Weir of Hermiston
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| Author | Robert Louis Stevenson |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Publication date | 1896 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
Weir of Hermiston (1896) is an unfinished novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is perhaps one of the world's great unfinished novels, thanks not only to the fact that a reasonable portion has survived but also because many have considered it Stevenson's masterpiece. It was cut short by Stevenson's sudden death from a cerebral hemorrhage while dictating a chapter of the novel. Many critics believe that the novel depicts Stevenson progressing to new heights of creativity as an author. The novel is set in Edinburgh and the Lothians at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
[edit] Plot summary
The novel tells the story of Archie Weir, a youth born into an upper-class Edinburgh family. Because of his Romantic sensibilities, Archie is estranged from his father, who is depicted as the coarse and cruel judge of a criminal court. By mutual consent, Archie is banished from his family of origin and sent to live as the local laird on a family property in the vicinity of Hermiston (now on Edinburgh's outskirts, and occupied by Heriot-Watt University, but then out in the countryside).
While serving as the laird, Archie meets and falls in love with Kirstie (Christina). As the two are deepening their relationship, the book breaks off. Confusingly, there are two characters in the novel called Christina.
In the unwritten portion of the novel, young Weir would have defended his love for Kirstie by murdering another man, her tormentor. Weir would have been taken to Edinburgh, tried for murder before his father's court, and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, he would have been rescued by Kirstie's family. Archie's father was supposed to die of shock after his condemnation of his son. In the modern legal system, it is extremely unlikely that a father would get to try his son like this.
[edit] Trivia
The 1969 Jack Bruce song Weird of Hermiston gets its name from the book.
