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lnatal's review
2.0
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
South American republic Olifa is rich in minerals and ripe for revolution. John Buchan's high adventure with Ian McDiarmid and Fiona Francis.
South American republic Olifa is rich in minerals and ripe for revolution. John Buchan's high adventure with Ian McDiarmid and Fiona Francis.
lordofthemoon's review
3.0
I had read this short novelette many years ago in school but picked it up recently for the first time since. I actually really enjoyed it. It's an early spy thriller in which Richard Hannay returns to the Old Country from the colonies and finds himself caught up in a plot to bring the whole of Europe to war.
I found myself smiling at some of the period setting in the book, so unexpected for the genre, and Hannay not only had a lot of skill, but a lot of luck to help him throughout. I enjoyed some of the descriptions of Scotland, where much of the book is set, while Hannay is trying to avoid both the gang and the police, although it's a very different Scotland to that which I'm familiar with, of course.
A short book that can be read in in just a few hours, it's still great fun. I only discovered that Hannay went on to star in several other books as well and will have to look out for some of those.
I found myself smiling at some of the period setting in the book, so unexpected for the genre, and Hannay not only had a lot of skill, but a lot of luck to help him throughout. I enjoyed some of the descriptions of Scotland, where much of the book is set, while Hannay is trying to avoid both the gang and the police, although it's a very different Scotland to that which I'm familiar with, of course.
A short book that can be read in in just a few hours, it's still great fun. I only discovered that Hannay went on to star in several other books as well and will have to look out for some of those.
beckydouglas's review
1.0
The Thirty-Nine Steps follows the narrator, Richard Hannay, as he goes on the run, chased by some mysterious, evil, political group who are apparently afraid that he’s found out their plot and plans to expose them. John Buchan called it a shocker, which he defined as an adventure where the events in the story are unlikely and the reader is only just able to believe that they really happened.
Here’s the problem with that – I failed. I could not suspend my disbelief. It’s often said that in good fiction you can get away with one unbelievable thing (if anyone knows who first said this, get in touch). I’m not sure how true that is – it probably depends on the skill of the author and the breadth of the work – but it probably works a lot of the time. With The Thirty-Nine Steps, most of the things that happened were unbelievable.
We don’t learn much about Hannay except that he’s back from South Africa trying to persuade himself to sit still in London for a while. It’s not clear why, because he says he hates London and he hates sitting still. Whatever. That’s kind of the beginning and end of his personality. He’s lucky and resourceful but not believably so and has little motivation for anything he does. Other characters are similarly shallowly developed.
The chase itself isn’t too bad and the descriptions of the places Hannay visits as he speeds up to Scotland and then back down a quite picturesque. Why go all the way to Scotland only to come back? No idea. Obviously, it’s a slightly historic version of the UK but a pretty one nevertheless.
So I think I could have forgiven the bland characters, the poor motivation and the flimsy plot if not for the ending. The novella doesn’t so much end as it stops. After a lot of running around and hiding in fields the conclusion just falls awfully flat.
At least it’s short.
Here’s the problem with that – I failed. I could not suspend my disbelief. It’s often said that in good fiction you can get away with one unbelievable thing (if anyone knows who first said this, get in touch). I’m not sure how true that is – it probably depends on the skill of the author and the breadth of the work – but it probably works a lot of the time. With The Thirty-Nine Steps, most of the things that happened were unbelievable.
We don’t learn much about Hannay except that he’s back from South Africa trying to persuade himself to sit still in London for a while. It’s not clear why, because he says he hates London and he hates sitting still. Whatever. That’s kind of the beginning and end of his personality. He’s lucky and resourceful but not believably so and has little motivation for anything he does. Other characters are similarly shallowly developed.
The chase itself isn’t too bad and the descriptions of the places Hannay visits as he speeds up to Scotland and then back down a quite picturesque. Why go all the way to Scotland only to come back? No idea. Obviously, it’s a slightly historic version of the UK but a pretty one nevertheless.
So I think I could have forgiven the bland characters, the poor motivation and the flimsy plot if not for the ending. The novella doesn’t so much end as it stops. After a lot of running around and hiding in fields the conclusion just falls awfully flat.
At least it’s short.
gracecrandall's review
5.0
Ciphers! Disguises! Being chased over the moors by a malicious biplane! This book hits every one of the classic spy story criteria I know of, and it’s all the more amazing for it.
Richard Hannay, lately of North Africa, moved to England in hopes of finding something interesting there—or at least something pleasant. His hopes have been sorely disappointed.
However, his apathetic haze is broken when his upstairs neighbor—an American named Scudder—comes to his rooms seeking refuge from a group of men who want him dead. Hannay welcomes his unexpected and highly interesting houseguest easily enough, but brushes off his stories of plots and assassinations.
At least—until Scudder ends up dead on his living room floor, with Hannay wanted for his murder. Cue a wild chase across the whole of England, and Hannay running for his life while desperately trying to figure out the secret that Scudder took to his grave.
First off, this story is just plain fun. It made my heart pound and go ‘this!! Yes!this is a real adventure!!’
Richard Hannay is a smart, cool-headed character, but he’s far from immune to fears and doubts—which serve to make him feel far more solid and human as a character. He thinks his way out of scrapes almost as fast as he gets into new ones, and the peril never feels forced—there’s a very real suspense through the whole book, which I really enjoyed.
The author also does an excellent job of characterizing and humanizing everyone else in the story, no matter how briefly they occupy our attention. Even the villains have a spark of relatability (which serves to make them all the more terrifying). The characters consist of everyone from a nosy innkeeper to a stolid road worker to a foppish politician. It’s a fascinating cross-section of society, beautifully portrayed.
Overall, I really loved this book, and I’m looking forward to the two sequels!
Richard Hannay, lately of North Africa, moved to England in hopes of finding something interesting there—or at least something pleasant. His hopes have been sorely disappointed.
However, his apathetic haze is broken when his upstairs neighbor—an American named Scudder—comes to his rooms seeking refuge from a group of men who want him dead. Hannay welcomes his unexpected and highly interesting houseguest easily enough, but brushes off his stories of plots and assassinations.
At least—until Scudder ends up dead on his living room floor, with Hannay wanted for his murder. Cue a wild chase across the whole of England, and Hannay running for his life while desperately trying to figure out the secret that Scudder took to his grave.
First off, this story is just plain fun. It made my heart pound and go ‘this!! Yes!this is a real adventure!!’
Richard Hannay is a smart, cool-headed character, but he’s far from immune to fears and doubts—which serve to make him feel far more solid and human as a character. He thinks his way out of scrapes almost as fast as he gets into new ones, and the peril never feels forced—there’s a very real suspense through the whole book, which I really enjoyed.
The author also does an excellent job of characterizing and humanizing everyone else in the story, no matter how briefly they occupy our attention. Even the villains have a spark of relatability (which serves to make them all the more terrifying). The characters consist of everyone from a nosy innkeeper to a stolid road worker to a foppish politician. It’s a fascinating cross-section of society, beautifully portrayed.
Overall, I really loved this book, and I’m looking forward to the two sequels!
bzedan's review
4.0
This is a classic, I think? I can see why. Average dude, who's luckily good at rolling with the death-punches, caught up in mystery! OMiG, state of England at stake!
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