Mystery: January 26, 2022 Issue [#11184] |
This week: Mystery Writer: John Buchan Edited by: Gratitude Adore ♥ More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
For this edition of the Mystery Newsletter, we will look at the life and career, well, the mostly the writing career of John Buchan.
John Buchan was a true man of intrigue and mystery in both his personal life, and professional life. Let's start at the beginning though. He was born February, 11 1875 in Perth Scotland in a double villa that now bears his namesake. He lived many years in Kirkcaldy, Fife and drew many of his locales from the land he roamed in his youth.
He even gave the name Sir Edward Leithen, a character in several of this books from
the Leithen tributary. |
ASIN: B07YXBT9JT |
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John Buchan's young life steered into a career in diplomacy and politics from the outset after graduating from Oxford, he became the assistant to Alfred Miner, in 1901.
While there, he took up an interest in writing about the locale and drew from his time
in South Africa in some of his books. He also won the Stanhope essay prize in 1897 and had six of his works published while in Oxford.
John Buchan studied for the bar but never actually practiced law and later was later
recommended to take the place of the ailing Canadian Governor position R.B. Bennett
and became Governor General of Canada for 5 years. Sometime, early in 1940, he fell and had a stroke, and never recovered. When he died, they held his body in state
So, we know a whole lot about his political life but what about the novel? What was so special about his best seller, “The Thirty Nine Steps”, that changed the spy game for the better? Well, this book was the first to introduce both personal and political dramas in story form. This book introduced the earliest example of the "man on the run" thriller archetype used in many stories and films. He wanted to include what he termed, “his first shocker” and introduced
the adventuring hero Richard Hannay. Buchan holds his hero, Richard Hannay as an ordinary man who is willing to put his country's interests before himself. This was a very successful plot theme and won many many fans, who still love this hero model.
John Buchan was an amazing writer and a great politician who shared much with the world. |
And the picks for this week are themed in mystery and I hope you enjoy them as much as the writer intended...
| | DreamScape (13+) Three friends in film school try to bring horror to life in their new movie. #2222054 by Kerr Cole |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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ASIN: B07N36MHWD |
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So, I asked a question about John Buchan winning an essay prize while attending Oxford in 1897. What was the name of the prize?
John Buchan is said to have suffered from a specific type of ulcer in his early life and it was at this time that he wrote his best seller, "The Thirty-Nine Steps" while treating this condition. What type did he suffer from?
The first 5 readers who answer these questions will receive a MB badge of their choice when I host the Mystery newsletter on February 16th. |
ASIN: B085272J6B |
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