The House of Elrig

Gavin Maxwell is best known as the author of "Ring of Bright Water," a memoir of his experiences raising an otter. It was turned into a delightful movie that starred Bill Travers of "Born Free" fame.

"The House of Elrig" is another Maxwell memoir, this one about his boyhood in Scotland. In the small village of Elrig, his parents built a large, castle-like house where he spent his happiest years of childhood.

Maxwell's father died in World War I soon after his birth. He had three elder siblings. His mother, a member of the Scottish aristocracy, had a number of odd brothers and sisters who feature prominently in this book.

Despite the book's title, very little of this story actually takes place at Elrig. All too soon the shy boy was sent away to boarding school, one after another. He made few friends and couldn't find much happiness at any of the schools. He had grown up playing only with his brothers and sister, and he had trouble relating to other boys, although his passion for wild animals did lead to a few brief friendships. He always longed to return to Elrig. Ironically, it was a nearly fatal illness in his mid-teens that allowed his escape from school and his eventual return to the home he loved.

This is a strange memoir, often interesting and occasionally quite funny. Other portions are rather dull. Mostly Maxwell seems to ramble from one story to the next, with little effort made to put it all together. ( )