Closing the circle: Neil Gunn's creation of a 'meta-novel' of the Highlands

[摘要] Whilst researching his bibliography of Neil M Gunn, the writer foundphotocopies of papers said to have been in Gunn's desk at the time of his death,amongst which were copies of both sides of a handwritten sheet' torn from a looseleafnotebook. This document, produced in response to perceived criticism by EricLinklater, offers a unique insight into Gunn's view of his literary achievement atthe end of his novel-writing career. In it Gunn sets out the theoretical concept ofall his twenty novels being components of a single, composite, 'Novel of theHighlands', an abstract concept referred to in this thesis as a'meta-novel'.The thesis examines the literary viability of this meta-novel; it follows atripartite form: chapter one, which records inter alia Highland problems, formingthe introduction, chapters two to four inclusive forming the central developmentalsection before culminating in chapter five, the conclusion. The developmentalsection offers a critique of the problems outlined in the introduction via a series of'epicyclic journeys' which approach the problems from the perspectives ofchildhood, history and culture, each contributing to the achievement of a positiveconclusion. By considering the interplay between each chapter heading and thecontent of the individual novels allocated to it, the implied plot structure of theoverall work can be established.Gunn habitually re-used and adapted his material over time. The evolution ofthis material in the individual novels is discussed. The meta-novel representsanother, and final, re-use of material and, through the exercise outlined above, it ishence possible to speculate on which elements of the individual novels Gunndeemed to be important in retrospect, as it is these that develop the meta-novel'splot. Thus, crucially, the examination prompted by the existence of this primarydocument enables a re-evaluation of Gunn's individual novels, which this thesisalso undertakes.

[发布机构] University:University of Glasgow;Department:School of Critical Studies

[关键词] PR English literature