Hemispheres

As anyone who has read Mallaig Road will know, Robert Dewar is a master storyteller. He describes his books as novels but one can't help but notice the parallels with his own life. In truth the autobiographical elements make his writing even more poignant and evocative. Alexander Maclean is troubled in his own mind. He has doubts about his sexuality; questions his faith; can't find a place for himself in the world, and battles the demon drink. I love the beautiful descriptive evocation of place and time: South Africa, London, Malta, Taiwan and ultimately the Scottish Highlands, a place Alexander could finally call home. This is a work of unique perception, written with passion and courage

Captivating This is sequel to Mallaig Road by the same author. The earlier book told of an idyllic childhood - this is about the main character's search for his identity and his place in the world. The book details his journey from South Africa, to London and finally the Scottish Highlands visiting many places in between. The descriptions of the journey are excellent. Particularly moving is the account of Alexander's struggle with and eventual victory over alcoholism. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Mallaig Road although it is also a very good stand alone novel.

Beautifully written story. I enjoyed reading about a Brit brought up in South Africa, as that is my story, too. The author has a good vocabulary and a pleasant turn of phrase. I am now reading the sequel, Hemispheres, which I also recommend (available on Amazon - paperback and ebook). This sequel deals with the adult life struggles of Alexander - the boy we met in Mallaig Road.

A Novel with Great Depth Hemispheres is a most readable and interesting novel from a writer who is relatively new to the fiction market. It tells the life story of a character, Alexander Maclean, who moves around a lot. It is about his struggle with alcoholism, but also his struggle to establish his identity and to find a centre of gravity in his life, to maintain relationships, to find his identity and his calling. The unfolding saga takes us to a diverse set of locations, as far apart as Malta, London, the Highlands of Scotland, South Africa, France and Taiwan. The various locations are described with a great eye for detail. The evocative descriptive terms betray a writer who has a command of the English language as well as a detailed knowledge of places. The precision and insight into local customs helps keep our interest. The novel is a worthy sequel to The Mallaig Road and continues the family saga of the Macleans. Hemispheres could however be read and enjoyed on its own. Robert Dewar has created a fictional character with a great deal of depth and complexity, and the psychological interest is in the unfolding of this. The battle with alcohol is portrayed with sympathy and depth. Alexander's spiritual journey is a further aspect that adds a layer of complexity. Some aspects of the narrative are understated, and if anything the novel gains from this. Any sexual encounters, for example, are treated this way. The secondary characters in the novel are portrayed in a convincing way. Alexander's brother Roy and their parents are not explored with anything like the depth afforded to the main protagonist, but there is enough of a convincing and sympathetic portrayal of the sort of people we might expect to encounter in real life. It is a novel I would happily read for a second time.