Huntingtower

Huntingtower is a rare book and a pleasure to read. On one level it's a gripping adventure story. On another level it's a vindication of the overlooked characters of the thriller-world. The heroes here aren't soldiers, aren't highly-trained spies, aren't adventurers. They are a married, middle-aged grocer; an old lady; a gang of indomitable street-kids; a cynical poet; and a gang of disabled soldiers. And there's a dispossessed Russian princess-turned-spy in there, too, with a dispossessed Russian prince. On another level the tale's pure allegory--about the Realist (the cynical poet) and the Romanticist (the grocer) stumbling upon a slice of real adventure and finding out that it's nothing like either of them expected. It's a vindication of fairy-tales (there's a princess in a tower!) and a judgement of thoughtless sentimentalism. But all those levels work together to make up an often funny, often moving, surprisingly candid adventure through a Scotland lovingly evoked--yet another of Buchan's unusual tales.

A lesser known John Buchan work, 'Huntingtower' (published in 1922) is still a very enjoyable adventure book in which a most unlikely person in the world of fiction plays the central role. He is Dickeson McCunn, newly retired gorcery shop owner, whose life has been very 'respectable.' Now, free from his business (and his wife being away from home), Dickson leaves the city to spend time walking in the countryside of Scotland. But while visiting the village called Dalquharter, Dickson meets a young English poet Mr. Heritage, who tries to convince him that in the ruined mansion Huntingtower, a young woman is held against her will, and the poet claims that he knows her personally. Moreover, Heritage believes that the woman is a Russian princess. Unconvinced, Dickson refuses to take part in his 'rescue' plans ... at first. The plot is vintage Buchan, with lots of actions (exciting and incredible ones), plus well-observed descritions of characters. Dickson is not as active or heroic as Richard Hannay, but the situation is similar to that of 'The Thirty-Nine Steps.' The difference is inclusion of historical references to the post-revolution Russia, and 'the Gorbals Die-Hards,' group of local kids who assist the jobs of Dickson. The colorful Scottish background is also attarctive. The book is a thriller, but unlike 'Greenmantle,' it is not political. It's more like reading Scott or Stevenson, with sly and often comical commentary to the contemporary social situations here and there, such as deft description of one boy who recounts his experience joining in sociliast's meeting, thinking that it's a football club. And of course, Russian princess reminds us of the legend of Anastasia. The book fails to be convincing when it tries to show the 'villains' who are only stock characters, and the idea of putting a respectable middle-class Glassgow grocery store owner does not work in the latter half of the book, in which Dickson McCunn is less interesting presence than the 'Die-Hards.' And you probably don't like the book's occasional derogatory commentary on certain group (especially Jewish people). Some of the values here are those of the 1920s, and they are clearly dated. But the actions and the characters (if not all) are still good, and the narrator draws vivid sketches of people with clever and pithy wording. The catalogue of people Dickson meets on the road (including Heritage) is all lively, and the entire mood of the book is surprisingly optimistic. The book is readable and entertaining in a different way than Buchan's spy novels.