I had watched the movie first and had wondered what a ‘gallowglass’ meant. The two parts of the word gallow and glass have so very different meaning. It was only when I was reading ‘Macbeth’ did I get the actual meaning. I went through the book soon after. Gallowglass is a type of Irish foot soldier, rather a servant of an Irish chieftain. In this case it’s Joe and also Paul.
The Story
Joe Herbert is a young drifter who after getting released from a mental institution, runs into Sandor Wincanton. Joe was killing himself when Sandor comes in. Sandor is educated, handsome and mysterious and asks for Joe’s help for a kidnapping. The victim is former model Nina Apsoland, the ’’princess’’ whom Sandor helped kidnap five years ago when she was married to an Italian prince, but whom Sandor freed after he fell in love with her. Nina has a penchant for marrying older wealthy men. However this time she is protected well. Her current husband is an expert in security and has hired Paul Garnet as a combination driver cum bodyguard. Paul is a failure at almost everything and is trying hard to be a good father to his 7 year old daughter. Thus the story proceeds to a shocking end.
The Different ‘Loves’
Gallowglass deals with a variety of love. Whether it’s the love between a man and a woman, the love between a man and his daughter, the love between a mother and her son, the love between two men and last the obsessive love between a man and his ideal woman. The ones that will touch you among these is Joe’s fascination with Sandor which is unreciprocated. Joe tries everything without even Landor noticing it. The obsessive love that Sandor has for his ideal of a woman Nina, which shatters him and the fatherly love of Paul towards his daughter. Among all these you will find that the parental love is what which endures.
Psyche of the Characters
Its amazing how Ruth Rendall goes inside the head and mind of her characters. It just gives you such a unique experience. The criminal obsessive mind of Sandor and his weakness. The character of Sandor’s mother Diana and Paul. They are extremely life like. In comparison, there is the naïve character of Joe who blindly follows Sandor even when he sometimes realizes that whatever he is doing is wrong.
The Ending
I really wanted to write about the ending but then if there are people who have not read the book, it will be a damper so I abstain.
The Mystery Element
There is a similarity in the way Joe and Sandor meets and the way they separate. All through the book you will wonder about the real character of Sandor. Most of the characters suffer from a powerful conflict. Nina’s kidnapping is set in a most intelligent way but it comes to nothing. This proves to be a test of Paul’s loyalty to her and her husband and also his own daughter.
The shocking ending makes a full circle of the novel.
The greatest part of Gallowglass I guess is the gradual erosion of Sandor’s mind and his transformation. How he suffers and the outcome of his obsession.