A review by ejl2623
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I'm glad I read this classic and got a kick out of parts of it, but agree it shows its age. I get why it is held up as a favorite for many as such an early example of the spy genre and the person alone trying to navigate who to trust and who is out to kill him, and so forth.  But is is definitively a creature of its era.