suzannekm 's review for:

The 39 Steps by John Buchan

2.0

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Not the first spy story or spy novel, but it was the one that set the template that Bond was later to follow. I read it for a class on the history of espionage, and as my professor said, "He's not a major writer, he's a minor writer. As you can tell he has no idea how to write women so he doesn't bother." Author was also an anti-Semite (apparently one of the many reasons Churchill disliked him.) so take it with many grains of salt, but relax and enjoy the implausible ride.