Prester John (novel)
| Prester John | |
|---|---|
 1st US edition |
|
| Author(s) | John Buchan |
| Country | Scotland, South Africa |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Thriller, Novel |
| Publisher | William Blackwood (UK) George Doran (US) |
| Publication date | 1910 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 203 |
| ISBN | 0-14-001138-2 |
Prester John is a 1910 adventure novel by John Buchan. It tells the story of a young Scotsman named David Crawfurd and his adventures in South Africa, where a Zulu uprising is tied to the medieval legend of Prester John. Crawfurd is similar in many ways to Buchan's later character, Richard Hannay.
Buchan was a strong supporter of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth, and this can be seen in this novel. Containing the racial stereotypes and caricatures of its day, the book was popular, and constitutes an excellent example of early 20th century adventure novel. It is still in print today and much of the novel's theme of cultural clash is still relevant.
Buchan's rich, lively descriptions of the South African landscape, which he knew well, are memorable.[according to whom?]
It contains the notable line: "Perfect love casteth out fear, the Bible says; but, to speak it reverently, so does perfect hate."[1]
[edit] Plot
The setting is contemporaneous with publication: the beginning of the twentieth century. Crawfurd's father dies, and he goes to work as a shopkeeper in a place called Blaauwildebeestefontein. Then there is a rising of the Zulu people.
[edit] References
- ^ Buchan, John (1910). Prester John. New York: George H. Doran Company. p. 130.
[edit] External links
- Prester John at the Gutenberg Project
 |
This article about a 1910s novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
