John Macnab
| Author | John Buchan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Edward Leithen |
| Genre | Novel |
Publication date | 1925 |
| Publication place | Scotland |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 208 pp |
| ISBN | 1-85326-296-X (reissue) |
| Preceded by | The Power House |
| Followed by | The Dancing Floor |
John Macnab is a novel by John Buchan, published in 1925.[1][2]
Plot summary
Three successful but bored friends in their mid-forties decide to turn to poaching. They are Sir Edward Leithen, lawyer, Tory Member of Parliament (MP), and ex-Attorney General; John Palliser-Yeates, banker and sportsman; and Charles, Earl of Lamancha, former adventurer and present Tory 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; and lastly the Claybodys, vulgar, bekilted 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, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 3 October 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ ""JOHN MACNAB."". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 22 November 1925. p. 12 Section: Second Section. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ John Macnab Banks-Smith, Nancy. The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 15 Apr 1976: 10.
External links
- Review (in Scots)
- John Macnab at IMDb
- Complete novel at Project Gutenberg
- Academic article on the novel
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