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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
a classic cat & mouse thriller, i picked this book up from a charity shop many moons ago. it was a very quick read that spanned over a train journey with one change. buchan fills the pages with intense escapes & suspicious characters, fulfilling the promise of a hunted man on the run. unfortunately, i felt that in places it was too fast paced that it limited the amount of time we get to truly understand the character of hannay, his intentions & personality. at only 100 off pages long, it’s a quick plot that moves along well, despite things getting tangled up at times. i can see why it’s a classic in its danger, suspense & connecting to hannay’s fear & trust issues, i just wish there was more about him throughout the book.
This is (one of?) the first adventure/ spy novels & it was a lot of fun to read. Hannay, the protagonist, is on the run from the bad guys for most of the book & his ingenious escapes are fun to read about. I most appreciated how the everyday Scots are depicted as unfailing kind (to be fair, even Hannay gets involved via an act of kindness), and how resourceful he is. I was, however, shocked by the casual & gratuitous anti-Semitism - once again reminding me of just how much of the world held these views as WW2 began.
It took me a while to get interested in this book, probably two thirds into the book, but once I did it was quite enjoyable. One of the original spy novels, it depicts a man bored with London life and is then visited by a crazed man who tells him of a plot to kill a Greek diplomat which will launch Britain into WWI. The man is soon killed and so Mr Hanney, the protagonist, leaves for his native Scotland as he knows he will either be charged with the murder or will also be killed. He encounters much action in his escape, and is almost caught many times.
Overall, an enjoyable light read.
Overall, an enjoyable light read.
A short and fun spy story with lots of cat and mouse chases, and they were escapes.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I mean, I guess it's a classic?
The first sixty pages are like the seasons 2 - 5 of the Walking Dead. He describes, in detail, landscape after landscape, because he is on the run, but it's the same every time! The heathers, the subtle waves of the hills and valleys, the creeks...enough. It's repetitious. It's like he had a fun 20 page short story and got paid by the word and stretched it out to 110.
That being said, I do see why it may be historically important. It's descriptions of Jews and Germans gives insight into norms in Europe at the time.
At least it's a quick read.
The first sixty pages are like the seasons 2 - 5 of the Walking Dead. He describes, in detail, landscape after landscape, because he is on the run, but it's the same every time! The heathers, the subtle waves of the hills and valleys, the creeks...enough. It's repetitious. It's like he had a fun 20 page short story and got paid by the word and stretched it out to 110.
That being said, I do see why it may be historically important. It's descriptions of Jews and Germans gives insight into norms in Europe at the time.
At least it's a quick read.