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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The star of this book is Major-General Sir #RichardHannay who is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist #JohnBuchan. This is the first book of six in a series, that follows Richard Hannay who has a knack for espionage and action. The action takes place around the era of WWI and the interwar period. Hannay's adventure in the 39 steps sees him attempting to thwart enemy plots and uncovering spy networks, using only his wit and skills to get him out of dangerous situations. I did enjoy this book by John Buchan and plan to read all books in this series. I enjoy the rich storytelling the author uses to put you in the middle of the action. I give this book four ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An enjoyable, quick read. I can see why Hitchcock would want to turn it into a movie… fits in perfectly with his ordinary-man-in-extraordinary-circumstances motif.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Глупо, но живо. Местами кажется, что книга написана специально в расчете на экранизацию — при том, что в 15-ом году в кино такого жанра еще не было.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Thirty-Nine Steps is often credited with pioneering the spy genre, but John Buchan’s novel should not be credited for much else. The author does an adequate job of painting the picture, that being English cities and Scottish countrysides amidst the outbreak of the First World War. However, Buchan’s novel is a tedious experience, despite being almost novella-like in length. Unfortunately, protagonist Richard Hannay is stiff figure, and very few of the characters are very memorable. Furthermore, most of the narration is composed of recounting Hannay running and hiding, which becomes agitating after the umpteenth time. Really, there is very little nuance to this text, and the authors that were inspired by it — namely Raymond Chandler and Eric Ambler — created far superior stories. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film deserves even more credit for transforming a bland thriller into a timely warning. (A popular review on Goodreads championing this novel claims that those who do not like it do not like old books. Frankly, The Thirty-Nine Steps is simply unremarkable, while many contemporary novels are both compelling and relevant.)