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Available
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Publication
Oxford University Press (1997), Paperback, 272 pages
Description
To celebrate his retirement, mild-mannered grocer Dickson McCunn has planned a walking tour of the Scottish countryside. However, the journey that starts out as a bucolic gambol soon spirals into a remarkable -- and endlessly entertaining -- series of mishaps and misadventures, including a harebrained scheme to abduct and ransom a Russian princess. Will McCunn make it back from his holiday in one piece?
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A classic slice of traditional adventure fiction by one of the great masters of the genre. The hero of this novel, set in the early 1920s, and its two successors is retired grocer Dickson McCunn who decides to mark his retirement from the respectable world of grocery by going for a walking holiday
In his travails McCunn is helped by long-time Buchan regular, Sir Archibald Roylance (though in this particular novel he is more heavily clothed in obtuseness than usual), a would-be free-verse poet John Heritage and the hardy Gorbals Die-Hards, a street gang from the poorer reaches of Glasgow who have been given an opportunity to escape the roughness of the backstreets of Glasgow to commune with nature.
Beautifully wriiten and exquisitely plotted, this is Buchan near his best.
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in Southwest Scotland, in the hope of encountering some scent of romantic ideal. As luck would have it he becomes embroiled in a Bolshevik plot to exploiut a former Russian princess and divest her of her family jewels.In his travails McCunn is helped by long-time Buchan regular, Sir Archibald Roylance (though in this particular novel he is more heavily clothed in obtuseness than usual), a would-be free-verse poet John Heritage and the hardy Gorbals Die-Hards, a street gang from the poorer reaches of Glasgow who have been given an opportunity to escape the roughness of the backstreets of Glasgow to commune with nature.
Beautifully wriiten and exquisitely plotted, this is Buchan near his best.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jeffome
Loved this little gem. A nice uncomplicated little adventure.....simple middle-class guy sets out to take a relaxing walking holiday in the Scottish countryside and soon innocently finds himself embroiled in an incident of secret international intrigue. A romp of sorts including a scrappy band of
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city boy ruffians, abandoned ocean-side manor house, treasure, weapons, sailing ships, a strong-willed fair maiden, and whole host of colorful shady characters all thrown in and mixed together for just a good old-fashioned story. A little bit of a struggle with some Scottish dialect, but not enough to discourage. Will good triumph over evil???? I'll not ruin it....read it and find out for yourself! Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A classic slice of traditional adventure fiction by one of the great masters of the genre. The hero of this novel (set in the early 1920s) and its two successors is retired grocer Dickson McCunn who decides to mark his retirement from the respectable world of grocery by going for a walking holiday
In his travails McCunn is helped by long-time Buchan regular, Sir Archibald Roylance (though in this particular novel he is more heavily clothed in obtuseness than usual), a would-be free-verse poet John Heritage and the hardy Gorbals Die-Hards, a street gang from the poorer reaches of Glasgow who have been given an opportunity to escape the roughness of the backstreets of Glasgow to commune with nature.
Beautifully written and exquisitely plotted, this is Buchan near his best.
Show More
in Southwest Scotland, in the hope of encountering some scent of romantic ideal. As luck would have it he becomes embroiled in a Bolshevik plot to exploit a former Russian princess and divest her of her family jewels.In his travails McCunn is helped by long-time Buchan regular, Sir Archibald Roylance (though in this particular novel he is more heavily clothed in obtuseness than usual), a would-be free-verse poet John Heritage and the hardy Gorbals Die-Hards, a street gang from the poorer reaches of Glasgow who have been given an opportunity to escape the roughness of the backstreets of Glasgow to commune with nature.
Beautifully written and exquisitely plotted, this is Buchan near his best.
Show Less
LibraryThing member edwinbcn
This was a bit of a potboiler. I am a great fan of John Buchan's spy adventure novels, but both the plot and the development of the characters in Huntingtower seemed to be second-rate.
Huntingtower is the first of a series of three novels centered around the character Dickson McCunn. The novels in
Still, particularly in this first volume, the character of Dickson McCunn, as well as Heritage are cardboard characters. Their unexpected ally consists in a troupe of street urchins, the Gorbal Die-Hards and their leader Dougal, sketched by the same pasteboard characterization. There is some humor in the way they are juxtaposed against the aristocratic Sir Archibald. The Gorbal Die-Hards add a fairy-tale element to the novel.
Huntingtower was written shortly after the Russian Revolution and published in 1922. The novel contains several story elements that would later feature in Cold War era pulp fiction, such as Russian spies, the ruthlessness of Bolshevik spies, the power of a united people to withstand an invader, and the importance of the middle class and its natural loyalty to the upper classes.
Huntingtower is the first of a series of three novels centered around the character Dickson McCunn. The novels in
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the series were written alongside other novels by Buchan I appreciate much more. The fast development of the plot is characteristic, as are serendipity and exaggerated elements of a strong story. The solidarity of Scottish (or British) folk against a sinister foreign power, and corruption of some countrymen are also a fixed element. Another thing is the obvious love of the Scottish countryside, and beautiful descriptions of the landscape, nature, villages and castles.Still, particularly in this first volume, the character of Dickson McCunn, as well as Heritage are cardboard characters. Their unexpected ally consists in a troupe of street urchins, the Gorbal Die-Hards and their leader Dougal, sketched by the same pasteboard characterization. There is some humor in the way they are juxtaposed against the aristocratic Sir Archibald. The Gorbal Die-Hards add a fairy-tale element to the novel.
Huntingtower was written shortly after the Russian Revolution and published in 1922. The novel contains several story elements that would later feature in Cold War era pulp fiction, such as Russian spies, the ruthlessness of Bolshevik spies, the power of a united people to withstand an invader, and the importance of the middle class and its natural loyalty to the upper classes.
Show Less
LibraryThing member heggiep
A century after its publication, I would probably agree with any current-day criticisms of the novel. But it's still a good, fast-paced yarn - and I felt at certain points like a boy again reading an adventure story on a rainy day (I finished it today during a snowfall). I previously read the third
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book in Buchan's linked trilogy - 'The House of the Four Winds' - and enjoyed this more. At some point I sold my copy of the middle book ('Castle Gay') and will pick up another should I come across one. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1922
Physical description
272 p.; 7.17 inches
ISBN
0192832298 / 9780192832290