Nothing Left to Fear from Hell: Darkland Tales
Warner is known for his literary and comic novels, all in modern settings. His contribution to Polygon’s Darkland Tales series is a sardonic account of the escape of Charles Edward Stuart (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) after his army’s defeat at Culloden. Although we know that this madcap flight across the Highlands and islands will, strange to say, have a successful outcome, the poetry of the descriptions and the believability of the dialogue amply grip the reader’s attention. The story follows the Prince and a few loyal followers, eventually including the famous Flora Macdonald, as they seek shelter in ruined houses, struggle to keep out of sight, to dodge the Highland midges, and to get enough food (luckily they always seem to have plenty of brandy and whisky). Although Warner pulls no punches in depicting how the inhabitants suffered sadly from the Government army that ‘pacified’ the Highlands, he also draws maximum humour from the situation.
The prince is self-deprecating but vain, courageous but vague – forgetting to share his limited food supplies. He cheerfully agrees to dress up as a maid, transgressing both gender and class barriers, yet attempts to hide two pistols under his skirt. The conversations are perfectly true to the period, and the characters are all generously realised. At times the language seems a little stilted, but that just lends to the authenticity, because many of these people would not have had English as their first language. Coupled with strong characterisations are descriptions –
of ruins, boats, tobacco pipes – which are both precise and expressed with elegance and economy.
There is an illuminating afterword, in which Warner suggests that perhaps all fiction is essentially historical. It is all a great pleasure. My only reservation is the title, which would seem more appropriate for fantasy or horror than such a work of biographical fiction.
