“A reference point for future studies”: Review
We are delighted for Michael Newton, whose Seanchaidh na Coille / Memory Keeper of the Forest has received more glowing praise, this time from The Bottle Imp, a publication of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. (ASLS named Seanchaidh one of the best Scottish books of 2015. Click here to see that post.)
In this comprehensive review, Dr. Silke Stroh, a post-doctoral researcher in postcolonial studies at the University of Muenster, calls Seanchaidh na Coille “wide-ranging, well-structured … not only an editorial achievement, but also an admirable feat in translation.”
Newton “does a very good job in explaining complex matters in a jargon-free, succinct manner, this book is a great, accessible resource, even for general readers and those who are new to Gaelic Studies. At the same time, the volume is also of interest to more specialised readers, making a wealth of hitherto often hard-to-access primary materials available in a concentrated, convenient format. […] Newton’s commentary provides many thought-provoking observations that also make this book an important intervention in contemporary criticism, linking Gaelic studies to wider trends in international literary and cultural theory.”
“These materials are not only important for the study of the Gaelic diaspora, but also for the wider corpus of Canadian literature and the history of Canadian multiculturalism. [T]his book is set to become a standard reference point for any future studies on the subject.”
Seanchaidh na Coille was shortlisted for a 2015 Atlantic Book Award. Michael Newton is the author of The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic.