The House with the Green Shutters is a dark, provocative novel, shining a harsh and unforgiving light into the inner recesses of small-town Scotland at the turn of the last century. Written as a response to social change, and as an antidote to the sentimentality of the 'Kailyard' school, the author called it "a brutal and bloody work" - although a thread of sly humour runs through the book as well. Iain Crichton Smith's Scotnote explores this post-romantic masterpiece through a precise analysis of themes, characters, structure and language, and is ideal for senior school pupils and students.