The 39 Steps by John Buchan (1915)
Richard Hannay is newly returned from living in South Africa, and he’s already bored with London. Everything seems to be happening elsewhere, especially in the Near East, and the Greek Premier, Karolides, seems to feature. “It struck me that Albania was the sort of place that might keep a man from yawning.” Dinner, then the music-hall and strolling home, Hannay is still bored. “I gave half-a-crown to a beggar because I saw him yawn; he was a fellow-sufferer.”
He needs adventure, and is soon to get it when a neighbour, Scudder, ends up with a knife between his shoulder-blades after confiding in Hannay, who soon realises that a) he’ll be framed for Scudder’s murder and, b) the people who did for Scudder will be after him too. He borrows the milkman’s cap and coat and flees north to Scotland.
Thus begins a series of adventures for Hannay as he tries to evade the baddies, clear his name, and once he uncovers more of the dastardly plot, to bring to the attention of the right people in the Government.
It’s real boys-own stuff involving murder, chases by train, car and on foot, disguises, text-book villains, and also some kind people who help him – believing him to be an okay chap. However, it’s a small world, and the baddies are everywhere…
Many of the chapters are named ‘The adventure of …’ after the main characters he encounters: ‘the literary innkeeper’ in the Scottish wilds, who is only too happy to help, saying “It is all pure Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle.” , and ‘the radical candidate’ – a local toff campaigning to be elected, who just happened to have been at college with Hannay.
At just 113 pages in my edition, the adventure sped by with no time to rest. It was great fun, and Hannay is a real hero. At 37, he’s a man who’s seen and done many things. He’s rugged, resourceful and totally at ease with himself. You sense that he knows how to handle a gun but he’s also clever enough to decipher codes and talk at the highest level. What a guy!
Those familiar with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film, starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carrol, upon reading this book, may well say ‘Cherchez la femme’, for there are no significant female characters in the book at all, and there are many other plot changes. (The current West End stage version is based on Hitchcock’s film). The 1978 film version starring Robert Powell was closer to Buchan’s original, but still adds a strong woman character, and goes for a different climax in the ending involving Big Ben, which I remember as being rather fab!
The plot of Buchan’s novel may have a few large holes in – Why Scotland? Why the coincidences of meeting friends out in the wilds, and stumbling upon the chief baddie’s lair? I’ll forgive him though, as I liked Hannay too much to wonder much about these holes. Buchan went on to write four more Hannay adventures, none of which I’ve read, but wager will be as much fun as the first. (7.5/10)
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To explore further on Amazon, click below:
The 39 Steps
The Complete Richard Hannay: “The Thirty-Nine Steps”,”Greenmantle”,”Mr Standfast”,”The Three Hostages”,”The Island of Sheep”
The 39 Steps [DVD]
The 39 Steps [1978] [DVD]
I bought my copy.
I recently watched a version of this on PBS. Lots of twists and turns in the plot.
Ann
There was a recentish UK TV movie version which I missed but had the gorgeous Rupert Penry-Jones in.
Hitchcock never did any better work than in those early black and white films.
I agree – I love all of them!
I read this when I was at school, a few years ago. Don’t really remember it all, but of course I’ve seen the two films on the television. I’m told by at least 2 people that the version of it in the West End at present is the funniest thing for years!
Call me Lebanna! (You can’t fool me Daddio) I think it was more than a few years ago … Bet the show is fun.
I have a vague recollection of being introduced to this book in grade school 45 years ago, but I don’t think I’ve actually read it – an oversight I must soon correct. Thanks for the reminder!
So what’s the verdict: is the book better than the movie?
You got me there Alex. Difficult to say – the movies are both different, but fill in plot holes. The ending of the 1978 one is brilliant. The book’s ending is not so exciting, but it is the original source material … can you sense I’m prevaricating? Book, no film, no book – can’t decide. 😉
It’s a great story and I read a lot of Buchan when I was a teenager and living in Scotland. Have a look at Greenmantle which I think is equally good. I’d find these books slightly uncomfortable reading these days as some of the “attitudes” I find difficult to deal with, particularly the unquestioning patriotism.
I know what you mean about the unquestioning patriotism, but considering that WWI was newly broken out when he was writing this his attitude towards the Germans for instance can be explained, if not condoned by the modern reader. As pure adventure though, it was escapist fun and I loved the romance of that element (as I do James Bond!).
I love hitchcocks but watch the keneth more one today strangely ,I ve been eyeing some buchan hardbacks at local book sale ,all the best stu