of madness with Nina.

The two men along with Joe’s sister Tilly plan to kidnap Nina. She lives in an estate with her husband, two Italian servants and Paul her chauffeur and his seven year old daughter.

The story is intense in places, Nina falls for Paul and the kidnap takes place. Everything does not go to plan with a great twist at the end. Highly entertaining if a bit slow in places.

[Sue Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing pathetic characters as always with Rendell/Barbara Vine. At the end an interesing twist on the kidnap ransom formula.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first contact with this novel was in 1993, when it was adapted as a three-part TV serial (what we'd now call a miniseries) by the BBC. The adaptation made such an impact upon me that I realized it'd be impossible to read the book properly with the TV version still in mind.

Y'know, nearly a quarter-century later that was still just about true. There are five principal characters to the tale, of whom three are pivotal to the primary plot. Of those three, I was incapable of seeing Nina as anything other than the very lovely Australian actress Arkie Whiteley, who played Nina in the TV serial. I'm still not sure whether this was because the casting of Whiteley in the role was a masterstroke -- that she just was Nina -- or if I've been reading Whiteley's portrayal onto the written character. (Whiteley died in 2001, aged just 37, of adrenal cancer. Had she lived longer I'm sure she'd have become a household name.)

But, perhaps more curious, as I was reading, the face of the televised version of Joe swam up out of the page, and I suddenly recognized him: it was Michael Sheen, by then well established as a stage actor but making his screen debut in Gallowglass -- which is why, of course, I hadn't recognized him at the time.

I still recalled much of the main plot from all those years ago, although until the relevant characters appeared -- Nina's chauffeur Paul and Joe's adoptive sister Tilly -- I'd forgotten much of the secondary plotting. And I'd completely forgotten the ending, which came as as much of a shock in 2016 as it had in 1993.

The plot in brief: Orphan Joe is just about to jump under a Tube train when smooth-talking Sandor saves him. Sandor says this makes Joe his gallowglass -- the man the clan chieftain would have by his side to be his bodyguard and taste his food for poisons. Years ago, Sandor was involved in the kidnapping for ransom of the trophy wife of an Italian prince, and convinced himself that the Princess -- Nina -- fell in love with him. Now the Princess is living in the south of England with her third husband, and Sandor plans to kidnap her all over again; he "knows" she'll want to go along with the abduction, because really it'll be the reunion of two people passionately in love with each other.

Matters are complicated by the fact that Nina has in reality fallen in love with her chauffeur, Paul, and he with her. Paul is an integral part of Sandor's plot, because Sandor -- not knowing of the bond between Paul and Nina -- believes the man can be bribed to betray her into the kidnappers' hands. When that fails, the kidnappers snatch Paul's small daughter Jessica to use as a bargaining tool . . .

Obviously, this can't end well, and yet for some of the characters -- perhaps not the ones you'd expect -- things don't turn out too badly.

As will be obvious, my reading of the novel was mightily colored by my memories of the TV adaptation; bear this in mind when I say that I found Gallowglass absolutely hypnotic. Although so much of the unfolding tale was familiar to me, Rendell/Vine succeeded in pulling me completely into her world, so that at the end of each reading session I found myself having to make an effort to remind myself which world was the real one. And each time I returned to the book it was like stepping back into somewhere I knew.

I've read by no means all of the Rendell/Vine novels, but I'd rank this pretty highly among the ones that I have. Definitely recommended.

[Amanda Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) writes beautifully. Her characters in Gallowglass are disturbing, well-described and difficult to empathise with (though I'd imagine this is intentional and adds to the tension). At times the atmosphere is palpably uncmfortable. This is a story about obsession in varying guises and I enjoyed it, though occasionally found my attention drifting a little.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't really want to waste any more time on this novel by reviewing it but I'm doing it so others know what to expect (as the blurb is gravely misleading). This is the first time I read Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine and I simply cannot believe this is a book written by an established novelist who by the time of publication had been writing for just short of 30 years. The fact that it's clumsy is one of the best things to say about it.

