John MacNab shot placement

[Buchan]

That’s about where I ended up thinking it must have been.

So Buchan likely based it on something he’d actually seen?

One thing I love about the book is that they’re not uniformly successful - the joy is in the challenge rather than victory.

This Buchan also based it on a shot he made!

 

[weblyish]

Is not heard of the book before seeing this thread but had read 39steps and liked it and decided to read this

Three observations

1. That's not the only place Buchan uses the word tailoring to mean something bad. The first stag was "certainly not tailored"

"the man had played the boldest kind of hand, and he had certainly not tailored his beast."
(In this case it was a workman like neck shot)

I have even less idea quite what it means than I did from this thread

2. What is the point of Lord Lamancha going to shoot that stag at all
The ghillie, Wattie, does all the hard work from identifying how to get in to the deer. Finding a shootable stag. Getting in close. Doing the gralloch and dragging the bloody thing miles and gets no credit.
While lord whotsit bumbles around until he gets a chance and still pulls the shot


3. I quite enjoyed that any others worth a read?

 

[VSS]

3. I quite enjoyed that any others worth a read?

They're all worth a read.
I would next recommend you try "The Island of Sheep"
That was my first introduction to Buchan.

A few other favourites that I enjoy over and over are:
Prester John
The Three Hostages
Mr Standfast
Green mantle
The Runagates Club

 

[Mungo]

Is not heard of the book before seeing this thread but had read 39steps and liked it and decided to read this

Three observations

1. That's not the only place Buchan uses the word tailoring to mean something bad. The first stag was "certainly not tailored"

"the man had played the boldest kind of hand, and he had certainly not tailored his beast."
(In this case it was a workman like neck shot)

I have even less idea quite what it means than I did from this thread

2. What is the point of Lord Lamancha going to shoot that stag at all
The ghillie, Wattie, does all the hard work from identifying how to get in to the deer. Finding a shootable stag. Getting in close. Doing the gralloch and dragging the bloody thing miles and gets no credit.
While lord whotsit bumbles around until he gets a chance and still pulls the shot


3. I quite enjoyed that any others worth a read?

I’ve always thought that about Wattie Lithgow! The entire enterprise really rests on his knowledge and experience.

Well, him and Fish Benjie!

 

[Mungo]

Is not heard of the book before seeing this thread but had read 39steps and liked it and decided to read this

Three observations

1. That's not the only place Buchan uses the word tailoring to mean something bad. The first stag was "certainly not tailored"

"the man had played the boldest kind of hand, and he had certainly not tailored his beast."
(In this case it was a workman like neck shot)

I have even less idea quite what it means than I did from this thread

2. What is the point of Lord Lamancha going to shoot that stag at all
The ghillie, Wattie, does all the hard work from identifying how to get in to the deer. Finding a shootable stag. Getting in close. Doing the gralloch and dragging the bloody thing miles and gets no credit.
While lord whotsit bumbles around until he gets a chance and still pulls the shot


3. I quite enjoyed that any others worth a read?

Also read ‘The Return of John MacNab’ by Andrew Greig.

If the semi-feudal aspect of the original sticks in your teeth a bit, this one up-ends that. There is a strongly anti-establishment feel to it.

Much as I like the original, I enjoy ‘The Return’ more. It’s got more of a plot to it, more variety and it’s stag, salmon AND grouse.

It ends with an anaesthetised stag being floated onto the lawn at Balmoral using inner tubes…

 

[Buchan]

Also read ‘The Return of John MacNab’ by Andrew Greig.

If the semi-feudal aspect of the original sticks in your teeth a bit, this one up-ends that. There is a strongly anti-establishment feel to it.

Much as I like the original, I enjoy ‘The Return’ more. It’s got more of a plot to it, more variety and it’s stag, salmon AND grouse.

It ends with an anaesthetised stag being floated onto the lawn at Balmoral using inner tubes…

I disliked "The Return" I thought poorly written. Maybe I'll revisit it

 

[Mungo]

I disliked "The Return" I thought poorly written. Maybe I'll revisit it

It’s not high literature by any stretch, but I think as a jolly yarn it stands up well.

Greig in general is quite mediocre (especially as a poet), with the exception of ‘At the Loch of the Green Corrie’. Though even that is a bit too self indulgent.