Extollager
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John Buchan (1875-1940), Lord Tweedsmuir, is best known for The Thirty-Nine Steps, which has not been happily treated in its movie and TV versions, I think. He was an industrious and gifted writer of thrillers, historical novels, supernatural tales, and history. His memoirs are called Memory-Hold-the-Door in the British edition and Pilgrim's Way in the American.
I've enjoyed his writing for 40 years. I've read The Thirty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast, The Three Hostages, The Power-House, Mountain Meadow (aka Sick Heart River), The Dancing Floor, Prester John, The Island of Sheep (US title The Man from the Norlands), The Runagates Club (stories), Huntingtower, Castle Gay, The Free Fishers, Witch Wood, and Sir Walter Scott. Also, I think, The Gap in the Curtain. The specialty publisher Donald M. Grant issued a collection of Buchan stories called The Far Islands and I've read most or all of it.
I've read about half of those listed above more than once, some more than twice.
The Far Islands and Other Tales of Fantasy - Wikipedia
Here's a bit of video of Buchan himself, from, I take, it, a time after his contributions to fiction had mostly or entirely been written:
Your reading in Buchan's books?
I mean to start his tale about poachers, John Macnab, today. (More specifically -- to quote from the back of my World's Classics paperback: "The three heroes... have everything to lose if their daring exploit should fail. Each is a leader in his field -- one is a barrister and was Attorney-General, one is a Cabinet Minister, one an eminent banker -- and each is suffering from an indefinable boredom and lethargy in London. They decide to emulate and extend the exploits of a famous gentleman-poacher in the Scottish Highlands and issue a challenge to three estates: that they will successfully poach from them two stags and a salmon in a given time, signing themselves collectively 'John Macnab'. Risking more than reputations, they cure themselves of ennui -- but that is only part of the story...")
I've enjoyed his writing for 40 years. I've read The Thirty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast, The Three Hostages, The Power-House, Mountain Meadow (aka Sick Heart River), The Dancing Floor, Prester John, The Island of Sheep (US title The Man from the Norlands), The Runagates Club (stories), Huntingtower, Castle Gay, The Free Fishers, Witch Wood, and Sir Walter Scott. Also, I think, The Gap in the Curtain. The specialty publisher Donald M. Grant issued a collection of Buchan stories called The Far Islands and I've read most or all of it.
I've read about half of those listed above more than once, some more than twice.
The Far Islands and Other Tales of Fantasy - Wikipedia
Here's a bit of video of Buchan himself, from, I take, it, a time after his contributions to fiction had mostly or entirely been written:
Your reading in Buchan's books?
I mean to start his tale about poachers, John Macnab, today. (More specifically -- to quote from the back of my World's Classics paperback: "The three heroes... have everything to lose if their daring exploit should fail. Each is a leader in his field -- one is a barrister and was Attorney-General, one is a Cabinet Minister, one an eminent banker -- and each is suffering from an indefinable boredom and lethargy in London. They decide to emulate and extend the exploits of a famous gentleman-poacher in the Scottish Highlands and issue a challenge to three estates: that they will successfully poach from them two stags and a salmon in a given time, signing themselves collectively 'John Macnab'. Risking more than reputations, they cure themselves of ennui -- but that is only part of the story...")
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