Buchan & Me
One of the nicest things about being a writer is learning about literature. Most of the writers I know truly enjoy knowing more about the men and women who came before. The concept that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants is not a new one, and so many writers have also been critics, but I think each new generation wants to find out about the past for themselves. I know I certainly do.
This is the main reason I enjoy writing introductions to classic books as much as I do. Diving into a book in a deep and scholarly way as opposed to simply enjoying it as a reader has its own incredible charm (of course, it would be even better if I was doing it in a thatched cottage by a river somewhere in the English countryside, but that will have to wait!). As long-suffering readers may recall, I've written a number of introductions for Flatwater Press, including Heart of Darkness and The Hoosier Schoolmaster.
The latest introduction to become available on Amazon is the one I wrote for the Flatwater Press edition of The Thirty-nine Steps. As always, I won't tell you what I said, and also as always, the cover is really, really amazing - Flatwater seems to have the concept of classic covers down to an art form.
So if you haven't read this particular classic (which later got turned into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock), may I be so bold as to recommend this edition? Even if you don't enjoy the intro, the book is still a must-read!
This is the main reason I enjoy writing introductions to classic books as much as I do. Diving into a book in a deep and scholarly way as opposed to simply enjoying it as a reader has its own incredible charm (of course, it would be even better if I was doing it in a thatched cottage by a river somewhere in the English countryside, but that will have to wait!). As long-suffering readers may recall, I've written a number of introductions for Flatwater Press, including Heart of Darkness and The Hoosier Schoolmaster.
The latest introduction to become available on Amazon is the one I wrote for the Flatwater Press edition of The Thirty-nine Steps. As always, I won't tell you what I said, and also as always, the cover is really, really amazing - Flatwater seems to have the concept of classic covers down to an art form.
So if you haven't read this particular classic (which later got turned into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock), may I be so bold as to recommend this edition? Even if you don't enjoy the intro, the book is still a must-read!