Fact or Fiction? An examination of Historical Accuracy in John Buchan’s A Lost Lady of Old Years and an Assessment of Buchan’s Influences

Abstract

This essay is an examination of the Scottish writer John Buchan (1875-1941) and his historical novel A Lost Lady of Old Years which was published in 1899. The thesis has two main purposes; the first is to examine the historicity of the novel and how Buchan makes use of historical events while creating his characters and storyline. The second objective of the dissertation is to examine Buchan’s goals and inspirations while writing the novel, where his influences come from and why he wrote the book, his aims of education and of entertainment. It will assess the effect writers like Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott had on Buchan’s writing and then considers how Buchan’s upbringing and personal opinions appear in the novel.