The House with the Green Shutters
The House with the Green Shutters
A proud merchant, a doomed family and a Scottish village consumed by envy: a masterpiece of dark realism.
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About the Ebook
The brutish John Gourlay is a merchant in the village of Barbie, envied and resented by the villagers because of his success, which is symbolised in his prestigious house with green shutters. He dominates and bullies his family, in particular his gifted, sensitive but weak son. Ultimately, his refusal to acknowledge the arrival of the railway and to adapt to the increasing industrialisation of Ayrshire precipitates murder, suicide and his family's tragic downfall.Why You'll Love This Ebook
- A landmark of Scottish literature, edited and introduced by Dorothy McMillan
- Compared on publication to Balzac and Stevenson
- A brutal, unflinching portrait of pride, failure and community cruelty in rural Ayrshire
- Read another celebrated title from Polygon - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd
About the Author
George Douglas Brown was born in 1869 in Ayrshire. The illegitimate son of a local farmer, he was raised by his mother. He gained a bursary to the University of Glasgow and later a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford. After his mother's death, Brown moved to London and began a career in journalism. He contributed to a variety of journals and, in the autumn of 1900, began writing The House With the Green Shutters, which was favourably received and compared to Balzac and Stevenson. Aged only 33, he died of pneumonia in 1902.Publication Details
Publisher: Polygon (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)
Publication Date: 19 March 2015
Print Length: 320 pages (Ebook edition)
ISBN (Ebook): 9780857902689
Format: Ebook
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