Les trente neuf marches

Par John Buchan

Voici le livre dont a été tiré le célebre film d'Alfred Hitchcock :
Richard Hannay, de retour d'Afrique du sud, s'ennuie dans son pays, l'Angleterre, et pense a repartir lorsqu'un locataire de son immeuble, Franklin P. Scudder, l'en dissuade en lui offrant un travail digne de Sherlock Holmes, qui lui fera vite oublier son désir de réembarquer pour l'Afrique. Notre apprenti détective se retrouve en possession d'un carnet contenant une énigme que lui a laissé Scudder, qui a été assassiné entre temps. Que sont donc ces 39 marches?...

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Booklassic
• Date de sortie: 29 juin 2015
• ISBN: 9789635259359

John Buchan

John Buchan was a Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist. He published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short stories. He was born in Perth, an eldest son, and studied at Glasgow and Oxford. In 1901 he became a barrister of the Middle Temple and a private secretary to the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1907 he married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor and they subsequently had four children. After spells as a war correspondent, Lloyd George's Director of Information and Conservative MP, Buchan moved to Canada in 1935. He served as Governor General there until his death in 1940. Hew Strachan is Chichele Professor of the History of War at the University of Oxford; his research interests include military history from the 18th century to date, including contemporary strategic studies, but with particular interest in the First World War and in the history of the British Army.

Aperçu du livre

978-963-525-935-9

Chapitre 1

L'homme qui mourut

Cet après-midi de mai, je revins de la City vers les 3 heures, complètement dégoûté de vivre. Trois mois passés dans la mère patrie avaient suffi à m'en rassasier. Si quelqu'un m'eût prédit un an plus tôt que j'en arriverais là, je lui aurais ri au nez ; pourtant c'était un fait. Le climat me rendait mélancolique, la conversation de la généralité des Anglais me donnait la nausée ; je ne prenais pas assez d'exercice, et les plaisirs de Londres me paraissaient fades comme de l'eau de Seltz qui est restée au soleil.

– Richard Hannay, mon ami, me répétais-je, tu t'es trompé de filon, il s'agirait de sortir de là.

Je me mordais les lèvres au souvenir des projets que j'avais échafaudés pendant ces dernières années à Buluwayo. En y amassant mon pécule – il y en a de plus gros, mais je le trouvais suffisant –, je m'y étais promis des plaisirs de toutes sortes. Emmené loin de l'Écosse par mon père dès l'âge de six ans, je n'étais pas revenu au pays depuis lors : l'Angleterre m'apparaissait donc comme dans un rêve des Mille et Une Nuits, et je comptais m'y établir pour le restant de mes jours.

Mais je fus vite désillusionné. Au bout d'une semaine j'étais las de voir les curiosités de la ville, et en moins d'un mois j'en avais assez des restaurants, des théâtres et des courses de chevaux. Mon ennui provenait sans doute de ce que je n'avais pas un vrai copain pour m'y accompagner. Beaucoup de gens m'invitaient chez eux, mais ils ne s'intéressaient guère à moi. Ils me lançaient deux ou trois questions sur l'Afrique du Sud, et puis revenaient à leurs affaires personnelles. Des grandes dames impérialistes me conviaient à des thés où je rencontrais des instituteurs de la Nouvelle-Zélande et des directeurs de journaux de Vancouver, et où je m'assommais au-delà de tout. Ainsi donc, à trente-sept ans, sain et robuste, muni d'assez d'argent pour me payer du bon temps, je bâillais tout le long du jour à me décrocher la mâchoire. Un peu plus et je décidais de prendre le large et de retourner dans le « veld[1] », car j'étais l'homme le plus parfaitement ennuyé du Royaume-Uni.

Cet après-midi-là je venais de tarabuster mon agent de change au sujet de placements, à seule fin de m'occuper l'esprit, et avant de retourner chez moi j'entrai à mon club – un estaminet pour mieux dire, qui admettait des Coloniaux comme membres. Je pris un apéritif à l'eau, en lisant les feuilles du soir. Elles ne parlaient que du conflit dans le Proche-Orient, et il y avait entre autres un article sur Karolidès, le premier ministre de Grèce. Il me plaisait, ce gars-là. C'était sous tous rapports le seul homme en vue considérable ; et, de plus, il jouait un jeu loyal, ce qu'on n'eût pu dire de beaucoup d'autres. J'appris qu'on le haïssait comme une vraie bête noire à Berlin et à Vienne, mais que nous allions le soutenir ; et un journal même voyait en lui la dernière barrière entre l'Europe et la catastrophe. Je me demandai à ce propos s'il n'y aurait pas un emploi pour moi de ce côté. L'Albanie me séduisait, comme étant le seul pays où l'on fût à l'abri du bâillement.