This is a sickeningly superficial story full of badly written, one-dimensional characters that lack any sign of emotional depth. Below, I present a (non-exhaustive) list of what I found infuriating about it:

- "Little" Joe, who is 27, is infantilised throughout by Sandor, two years older, who "rescues" him from his depression and from jumping in front of a train. Yes, that's right: as soon as Sandor turns up, Joe's depression is gone...just like that. Tilly, foster sister and a close confidante of Joe's throughout his childhood (so, someone you'd think would understand his struggle) greets him with: "You haven't got depression anymore, have you?" Sandor's face did it. And when Sandor kills himself out of unrequited love what stops Joe's depression from returning is a TV he was given. No word on how the TV achieved this feat. It should also be mentioned that Sandor's treatment of Joe is anything other than loving. He admits later that he was only using him as a tool to get back with his "princess". No word on why he violently cuts Joe with a razor, twice.

- Sandor's face can launch a thousand ships and cure depression but what about women's faces? Well, it won't do of course for a woman to not be beautiful. Tilly is described as having been so fat as a child that someone thought she had Down Syndrome (I'm not making this up, this is in the book!). She was "huge" at 14 stone. A few years later, says Joe, "she lost weight, but not enough. She wasn't ugly anymore though". Puh, lucky her! Not that it makes a difference because she had a boyfriend anyway: "Any girl can get a man...when she's young. Any girl". She then loses a bit more weight and is now "normal". Well, now even her brother can't stop staring at her or equalling her to Carmen or Medusa. Tilly, at least, is never held captive. Take note, ladies, "Beauty isn't skin-deep, it's fear-deep. Being frightened makes you ugly"

- Nina, former kidnap victim, is so afraid of male violence that she doesn't leave the house and marries a man she doesn't love only because he is big on personal security. She is always referred to as the 'princess', no word on why. She isn't one. Sandor, her kidnapper, had fallen in love with her because when he raped his victim she managed to convey 'the imitation of enjoyment'. Rape of a kidnap victim is trivialised several times, especially when Nina says that it was really fine because he was young and looked nice. Although she does admit that "to be free, I'd have gone to bed with the Elephant Man".

- So Vine/Rendell ticks off rape, murder, kidnap, child abuse...what's missing? Oh yes, incest! So Joe and Tilly end up in a "full sexual relationship". At least that's what Tilly says because Joe doesn't actually care about sex. He's asexual but obsessed with the idea of Sandor (who appears to be homophobic).People fall in love insanely quickly in this novel and I would if it were this easy. Love in 'Gallowglass' brings with it very few consequences or difficulties. Parents treat their children more as hotel guests. The absence of love and care in Joe's childhood means that he doesn't understand emotions, he "gets the wrong end of the stick"; he's immature and his mental age is far below 27. If his status as a narrator had been thought through, this could have made for an interesting viewpoint and Joe might have been genuine and believable. None of that nonsense here! Just monotony, contradiction and phrases that will throw you into a rage.

I'll leave you with this passage which appears in the context of child abduction and how to look after the kidnapped girl: "You think a woman [would be] gentler, kinder, softer, more squeamish, than us. They aren't. It's men that have put that sort of thing about to make up for being the bosses. You don't feel so guilty if you can persuade yourself your slaves are morally better than you"

Thankfully, book over.

[Theresa Moos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Buch wie ein Butterbrot: solide .

[David]

I found the resolution of this one a little dissatisfying. The reader doesn't get enough closure with respect to the characters of Paul and Jessie. In the opposite direction there's almost too much closer, if such a thing as possible, with the other part of the storyline. Kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome, profoundly disturbed childhoods, the privileges of the rich, and the emotionally damaged mind are all major parts of the narrative. In the end, we are where we were at the beginning as far as narrator goes, but that narrator being one of the more challenged individuals leaves us just a little uncertain about the unfolding of the last stages of the plot.

[Joanne van der Vlies]

"His books distracted him for a while. They were like the aspirins you take when you've got a headache. They kill the pain for two hours and then it comes back."

I have no idea what to think about this. It was very lengthy at times but the ending made up for that, though I cannot decide whether or not I like the ending. Nicely dramatic though🤷🏼‍♀️

[Clarice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before launching into my review of Gallowglass, I would like to make a few preliminary remarks. As Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine) is one of my all-time favourite authors, I actually regret leaving a negative review for Gallowglass.

If you check out my book shelf, you will always find, amongst the read copies, an unread Rendell / Vine, ready to be consumed when I am in the mood for another dose of her very special brand of suspense. I can safely say that Rendell's fiction and her style of writing have made a long-lasting impression on me. I am by no means saying that all of her titles are ground-breaking works of fiction. Nevertheless, as far as entertainment is concerned, I have thus far never come across a major let-down.

