And the Land lay Still
James Robertson
1 Many of the characters are vividly portrayed. Irvine Welsh says, “ Don has two sons, the sweet-mannered CND
activist and teacher Billy, and Charlie, a wayward gangster-soldier from bad-boy central casting, who is probably the
novel's least convincing character. “ Do you agree? Who do you feel are the most convincing and who the least?
2 In the first section, Jean Barbour says
"A story is a whole mass of details that come together and form a narrative. Without that coming together
they're just a lot of wee pieces. So what happens if you take a story and break it into its wee pieces? When
you put it back together again, will it turn out the same way?"
James Robertson said in an interview that this conversation was an important part of the book. Why ?
3 The novel is cleverly structured – a series of different narratives but bound together. How is this achieved?
4 There are several emotional scenes. Which scenes do you find most moving?
5 A criticism by Bella Bathurst in the Observer is
“Robertson treats the loss of coal, steel and shipping mainly as dissonant noises off, not as central parts of his
narrative. He shows us what became – or what didn't become – of towns and villages like the fictional Drumkirk and
Borlanslogie but chooses to tell his tale mainly through the politics, not the jobs. Sometimes, it's a frustrating choice. “
Do you think this is a valid criticism?
6 The narrative is told through images – photographic images , narratives and some vividly beautiful prose descriptions
. Which examples do you find particularly moving?
7 The Pebbles
What do you think Jack is trying to say with the pebbles? Is there a connection with the title ?
8” Wandering Jack flits in and out of the story over the years like a ghost, representing the spectre of nationalism,
which even when scarcely visible remains a haunting presence.” Irvine Welsh
Do you agree with this or do you think he maybe represents something else ?
9 The descriptions of Jack’s wonderings are all told in the 2 nd person –“you.” Why do you think this is and what effect
does it have?
10.” A panoramic, illuminating and compassionate portrait of a turbulent and confused era, the book represents
nothing less than a landmark for the novel in Scotland, and underlines the author's position as one of Britain's best
contemporary novelists.” Irvine Welsh.
“Ironically, And The Land Lay Still backs up the notion Scotland is small, with every character, whether
they know it or not, connected to each other. Most of the cast end up in one room at the novel’s conclusion,
toasting the launch of Angus’s exhibition. Scotland isn’t small nor are Robertson’s talents. But this book, big
as it is, doesn’t show either at their best.” Colin Waters
What do you think?