The Thirty-Nine Steps (Wordsworth Classics)

First serialised in Blackwood’s Magazine and then published in book form the same year (1915) this novel has never been out of print, and is probably the most famous thriller in the English language. Here is also the first time we meet the character Richard Hannay, who appeared in other novels by Buchan.Hannay, who has been in Rhodesia is currently residing in London, but is thinking of returning to South Africa as he feels boredom set in. But soon this is all to change when a neighbour fakes his own death and stays with Hannay. This man is a spy and has a big tale to tell of the assassination of a leader and a war that will follow. Our hero believes him, especially when he is murdered in his flat and thus Hannay is the prime suspect for murder. Taking to his heels we follow Hannay as he travels to Scotland playing a cat and mouse game with the police, and German spies.Always trying to stay one step ahead our hero has to decipher the meaning of the thirty nine steps. This is really a novel that needs no introduction as I expect most people have read it before, but if you have only seen the Hitchcock film version you will be in for a bit of a surprise, after all there is no hanging from the hand of Big Ben in this story.From London to Scotland, then back to London and then Kent this is a prime piece of escapism despite some coincidences and helpful people always showing up at the right moment. Those who know all about this novel already will know this, but for those who are coming to this for the first time, or are unaware, the finale of this tale which takes place in a small town in Kent called Bradgate is really Broadstairs in the same county. Those who are familiar with the place will know the houses that have steps running to and from them, which is the inspiration for the title.If you really think about this whilst you read it you will see that Buchan wrote something which just about stretches credulity but you tend to ignore this as you get so caught up in the tale. This was a device that Buchan himself readily admitted, and used the same formula of coincidences and helpful people at just the right time in other tales.

This novella is short with many episodes and each one of them introduces a new flat character who shares a part in either helps or chases the main character. Plot driven, it is what people call fast paced.A man had in his possession a secret which endangered his own life. He was later murdered in Hannay's apartment. With the notebook of the deceased, Hannay, the owner of the flat, had to run for his life too.The chase from the police and the invisible enemy forced Hannay to seek refuge in the countryside where he encountered a literary innkeeper, a radical candidate, a lazy roadman and a dangerous archaeologist. He made his way back to the centre of the city and revealed the secret to a trusted personage. Finally, he managed to find out the true murderer.In a sense, the tale is a fictionalized account to explain the outbreak of the first world war and yet it is also a humorous and literary attempt to survey, map and chart the countryside which provides not only a backdrop of thrilling experience that London could not supply to the main character but also the beauty of scenery that stirred patriotic feelings to contemporary readers in those days.The problem with Wordsworth editions is always the small font size. This book is only 120 + pages with the current font size and priced at 2.5 pounds. If the publisher adopts a slightly bigger font size, I simply don't think it will exceed 200 pages or greatly increase the production cost.

The Thirty-nine Steps is a hoky book, but it's still a classic.If you're looking for a work of depth -- look further. If you just want escapist reading though, it's excellent, (and much better than the recent BBC TV version). Best parts: Hannay's encounters with Scottish characters whom he naturalises himself to disappear among. It's plain that Buchan really knew what he was describing here and the scenes still stand out vividly. Worst -- maybe the Boy Hero Bluebottle style ending, with Hannay implausibly taking charge of everyone for the final showdown. (Buchan must have been slightly embarrassed by it himself, and has Hannay as good as apologising for the unlikeliness)If you like a book to be "dark" and complex with twisted motives and pomo themes, forget it. I liked the simplicity, cleanness, unsophistication and straightforward old-fashioned values. I actually bought it to see if it would do as pabulum for a remedial reader of 13. Concluded that he would probably love a lot of the story (still thrilling), but find the book as a whole stylistically too heavy and of its time to plough through.However, read it for what it is, not for what it isn't, and you won't be disappointed.

Is not much left to be said that has not already been said about this book. A man caught up in events that were happening just before the start of a major part of World history. In a time of no technology gadgets to get out of trouble it comes down to luck and resourcefulness. The story moves at a pace that keeps you engaged and pulls you into events. Overall enjoyable, pleasent read.

John Buchan was a prolific author and his Richard Hannay mysteries are perhaps his most famous but I do enjoy his biographies as well. This book is a classic thriller - at points a little farcical but that only adds to it. It was a quick easy read on the way to Edinburgh and I'll certainly check out some more of his thrillers.

This was one of the earliest of the genre -- an amateur who finds himself chasing a murderer and probable spy, while he himself is hunted by the police who believe he is the killer. Several of the situations are a bit far-fetched and the "coincidences" do over-stretch the bounds of possibility, but it was fun to re-read, after very many years.

Short, but exciting read.

adventure story for the young in heart