Unfortunately, apart from delivering an unexpected twist at the end of the plot, a let-down is what Gallowglass was, at least in my opinion. As a consequence it took me twelve months to finish this book. I stopped reading two thirds into the novel last November. Around the same time I discovered the BBC mini-series, which I (BIG MISTAKE!) finished watching before completing the book. (For all those interested: The BBC TV adaptation closely follows the book and I would not hesitate recommending it to all those wishing to avoid reading the book.)

There are several problems with Gallowglass and whilst I cannot really put my finger on it, here are the two main reasons why I only moderately enjoyed this book:

The perspective / tone of voice:

I cannot think of any examples of Rendell / Vine books, in which the author has chosen to tell the story from a character's perspective. Gallowglass, however, is in parts (around half of the chapters) told from the perspective of Little Joe, one of the story's main protagonists. The remainder of the book is narrated from the perspective of a third person narrator.

In the chapters told from Little Joe's point of view Vine / Rendell naturally adapts her style and language to suit the character's linguistic abilities. Given Little Joe's background, these abilities are limited, which is reflected in his tone of voice, the conclusions he draws and the observations he makes.

If you, like me, appreciate Rendell's succinct, elegant and detached mode of storytelling and prose, please be advised that you will not get this for very long stretches of this novel. Whilst reading, I could literally feel that I was trying to read through Little Joe's account of the story quickly, in order to get to the next chapter and be reunited with the third person narrator.

Contrived plot / inconsistencies:

In Gallowglass Rendell / Vine keeps the plot moving at a steady pace, whilst managing to provide accounts of historic events, the characters' backgrounds and motivations. Nevertheless, I felt that the novel was full of incongruities. Why, for example, security magnate Apsoland would employ an ex-teacher (Garnet) without a professional background in security to provide chauffeur services and ensure the personal protection of his wife Nina, aka the Princess, eludes me.

This point of criticism comes to bear later in the novel as well. Yet, for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, let's just say that Apsoland's employee selection and screening processes seem to lack depth. Given Apsoland's profession and stated obsession with security, this was one of the many preposterous elements of the plot and an inconsistency that continued to jar with me until the end, for it is both unbelievable and completely unrealistic, but was also a necessary element to achieve a coherent, albeit contrived, story and the all-important surprise twist at the end.

Sadly, for these reasons I simply did not enjoy the book as much as I would have liked. Gallowglass, however, does not reflect the quality of Rendell's / Vine's other titles and luckily for me, there are many more Rendell / Vine novels to discover. Even though Gallowglass did not convince me, having just started (actually almost finished) The Bridesmaid, Rendell will certainly not lose me as a constant reader.

My entire book review is available here: https://readaroundtheclock.blogspot.c...

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story kept me turning pages, Gallowglass (imho) is not up among the best of Barbara Vine's work.

What I like about this author's writing in general is that she is able to get to the heart of some really severe dysfunctions in people that explain why they tick and why they do what they do. Another trait of a quintessential Barbara Vine novel is that she has this way of making you know inwardly from the outset that you're about to watch a train wreck happen and there's absolutely nothing you can do to pull yourself away from the event. You're so sucked in by the first few pages that you can't put the book down.

The basic story with no spoilers:
Joe Herbert finds himself released from a mental hospital before he's ready to go after suffering some pretty heavy depression. He goes home (well, to the only home he knows -- that of his foster parents, who've really done a number on his mental state) but they won't keep him. He's about to throw himself into the path of an oncoming train and is rescued by Sandor Wincanton, who tells Joe that since he saved his life, Joe now belongs to Sandor. He is his "gallowglass," a kind of bodyguard or servant to do the wishes of his chief. Sandor has an obsession (I won't say what it is) and Joe quickly becomes part of it.

It's a dark novel, more a look at people's psyches rather than focusing on a crime. Quite well done, and it's a book you'll be thinking about for some time after you've finished it.

