The 39 Steps by John Buchan

[andmark1]

Has anybody ever read The thirty nine steps or seen any seen any of the films?

I've seen the 1959 film version, and I thought it was brilliant.

[sloth]

Funnily enough, the only one of the 3 film versions I haven't seen is the 1959 one! Apparently it's a remake of the 1935 film starring Robert Donat, and if so it will have very little in common with the plot of the novel. The 1978 film starring Robert Powell as Richard Hannay is much closer to the John Buchan original.

The book itself is fun. Someone (Julian Symons, I think, but I'm not sure) once wrote an article about the different types of detective fiction, and he used The 39 Steps as an example of what he called 'Now Get Out Of That.' That's about the best description of the plot I can think of - it's excellent escapism.

[Gamgee]

I've read the book (which I'd certainly recommend). Read it off the back of enjoying the Robert Powell film version and was curious how close it was to the book. Think I've seen all of the film adaptations (Hitchcock's 1935, the 1959 you've seen and 1978 one) - the most faithful is probably Powell's - but all of them use the basic premise of the book well and are enjoyable in their own right.

[Kylie]

I read this last year and enjoyed it. Here's what I wrote in my review:

This is an enjoyable read that requires the reader to somewhat suspend their disbelief because there are so many amazing coincidences and escapes that are so conveniently timed that it becomes a little distracting. However, because this is one of the original thrillers, I can forgive all that and enjoy it for the fun read that it was - not too heavy or taxing. Recommended.

I haven't seen any movie versions yet but I'm on the lookout for them, particularly Hitchcock's take, although I understand it's fairly different to the book. According to IMDB, there is a new version slated for release next year, although there doesn't appear to be many details available (it's on the 'back-burner'), so who knows when it'll come out.

[Janet]

It's by John Buchan, not Richard Buchanan. I'll amend the title for you. :)

I read this several years ago and thought it was great. I've been meaning to read more of his.

My Mum has 'Prester John' on her bookcase, but its an old hardbacked version so I've not picked it up, but I might look at it next time I go over.

[Freewheeling Andy]

I read it, along with almost all the other Buchan novels, and certainly all the Richard Hannay ones, as a teenager. They were fantastic teenage fodder, if slightly old fashioned.

As mentioned above, it depends a fair bit on coincidence, but that's pretty much par for the course on that kind of book. Great adventure drive, though, which is why it's good for kids.

The old-fashionedness comes in things like an obsession with, say, stag hunting. Something that was fairly standard for wealthy men in 1912 (actually, the stag hunting may be a different one of the Hannay novels, but the attitude is there through them all), but seems deeply archaic for most of us now.

[andmark1]

Today I rented The 39 Steps out of my libary, seems like a good book so far.

[LiamCostas]

I loved the 39 steps, absolutely thrilling read from the beginning to the end. The things is, given that it was written, what...? 60 years ago? It reads very much like a contemporary thriller in terms of structure and pacing, and yet of course, it obviously has the language and values of a different era.

I have tried reading other Buchan stuff like Prestor John, b-u-u-u-t, one finds ones self nashing teeth at some of the language and cringing at some prett un-pc values. But then, you know, you have to consider when it was written. In a similar way that accusations of rascism by Tolkein (orks being black, good guys being aryan/blond etc) is too easy a shot, I'd hesitate to level the same sort of thing at Buchan.

[Raven]

Funnily enough, I almost went to see the Hitchcock version at my local cinema this afternoon. The '35 and '78 versions are both very good, but as much as I like Kenneth Moore, his version is the worst by a long way. Another book, in a seemingly endless list, that I really should read one day!

[Inver]

My OH is actually rereading it yet again at the moment. I have never read it but have seen the film a few times.

[SueK]

Hi, I love the Richard Hannay books and was fortunate to find the Complete Richard Hannay (Penguin) in my local charity shop for £1 recently!!!!:D

I loved the Robert Powell version and the Robert Donat one but just couldn't understand why they made the Kenneth More one as it had a "memory man" in it and just didn't make sense.

[pipread]

I`ve enjoyed the films, but I`ve never read the book, maybe I will read it one day, I think I`d enjoy it. :)

[Inver]

Hi, I love the Richard Hannay books and was fortunate to find the Complete Richard Hannay (Penguin) in my local charity shop for £1 recently!!!!:D
Think that is the copy my OH has and is reading it from.