The Thirty-Nine Steps (Penguin Classics)
by John Buchan
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Book Summary Information
Author: John BuchanBrand: PBS
Editor: John Keegan
Introduction: John Keegan
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-07
ISBN: 0141441178
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Thirty-Nine Steps (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Exciting spy and detective novel without a dull moment, deservedly a classic.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a truly "rip roaring" novel from first to last chapter. It is both a detective novel and an exciting adventure story. with the main theme being the hunt for, and incapacitation of, an arm of the subversive group known as "der schwarze stein", the black stone, with operations in England.
Its a fascinating mystery that demands the many merits of its protagonist, Richard Hannay (ingenuity, energy, courage, innovation, daring, focus and determination) to resolve
The story unfolds in a manner similar to an old movie serial, with exciting action, short stories and plots within each chapter of the novel. The hero, Richard Hannay, whose family is originally Scottish, has come to England from South Africa. He is bored and considering returning to South Africa, when he meets an American, Franklin P. Scudder. Scudder says he's in trouble and Hannay allows him to stay in his apartment. While there, the American describes a fantastic story of intrigue and evil, and he tells Hannay he, Scudder, is already a dead man, i.e., marked for murder. The American's tale includes stories of plots for financial gain, and anti-Semitic references - but as the story unfolds, and this will not spoil the plot, these reference prove to be only fabrications. Hannay does not know what to think, but when a few days latter he finds the American murdered in his apartment, he decides to take up the American's cause.
Because of some anti-Jewish references in this novel, readers may assume that John Buchan was anti-Semitic. However, in real life the Scottish and Oxford-educated Baron Buchan spoke of the similarities between Jews and Scots, particularly in their high regard for learning. As early as the 1930s, he was one of the public figures to denounce Hitler's anti-Semitic rhetoric, and subsequently ended up on one of Hitler's "enemies list".
In spite of the novel's wild adventures, the story has a ring of verisimilitude in many areas. This is probably due to the author's intimate first-hand experience in Africa and dealing with senior British officials as the private secretary to the British High Commissioner for South Africa. Buchan also, apparently, had experience with real spy activities during his life in government, including his position as Governor General of Canada shortly before Canada's entry into World War II.
This is a fully entertaining mystery classic. Its one of those stories that's almost impossible to put down once begun. If you enjoy spy, detective, or mystery fiction this story is clearly in the top tier. Even if your interests normally are for other genres, I believe you'll find this a fascinating novel - it truly deserves the highest recommendation.
Summary of The Thirty-Nine Steps (Penguin Classics)
Richard Hannay has just returned to England after years in South Africa and is thoroughly bored with his life in London. But then a murder is committed in his flat, just days after a chance encounter with an American who had told him about an assassination plot which could have dire international consequences. An obvious suspect for the police and an easy target for the killers, Hannay goes on the run in his native Scotland where he will need all his courage and ingenuity to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.Classics Books
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