True blue mystery fans may or may not like it; it's more of a psychological suspense type story rather than any kind of actual mystery. However, I would recommend it -- but beware -- there are a lot of sickos in here.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ooog. Thank goodness no one was holding a gun to my head and making me read this with anything like the attention I'd give to the label on a packet of crisps. Having just listened to (and throughly enjoyed) a Barbara Vine, I dove into this one eagerly. Mistake. It’s the same old psychological obsessive stuff. The problem with OCD is that it’s basically repetitive and borning—and it’s difficult to make repetitive and boring into unique and interesting (though Nabakov can do it).

[Pat Raab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite intriguing, with great character descriptions and many complications. Sandor is an enigma, Tilly something else, little Joe - simple but not stupid. Sadly (in my opinion), no real closure as far as Paul and Jessica are concerned.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite 'Rendell as Vine' books-creepy, mysterious, and a pageturner.

[Netti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine der besten Schilderungen einer depressiven Persönlichkeitsstörung, die ich bisher gelesen habe! Zutiefst tragisch, daher für manchen sicher schwer erträglich.

[Beth McLoughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell is superior to 99% of thriller writers. The denouement always delivers, the characters are weird but convincing, and the nasty details so original.

[Nola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more like somewhere between a 2 and a 3. I found the beggining of the book to be very engaging but it slowed down a lot the further in I read.

I didn't like how preoccupied Paul got with Nina once they actually got together. His daughter is only 7 and he completely forgets about her which made me really not like him.

The end has a hundred and one twists - I thought I'd figured some of it out - I thought Sandor intended to kill Nina and I thought maybe the Italian waiter was that Gianni and Sandor was in on it with him again - maybe they were even gay but I got both wrong.

I thought Nina being killed in the end was pretty full on. Why did they kill her? Maybe she was so fed up with the whole kidnapping business that she wouldn't go along with any of it but she didn't manage to get away like she did with Sandor.

I didn't even think the home help would be Italian. Seems like it could have been a trigger for Nina to hear Italian accents all the time. I thought they were Hispanic/Latino - my silly reasoning behind this is I think because the man was called Colombo and I my mind went to Colombia. In retrospect I wonder if the Italian waiter was working with the couple and let them know Sandor was around. No doubt Sandor let all sorts slip when he was busy showing off his ability to speak Italian.

I wasn't surprised Sandor killed himself. I was surprised Joe started sleeping with his sister (not blood related, I know.) I didn't think Tilly would be interested in him at all. I think it's an arrangement of convenience and that Tilly is now going to use Joe. I think Joe is going to have a pretty shitty rest of his life.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes, what a creepy story. Little Joe has had a rough go of it in life. Taken into foster care with care-takers that provided the necessities but no love, no kindness; Joe is emotionally stunted and clinically depressed. One day a the edge of the subway platform with the intent to jump, he is 'rescued' by Sandor who claims that Joe's life now belongs to him. For anyone else this would be absolutely absurd, but Joe worships Sandor and wants nothing more except to be close to him and serve him. His submissiveness is rooted in his sad background, the only highlight for him in his previous life being the genuinely close relationship he had with his foster sister Tilly. Joe's infatuation with Sandor is completely chaste and non-sexual, yet he still craves affection from him.
Sandor is a piece of work, well read, and to Joe's naive eyes very sophisticated, with a vicious mean streak. Sandor wants to involve Joe in his bizarre plans, and Joe is only too happy to be Sandor's Gallowglass. To say that things get complicated, would be an understatement.
Again, Rendall writing as Vine, delves into the darkest corners of the human mind. Obsessiveness, strange motives and a perverse idea of love are the fuel of the Rendall omniverse.

[Ritja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gibt es Entspannungskrimis?

Bei diesem Buch hatte ich das Gefühl einen solchen Krimi zu lesen. Entgegen dem Titel handelt es sich hier um einen Krimi und nicht um eine reine Liebesgeschichte. Obwohl. Die Liebe kommt hier nicht zu kurz, nur hat sie eine andere Form als erwartet.

Barbara Vine (dahinter verbirgt sich die Krimiautorin Ruth Rendell) hat einen Krimi geschrieben, der etwas aus der Reihe tanzt. Keine blutigen Szenen, kein Lärm und keine Actionszenen locken den Leser. Es gibt auch keine gestressten Kommissare oder Special Teams.

