Synopsis
Greenvoe, the tight-knit community on the Orcadian island of Hellya, has existed unchanged for generations. However, a sinister military/industrial project, Operation Black Star, requires the island for unspecified purposes and threatens the islanders' way of life. In this, his first novel (1972), George MacKay Brown recreates a week in the life of the island community as they come to terms with the destructiveness of Operation Black Star. A whole host of characters - The Skarf, failed fishermen and Marxist historian; Ivan Westray, boatman and dallier; pious creeler Samuel Whaness; drunken fishermen Bert Kerston; earth-mother Alice Voar, and meths-drinker Timmy Folster - are vividly brought to life in this sparkling mixture of prose and poetry. In the end Operation Black Star fails, but not before it has ruined the island. But the book ends on a note of hope as the islanders return to celebrate the ritual rebirth of Hellya.
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About the Author
George Mackay Brown is one of the major Scottish literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific poet and novelist, he took much of his inspiration from the myths and landscape of Orkney, and also from his deep Catholic faith. His collection of short stories A Time to Keep (1971) won the Katherine Mansfield Mentor short story prize and his novel Beside the Ocean of Time was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994. He died in 1996.
Review
"a poetic, distinguished and totally delightful Orcadian story... full of humour and sensitivity and of the unsentimental poetry of raw experience' - Sunday Times"
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The Devil rides outside
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Condition: Good. Light wear to boards. Content is clean with light age tone. Tatty DJ with some edge wear, tears, toning and creasing. Seller Inventory # 9999-99994675156
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Greenvoe: A novel
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hardcover. Condition: Fine. Seller Inventory # mon0003905930
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Greenvoe
Seller: Cotswold Internet Books, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
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Marred by 2 shallow vertical dents on top half of front board, imprinted also on first 2 pages; else a clean copy; purple boards with gilt lettering on spine; dust jacket price clipped. Used - Good. Good hardback in Good dust jacket. Seller Inventory # BOOKS268009I
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Greenvoe
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. (Ref. X6) With DJ which frayed at the edges and marked at the back somewhat and internal has some aged marks; purple cloth boards are clean and fore edges and throughout. Seller Inventory # ABE-1659455679273
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Greenvoe
Published by
Hogarth Press, 1972
ISBN 10: 0701203692
ISBN 13: 9780701203696
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Seller: J.C. Bell, Lunenburg, NS, Canada
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Cloth. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good -. Probable First Edition. lavender boards, 279 pp; minor soiling along top edge; evidence on dampstaining, but this shows primarily on the inside of the dj, dj is also price-clipped, shows some soiling, as well as a scrape along area of spine. [97]. Seller Inventory # 5-764
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Greenvoe
Published by
Hogarth Press, 1972
ISBN 10: 0701203692
ISBN 13: 9780701203696
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Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: J.C. Bell, Lunenburg, NS, Canada
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
Cloth. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good -. Probable First Edition. lavender boards, 279 pp; minor soiling along top edge; evidence on dampstaining, but this shows primarily on the inside of the dj, dj is also price-clipped, shows some soiling/dampstaining on front panel, as well as a scrape along area of spine. [97]. Seller Inventory # 190-12
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Greenvoe, A Novel
Published by
The Hogarth Press, London, 1972
ISBN 10: 0701203692
ISBN 13: 9780701203696
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First Edition
Seller: The Print Room, Cockernhoe nr Luton, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Jacket by Ian MacInnes (illustrator). 1st Edition. First edition, first impression. Some edge wear and rubbing to top and bottom of jacket and spine, corners slightly rubbed and bruised, some slight dust staining to back jacket, price clipped, no inscriptions, internally clean tight and square, overall a vg+ copy for its age, in bright unfaded jacket. 179pp. The small Orcadian community of Greevoe has remained unchanged for generations. Now a shady government project, Operation Black Star, threatens to destroy the islander's way of life. George Mackay Brown's first novel describes a week in the life of the islanders as the come to terms with the repercussions of Operation Black Star in a masterful mix of prose and poetry from one of Scotland's greatest writers. George Mackay Brown (1921-96), was rooted in the timeless landscape of the Orkneys, the inspiration for all his writing. A scarce book. Seller Inventory # 011210
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Greenvoe (1st edition hardback in very good dust jacket)
Published by
The Hogarth Press, 1972
ISBN 10: 0701203692
ISBN 13: 9780701203696
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Seller: The Spoken Word, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Published by The Hogarth Press in 1972, here is the first hardback printing of George Mackay Brown's GREENVOE. Maroon cloth binding, gilt lettering, 279 pages, the book is in very good condition. The price-clipped dust jacket is also in very good condition with some very minor rubbing to the edges of the jacket. Seller Inventory # 11883
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Greenvoe
Published by
The Hogarth Press Ltd, 1972
ISBN 10: 0701203692
ISBN 13: 9780701203696
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Seller: MacKellar Art & Books, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 1972 Hogarth Press hardback 1st edition 1st impression. Very good+ clean tight binding in very good+ unclipped dustjacket. Jacket design by Ian MacInnes. Seller Inventory # ABE-1652267127390
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