An Unkindness of Ravens is the first novel by Lucas Scott. The book was a major success and garnered Lucas widespread recognition as an accomplished author. The first person Lucas presented a copy of his book to was classmate Glenda Farrell, followed shortly thereafter by Peyton Sawyer and the rest of his friends. His mother, Karen Roe, had a copy of the book bound as a graduation present for him.
Noticed by Julian Baker, the novel eventually went into production for an unsuccessful film adaptation that never made it past production. However, Julian later revisited the idea and developed a television series around the novel and the diary of Brooke Davis.
Lucas's novel was followed by a second, The Comet. Although this novel was not as successful as his original, Lucas maintained his status as a well-known author.
Plot[]
Basis[]
An Unkindness of Ravens was based on Lucas's real-life experiences and chronicled his final two years of high school. He recounted his own personal emotions and the hopes and dreams of himself and fellow students. The novel was notable in particular for its recollection of Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer’s love story, with her serving as the main female protagonist and his primary love interest: in fact, according to Lindsey Strauss, Lucas’ editor, the book was “basically a love letter to her”. Despite this and considering how complicated it was, the love triangle between the two of them and Peyton’s best friend, Brooke Davis, was an important part of the plot.
The book also chronicled the relationship between Lucas’ half-brother, Nathan Scott, and his best friend, Haley James. Other aspects of his life that were translated into the novel was his relationship with his estranged father, the tragic death of his uncle, and the simultaneous births of his nephew and his half-sister and cousin.
Adaptations[]
Film[]
The novel was successful enough that it caught the attention of Julian Baker. He convinced Lucas to begin producing it as a film. Although the production seemed to be going well, with Lucas writing the script and working collaboratively with the director Adam Reese, the film was unsuccessful and failed to meet completion in the production process.
Television[]
Julian later revived the screenplay idea in the form of a television series, titled Ravens, which gets the green light from Hollywood. Shooting for Ravens begins in the series finale and is a successful series during the time jump.
Excerpts[]
- "Lucas, I’m so proud of you, your words are wonderful. Don’t be afraid to share them with the world, follow through and finish this. Remember, there is a tide in the affairs of men.’ It’s Julius Caesar."
- The message was written in the first bound edition of the novel, written by Karen Roe and given to Lucas Scott as a present for graduating high school.
- "Suddenly, it was as if the roar of the crowd, the echo of the final buzzer, the cheers of my teammates were all sounding from a thousand miles away. And what remained in that bizarre, muffled silence was only Peyton, the girl whose art and passion and beauty had changed my life. At that moment, my triumph was not a State Championship, but simple clarity. The realization that we had always been meant for each other and every instinct to the contrary had simply been a denial of the following truth: I was now, and would always be, in love with Peyton Sawyer."
- "Chapter Three. Peyton Sawyer is destined for greatness. Actually, she already is great. Because Peyton Sawyer has a thing called integrity. And nothing or no one is ever going to change that."
- "She was fiercely independent, Brooke Davis. Brilliant and beautiful and brave. In two years, she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday, and I’m not sure she even knows it."
- "And in that moment he realized it’s not what you are or who you are, but who they allow you to be."
Trivia[]
- The novel's title, An Unkindness of Ravens, is first quoted by Lucas to Haley in Pilot and later in Lucas' closing voiceover in The Games That Play Us.
- During the years between her separation from Lucas and her return to Tree Hill, Peyton Sawyer bought a copy of the book everytime she saw it because she was still in love with him.
- It is believed the first four seasons of One Tree Hill basically catalogue the content of the book.
- Rachel and Lucas's encounter on the River Court was written into the novel, and can be found on page 88. ("Hold My Hand As I'm Lowered")
- Julian's idea to revive the book as a television series instead of a movie is reminiscent of Mark Schwahn's decision to make a television series out of the original One Tree Hill plot elements instead of a two-hour feature film, which was his first idea.