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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
The Thirty-Nine Steps has that same Brit-pulp feel that The Lodger has. And it makes sense. They were both made into feature-length films in the 1920s-1930s.
Interesting fact: J.D. Salinger was obsessed with Thirty-Nine Steps the film—directed by Alfred Hitchcock I believe.
Unfortunately, the book Thirty-Nine steps does not feature a scrappy female co-star, which was one blessing that prevented me from falling asleep during the movie or switching to something else.
This book features plenty of manly action business: running, hiding, stabbing, cursing, espionage, fighting, etc. Also, there are SO many disguises. I don't think disguises are popular anymore, but apparently clothes and make-up and fake beards were all the rage in the years between World Wars.
Disappointing conclusion:
Interesting fact: J.D. Salinger was obsessed with Thirty-Nine Steps the film—directed by Alfred Hitchcock I believe.
Unfortunately, the book Thirty-Nine steps does not feature a scrappy female co-star, which was one blessing that prevented me from falling asleep during the movie or switching to something else.
This book features plenty of manly action business: running, hiding, stabbing, cursing, espionage, fighting, etc. Also, there are SO many disguises. I don't think disguises are popular anymore, but apparently clothes and make-up and fake beards were all the rage in the years between World Wars.
Disappointing conclusion:
Spoiler
All the running and hiding and manly action does not accomplish doodly squat. Our hero-narrator embarks on a month-long fugitive situation across England and Scotland, supposedly to prevent a Second World War from happening—the Germans are at it again, dammit. To no one's surprise, war happens anyway. So what the hell was the goal of this book?Spoiler
OH!! I just realized something deep, man. No one can stop war! And remember this: this book was written between wars. The whole world still saw it coming—ten, twenty years into the future. No one could stop it. Damn...
Rather entertaining spy/suspense story set against looming WWI. Virtually nothing like the plot of the Hitchcock movie, another version made in the 80s is more faithful. The novel has wit and charm, but it is quite repetitive.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Worst book I've read in a long long time. Unbelievable, boring, and slow, for an "action" story. In parallel, I read Karl Ove Knausgard's My Struggle, which people claim is boring and slow. But Karl Ove talks of his memories, not of some worldwide conspiracy. What a waste of my time!
Richard Hannay has looked forward to being a man of leisure in London for a number of years. He has put away enough, but finds himself bored when he gets there. Just as he's about to try something new, a man he give sanctuary to winds up dead, and it looks like Hannay is guilty or those who killed the man will be back for him or what he knows.
This sends Hannay on the run to Scotland for several weeks to try to get the info to the right people. This is right around WWII. Spy intrigue. Very short. Supposed to be one of the first chase books.
This sends Hannay on the run to Scotland for several weeks to try to get the info to the right people. This is right around WWII. Spy intrigue. Very short. Supposed to be one of the first chase books.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Thirty-Nine Steps was an expectedly fun little book which highly resembled the Sherlock Holmes books in it's style. The blurb states that it was the first modern spy thriller and I am happy to believe that is the case and it's very well done if so. I think the little note at the front to Thomas Nelson also adds to the notion that this was just a fun idea thrown together. The story is fast paced and whilst perhaps a little simple and contrived in plot it is still captivating due to the narration style and likable protagonist.
I do think it's very set in the time it was written and there was probably more to get out of it if you knew about the politics of the time and it is obviously very coloured by the ongoing first world war and it seems quite a bold choice to rewrite the cause of the war in that time.
There was the slightly painful view of the British Empire as a great and bold thing and a sickening patriotism and dotted racism and classism which is common of books of this age but is still very uncomfortable to read and does take away from the enjoyment.
Before you scratch your head about why I put this book on my Canadian Authors shelf, Lord Tweedsmuir was a Governor General of Canada, which makes him an honorary Canadian. So there.
This was a true "liked it" three star rating. Plenty of other reviews complain about the triteness but you always have to read a book as a product of its time. Many other books came after this one as direct imitations.
The protagonist is eminently capable at spycraft, and the story's fairly predictable to a modern audience, but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy the plot and trundle along with Hannay on his struggle through the heather.
This was a true "liked it" three star rating. Plenty of other reviews complain about the triteness but you always have to read a book as a product of its time. Many other books came after this one as direct imitations.
The protagonist is eminently capable at spycraft, and the story's fairly predictable to a modern audience, but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy the plot and trundle along with Hannay on his struggle through the heather.
For those familiar with the movie adaptation, the 1915 novel by John Buchan is substantially different -- there is no romantic partnership and no Mr. Memory. Richard Hannay remains, though, an early all-action hero with an uncanny ability for getting himself out of the most difficult situations just in the nick of time. As Buchan himself has suggested, the action and events of this type of novel are not so much meant to be completely believable as they are to be slightly possible. The writing is fine, especially descriptions of the countryside but the novel does have a dated quality; the book is a book of its time, and the antisemitic and other stereotypes are cringe-worthy. Still, a quick read of an important early novel in the Thriller genre and one of the UK's "best-loved novels".
3.5/5
This was a quick read, and quite fun.
I can see why this book is on lists of books to read. I'm not sure if it's the first spy-genre book, but it could very well be. I found it quite interesting to read, though I'm not generally a reader of this kind of fiction.
I quite liked Scudder and Hannay's ingenuity, with their disguises and tricks to get out of trouble. That was fun to read.
The mystery itself, or the reason for Hannay's exploits, I felt could have been more fleshed out. It just seemed a bit shadowy to me, like Buchan wanted an excuse to send Hannay off on an adventure in the wilds of Scotland, but didn't really put enough detail into why. I get that it was about spies, but I wanted more about why.
I did notice the absence of women in the plot. There was one, I think: maybe two, but most of the people who help Hannay are men. I suppose spy stories were written mostly for men back then, but it really dates the book. The one woman named as part of the plot never actually appears. Still, it's better that than the femme fatale trope, which was overused later.
I was surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. The sense of espionage was fun, and Buchan wrote some clever, wily characters.
This was a quick read, and quite fun.
I can see why this book is on lists of books to read. I'm not sure if it's the first spy-genre book, but it could very well be. I found it quite interesting to read, though I'm not generally a reader of this kind of fiction.
I quite liked Scudder and Hannay's ingenuity, with their disguises and tricks to get out of trouble. That was fun to read.
The mystery itself, or the reason for Hannay's exploits, I felt could have been more fleshed out. It just seemed a bit shadowy to me, like Buchan wanted an excuse to send Hannay off on an adventure in the wilds of Scotland, but didn't really put enough detail into why. I get that it was about spies, but I wanted more about why.
I did notice the absence of women in the plot. There was one, I think: maybe two, but most of the people who help Hannay are men. I suppose spy stories were written mostly for men back then, but it really dates the book. The one woman named as part of the plot never actually appears. Still, it's better that than the femme fatale trope, which was overused later.
I was surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. The sense of espionage was fun, and Buchan wrote some clever, wily characters.
Listened to the audiobook read by actor Kenny Blyth… I did read the novel years ago. Excellently read… great story of its time. Loved it