Barbara Vine strickt eine Geschichte, die sich sehr langsam entfaltet (für mich war der Anfang dadurch etwas mühselig). Man ahnt, was passieren wird und ist erstaunt, das Klein-Joe es ewig nicht begreift, was Sandor plant. Immer mehr Puzzelteile werden aufgedeckt und dadurch erfährt der Leser, die eigentlichen Absichten von Sandor und wie Klein-Joe als Spielball von ihm missbraucht wird. Dieser ist jedoch Sandor mehr oder wenig hörig und folgt ihm blind. Das Ende ist anders als erwartet. Barbara Vine hat kurz vor dem Schluss noch eine kleine Überraschung eingebaut, die ich gelungen fand.

Wenn man das Buch liest, muss man sich stets vor Augen halten, dass die Autorin diese Geschichte 1990 geschrieben hatte. Vieles lief noch langsamer und ruhiger ab, das Beschaffen von Informationen hat gedauert und auch die Verfolgung von Menschen war nicht so einfach wie heute.

Insgesamt ein gelungener Krimi, der eher hinter die Kulissen schaut und aus der Sicht der Täter beschrieben wird.

[Negin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Vine had the chance to write the hottest, sexiest, coolest gay couple ever, yet she refused to.
I hated it when Tilly and Sandor had sex.
I fucking hated that Tilly and Joe ended up together. Like grooooooossss.
And Joe and Sandor didn't even hug. Not even at the end.
Fuuuuuuuuuck. I'm fucking wounded right now. Please send help.
Should I give Barbara vine another chance with "no night is too long" or that's gonna hurt just the same?
I really liked the writing style, though.
And the first half of the book was as good as heaven for me, but I almost hated the second half.
OK, I'm gonna say it out loud, let it sound misogynistic, I HATED TILLY. I mean, she was clever and cool, but she made Joe and Sandor get apart, and she was way too horny.
Gosh, I'm hurt, I'm hurt, I'm huuuuuuurt.

[Jendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A desperately lonely, simple-minded young man becomes in thrall to an ex-con who's planning to kidnap a wealthy woman. A great psychological study of obsession leading to tragedy. Interesting how sexuality is an afterthought for most of the characters; the pleasure-pain of devotion to an unworthy or mostly projected beloved is its own reward. I'm not sure the twist in the last two pages about Gianni was strictly necessary or earned. The 1980s-90s were really the peak of Rendell/Vine's powers IMHO. Skip her misogynist Wexford novels and read these stand-alones if you want a close dissection of dysfunctional human brains!

[Trevor Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers.

The narrative is split between the first and third persons.

The first person is a man with little education and experience of the world and whilst Vine mostly conveys this in her writing, she occasionally uses a word or phrase which doesn't ring true.

Vine is good at creating an atmosphere of unease.

As usual, she is very good at leaving a lot of the work to the reader not just in the solving of the mystery, but in characters' make-up. For example, we know that Sandor is not at ease with his homosexuality.

Another great read from Barbara Vine.

[Chris Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement on House of Stairs, with a trio of enjoyable last minute twists, but there's still some issues with this - bits of it are underwritten, the narrator manages to pass himself off as both naive and yet able to be quite articulate in his narration and the unresolved issue of the chauffeur just nags away at you a bit

[Avril · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy lent to me by the church’s 90 year old organist after we discovered a mutual passion for Barbara Vine’s gothic thrillers. As he had told me, this is almost impossible to put down, despite most of the characters being such horrible or sad people. The book is brilliantly constructed and written and absolutely spine-shuddering.

[Aria Alamalhodaei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly very creepy. My first Vine book, picked up totally randomly from a free book depot. I found it a bit slow at times, and the entire thing will make you want to have a shower by the end, but well done for a quick read.

[June Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest I watched the three part special before I even knew it was a book, so when I realized I had to read it. I love both versions so much I can't compare them, Gallowglass is right now is probably my most recommended book, and I plan on rereading it soon.

[Katharine Klevinskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually like her books a lot. Among other things, she has a marvelous way of blending (juxtaposing) foreshadowing and plot twists. Plus there's always psyche stuff.
I never get bored.

[Laura Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read Barbara Vine, you know you’re NOT in it for a happy ending. This was a re-read of a story whose melancholy has always stayed with me.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of her best ones.

[Pete Linfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compulsive, tense and enjoyable thriller. The eventual outcome suprised me. First time that I have read Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell and it likely that I will read more of her work.