Abstract
Kevin MacNeil addresses the complex notion of home, by examining the way in which the Scottish islands are presented in literature, when they are presented at all. In a chapter which, in its conclusion, reminds its readers that ‘place is character’, he contrasts insiders’ and outsiders’ perspectives on islands and island lives, and shows that although both approaches are valuable, the former has a responsibility not just to the island itself, especially in case of isolated and overlooked communities, but to something larger which he sees as disconnected from the burden of representing one’s community. The dual perspective offered by the insider-outsider dialectics is related to issues of cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. MacNeil examines crime fiction by ‘outsiders’ set on Scottish islands, wondering about its relevance to the actuality of island life and islanders’ identity. This examination brings him to offer a careful, thoughtful investigation of the intersections of narrative and meaning, what he calls its ‘real life impact’, and of the pitfalls of false cognition and cultural reinforcement. MacNeil values fiction ultimately for its capacity to reveal truth, a truth that goes beyond the accuracy of representation of place.
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