John Macnab
John Macnab is a novel by John Buchan, published in 1925.[1][2]
| Author | John Buchan |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Edward Leithen |
| Genre | Novel |
Publication date | 1925 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 208 pp |
| ISBN | 1-85326-296-X (reissue) |
| Preceded by | The Power House |
| Followed by | The Dancing Floor |
Plot summary
Three successful but bored friends in their mid-forties decide to turn to poaching. They are Sir Edward Leithen, lawyer, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), and ex-Attorney General; John Palliser-Yeates, banker and sportsman; and Charles, Earl of Lamancha, former adventurer and present Conservative Cabinet Minister. Under the collective name of "John Macnab", they set up in the Highland home of Sir Archie Roylance, a disabled war hero who wishes to be a Conservative MP.
They issue a challenge to three of Roylance's neighbours: first the Radens, who are an old-established family, about to die out; next, the Bandicotts: an American archaeologist and his son, who are renting a grand estate for the summer while excavating the tomb of Harald Blacktooth; and lastly the Claybodys, vulgar, be-kilted nouveaux riches. These neighbours are forewarned that "John Macnab" will poach a salmon or a stag from their land and return it to them undetected. The outcome is that the men's boredom is dispelled with the assistance of helpers (including a homeless waif, "Fish Benjie", and an athletic journalist, Crossby), and Archie Roylance marries Janet Raden, daughter of the grandee.
Influence
- The Return of John MacNab was written by Andrew Greig as a 1990s retelling of the story.
- The Legend of John Macnab (2015) by James Christie, was also inspired by the Buchan book
TV adaptation
John Prebble adapted the book for a three-part BBC television production in 1976, directed by Donald McWhinnie.[3]
Cast :
- Lord Lamancha – Derek Godfrey
- Sir Edward Leithen – James Maxwell
- John Palliser-Yeates – Bernard Horsfall
- Archie Roylance – Cavan Kendall
- Colonel Raden – Basil Dignam
- Janet Raden – Susan Wooldridge
- Agatha Raden – Wendy Allnutt
- Wattie Lithgow – Roddy McMillan
- Bennie – Joseph McKenna
- Jimmie – Ron Bain
- Junius Bandicott – Jack Galloway
- Professor Bandicott – Ronald Radd
- Crossby – Patrick Malahide
- Lord Claybody – John Sharp
- Lady Claybody – Lally Bowers
- Johnson Claybody – Ian Ricketts
- Macqueen – Bill Armour
- Angus – James Kennedy
- Stokes – Anthony Langdon
- Macpherson – Gerard Slevin Jr
References
- "The Freebooters". The West Australian. Perth. 3 October 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 13 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ""JOHN MACNAB."". The Sunday Times. Perth. 22 November 1925. p. 12 Section: Second Section. Retrieved 13 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- Banks-Smith, Nancy (15 Apr 1976). "John Macnab". The Guardian. London (UK). p. 10.
External links
- Review (in Scots)
- John Macnab at IMDb
- John MacNab at Faded Page (Canada)
- Complete novel at Project Gutenberg Australia
- Academic article on the novel