Robin Hardy (2) (1929–2016)

I don't know many people to whom I would recommend this book. It's a mystery. It's a story of religious conflict. It's a story of ancient rites enacted in a not-yet-modern place. It's the story of a stranger in a strange land. It's a passion play.

If you like "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, you might like this much longer exploration of the theme of a community united in the process of selecting and making a sacrifice.

If you like Katherine Kurtz's "Lammas Night" you might like this darker exploration of the themes.

Personally, as someone who has been both a devout Christian and a devout Pagan, I enjoyed the mutual incomprehension of Sgt. Howie and the islanders.

The writing is good, although not extraordinary. I've seen other reviews complaining that the characters don't have depth, but I don't think they need it. They are archetypes, just as much as the Hobbyhorse and Punch, who appear in the final pages. We know just as much as we need to about everyone in the story. To add details would have detracted from the mythic quality.

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I first saw the movie 30 years ago and, until recently, I had no idea that the novel even existed. Then I felt compelled to read it.

It took me less than 48 hours to whip through this book; much of it contained dialogue and scenes translated directly from screenplay to page. The book contains scenes that were edited from the movie (the original VHS version of the movie included them, but I have not yet watched a DVD which contains those scenes)as well as additional material.

This novel is such a faithful adaptation of the film that any fan of the movie should enjoy reading the book.

I'm a little conflicted about The Wicker Man. As a traditional Celtic pagan, I am dismayed by the proliferation of the human sacrifice myth (as well as a horrific scene of animal sacrifice, that was one literary addition that I really could have lived without). One would think that maintaining a voluntarily separatist community devoted solely to their worship would be enough appeasement for the old goddesses and gods! That is the Summerisle that I would love to live on, certainly.… (more)