Whisky Galore

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To me the book is mainly about two weddings and the osbtacles that two very different men have to overcome to achieve their ambitions of marrying island girls. The worldly, middle-aged English Sergeant-Major Alfred Odd is dead set on marrying Peggy Macroon whose father seems strangely pessimistic about the match and wonders what the rush is, whilst the rather timid school teacher George Campbell has his sights set on housekeeper Catriona Macleod in direct opposition to his own mother (described as an "old Tartar" by the Sergeant-Major). How much was taken by the sea, and how much fell prey to the impromptu salvage operations mounted by the locals of Eriskay, Barra, North and South Uist, and Lewis? You probably know that it has parallels with a real event in 1941 when the SS Politician suffered a similar fate off the island of Eriskay. However, the book (unlike the 1949 film) only has the latter part of its content dedicated to the islanders making off with their alcoholic spoils; the grounding of the ship doesn't happen until half way through the book and the actual search is contained in one chapter. a b "On this day 80 years ago: the SS Politician sinks unleashing 'Whisky Galore' ". The Scotsman . Retrieved 21 December 2022.

In 2009 Whisky Galore! was adapted for the stage as a musical; under the direction of Ken Alexander, it was performed at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. [88] In June 2016 a remake of the film was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival; Eddie Izzard played Waggett and Gregor Fisher took the role of Macroon. [89] The critic Guy Lodge, writing for Variety, thought it an "innocuous, unmemorable remake" and that there was "little reason for it to exist". [90] In contrast, Kate Muir, writing in The Times thought "the gentle, subversive wit of the 1949 version has been left intact". [91] See also [ edit ] Indeed the presence of whisky serves in two different ways to remove the relationship problems of two couples. A timid man is too scared to bring his fiancée home to meet his formidable mother, and an English officer cannot persuade his fiancée’s father to allow her to marry. Whisky solves both these problems, but in different ways. (It would be spoiling the book to say how.)Alcohol may make people more belligerent, but you can be sure that this extra boost will only make them better. They will not engage in fighting or violence. It will merely make them more likely to stand up to other people. I am in two minds about this book, for I am sure that had I read it in print or on kindle, I would have given it 3 stars only, but the awesome narration by David Rintoul, whom I just cannot praise highly enough!!, rendered it much more enjoyable. His style and Scottish accents delighted my Scotland-loving ears and soul and I could have gone on listening for an ever longer period.

Aldgate, Anthony; Richards, Jeffrey (1999). Best of British: Cinema and Society from 1930 to Present. London: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-86064-288-3. Religious conflicts play a small part here. One island is Protestant and the other Catholic. A Catholic matriarch is disapproving of Protestants, and almost everything else. The islanders take their religion seriously enough to reluctantly put off stealing the whisky on the Sabbath, but not to the tune of temperance. McFarlane, Brian (22 September 2005). "Ealing Studios (act. 1907–1959)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (onlineed.). Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/93789. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) Strictly speaking, this English stance on freedom has as little to do with genuine freedom as libertarianism has to do with true liberty. In both cases there is a certain insularity and bigotry that merely opposes the outsider who seeks to interfere in their lives, however well-meant. Another book that’s as much about the journey as it is the destination. Whiskies Galore sees Ian Buxton explore Island distilleries, taking in Islay, Skye and the Orkneys. What’s great about this book, is that it isn’t just facts and tasting notes, it’s full of asides and opinion. As the author travels up the west coast, we hear his thoughts on everything from Arran to Talisker, but not just on the whisky – the people, the visitor centres and even a distillery’s standing in the industry all get assessed by Buxton. This is an entertaining read on one of the lesser written about regions of whisky.On the whole though, Whisky Galore is considerably less anti-authority than the film version. The attempts by the government to prevent misbehaviour on the island are somewhat half-hearted, and the locals need to resort to fewer high jinks to prevent the officials seizing their ill-gotten gains.