The Thirty-Nine Steps (Oxford World's Classics)
by John Buchan
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Book Summary Information
Author: John BuchanEditor: Christopher Harvie
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-21
ISBN: 0199537879
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of The Thirty-Nine Steps (Oxford World's Classics)
Book Review: Fast Steps
Summary: 3 Stars
People who seek out John Buchan's first Richard Hannay adventure because they enjoyed the classic Hitchcock film or any of the other film and stage adaptations over the years will most likely be a bit disappointed. Other than Hannay, the titular steps, and a good amount of time set in Scotland, most adaptations veer wildly off from the direction Buchan took Hannay in.
In 1915, Richard Hannay returns from war duty in Africa and finds himself incredibly bored -- until he is taken into the confidence of a man who seems to have discovered an international conspiracy, and that man turns up dead in Hannay's apartment. Hanny quickly finds himself on the run from both the British police and a shadowy organization who may be trying to bring about (and make sure England and France are on the losing side of) what turns out to be World War One.
The action Hanny finds himself involved in is tame compared to today's spy thriller fiction, but Buchan keeps things moving at a fast clip and doesn't really allow his hero a chance to slow down. Hannay is quick-witted and physically able, as the main character of a thriller must be, and survives every encounter with those trying to catch him by a combination of physical prowess, good costumes, and enough deductive reasoning that even the great Holmes would admit Hannay could be close to a peer. Some of Hannay's encounters are a little too convenient, but that's the nature of stories like these: you have to willingly suspend your disbelief in the occurrence of so many coincidental encounters with colorful locals just when Hannay needs a place to hide or a cunning disguise.
As a classic of early 1900s spy/adventure fiction, it's hard to find fault with the book. There's nothing really extraneous other than a late-in-the-game fistfight outside of Pall Mall is a bit unnecessary, stretching the book's length just a tad and not really adding any palpable tension to the book's end-game. There's no love interest, or really any main female role at all, which is possibly why Hitchcock and others have created female characters to share Hannay's travails. The book works as what it is: a tight, crisp, spy thriller that introduces a world-weary but interesting main character. (Buchan went on to write several other Hannay adventures.)
Definitely recommended. It's a fast, short read.
Summary of The Thirty-Nine Steps (Oxford World's Classics)
In The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), the best-known of his thrillers (made into a popular movie by Alfred Hitchcock), John Buchan introduces his most enduring hero, Richard Hannay, who, despite claiming to be an "ordinary fellow," is caught up in the dramatic and dangerous race against a plot to devastate the British war effort.In this, the only critical edition available, Christopher Harvie's introduction interweaves the writing of the tale with the equally fascinating story of how John Buchan, publisher and lawyer, came in from the cold and, via The Thirty-Nine Steps, ended the war as spy-master and propaganda chief.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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