Description

Prester John - By John Buchan - A Classic African Adventure. Prester John is a 1910 adventure novel by John Buchan. It tells the story of a young Scotsman named David Crawfurd and his adventures in South Africa, where a Zulu uprising is tied to the medieval legend of Prester John. Crawfurd is similar in many ways to Buchan's later character, Richard Hannay. Buchan was a strong supporter of the British Empire and the British Commonwealth, and this can be seen in this novel. Containing the racial stereotypes and caricatures of its day, the book was popular, and constitutes an excellent example of early 20th century adventure novel. It is still in print today and much of the novel's theme of cultural clash is still relevant. Buchan's rich, lively descriptions of the South African landscape, which he knew well, are memorable. It contains the notable line: "Perfect love casteth out fear, the Bible says; but, to speak it reverently, so does perfect hate.