Book info

• Title The 39 Steps
• Author John Buchan
• Year 1915
• Genre Mystery

Recently returned from South Africa, adventurer Richard Hannay is bored with life, but after a chance encounter with an American who informs him of an assassination plot and is then promptly murdered in Hannay's London flat, he becomes the obvious suspect and is forced to go on the run. He heads north to his native Scotland, fleeing the police and his enemies. Hannay must keep his wits about him if he is to warn the government before all is too late.

Thoughts

My knowledge of the Thirty-Nine Steps extends really just as far as that image of a man in a suit being chased by a bi-plane. As part of my extended reading list, I picked this one up and was intrigued to see that it was just a short little spy movie, of such popular acclaim. Having read it, I can see why.

It’s very much of the fashion of James Bond, except this is a guy that strikes you as totally normal, rather than super-spy. Luck plays a big part in his surviving all the escapades, but he has the bravery to get him through, and more importantly to keep you rooting for him as it goes.

Some of the story is far-fetched but Buchan openly admits that was his aim. It’s fun to go along with it for this short stretch of time, the characters are intriguing, although never examined in depth. There’s plenty of room for imagination and it’s a great little spy adventure that I enjoyed a lot. I’m curious to see the follow-up too, what crazy adventure can happen to Hannay next?

Rating: 4 / 5