Vers 6 heures, je rentrai chez moi, m'habillai, dînai au café Royal, et entrai dans un music-hall. Le spectacle était inepte ; rien que femmes cabriolantes et hommes à grimaces de singes ; aussi je ne restai guère. La nuit étant douce et limpide, je regagnai à pied l'appartement que j'avais loué près de Portland Place. Autour de moi la foule s'écoulait sur les trottoirs, active et bavarde, et j'enviai les gens pour leurs occupations. Ces trottins, ces employés, ces élégants, ces policemen avaient au moins dans la vie un intérêt qui les faisait mouvoir. Je donnai une demi-couronne à un mendiant que je vis bâiller : c'était un frère de misère. À Oxford Circus je pris à témoin le ciel de printemps et fis un vœu. J'accordais un dernier jour à ma vieille patrie pour me procurer quelque chose à ma convenance : si rien n'arrivait je retournais au Cap par le prochain bateau.

Mon appartement formait le premier étage d'un nouvel immeuble situé derrière Langham Place. Il y avait un escalier commun, avec un portier et un garçon d'ascenseur à l'entrée, mais il n'y avait ni restaurant ni rien de ce genre, et chaque appartement était tout à fait indépendant des autres. Comme je déteste les domestiques à demeure, j'avais pris à mon service un garçon qui venait chaque jour. Il arrivait le matin avant 8 heures, et partait d'habitude à 7, car je ne dînais jamais chez moi.

Je venais d'introduire ma clef dans la serrure quand un homme surgit à mes côtés. Je ne l'avais pas vu s'approcher, et son apparition soudaine me fit tressaillir. C'était un individu fluet à la courte barbe brune et aux petits yeux bleus et vrilleurs. Je le reconnus pour le locataire du dernier étage, avec qui j'avais déjà échangé quelques mots dans l'escalier.

– Puis-je vous parler ? dit-il. Me permettez-vous d'entrer une minute ?

Il contenait sa voix avec effort, et sa main me tapotait le bras.

J'ouvris ma porte et le fis entrer. Il n'eut pas plus tôt franchi le seuil qu'il prit son élan vers la pièce du fond, où j'allais d'habitude fumer et écrire ma correspondance. Puis il s'en revint comme un trait.

– La porte est-elle bien fermée ? demanda-t-il fiévreusement.

Et il assujettit la chaîne de sa propre main.

– Je suis absolument confus, dit-il d'un ton modeste. Je prends là une liberté excessive, mais vous me semblez devoir comprendre. Je n'ai cessé de vous avoir en vue depuis huit jours que les choses se sont gâtées. Dites, voulez-vous me rendre un service ?

– Je veux bien vous écouter, fis-je. C'est tout ce que je puis promettre.

Ce petit bonhomme nerveux m'agaçait de plus en plus avec ses grimaces.

Il avisa sur la table à côté de lui un plateau à liqueurs, et se versa un whisky-soda puissant. Il l'avala en trois goulées, et brisa le verre en le reposant.

– Excusez-moi, dit-il. Je suis un peu agité, ce soir. Il m'arrive, voyez-vous, qu'à l'heure actuelle je suis mort.

Je m'installai dans un fauteuil et allumai une pipe.

– Quel effet ça fait-il ? demandai-je.

J'étais bien convaincu d'avoir affaire à un fou.

Un sourire fugitif illumina son visage contracté :

– Non, je ne suis pas fou… du moins pas encore. Tenez, monsieur, je vous ai observé, et je crois que vous êtes un type de sang-froid. Je crois aussi que vous êtes un honnête homme, et que vous n'auriez pas peur de jouer une partie dangereuse. Je vais me confier à vous. J'ai besoin d'assistance plus que personne au monde, et je veux savoir si je puis compter sur vous.

– Allez-y de votre histoire, répondis-je, et je vous dirai ça.

Il parut se recueillir pour un grand effort, et puis entama un récit des plus abracadabrants. Au début je n'y comprenais rien, et je dus l'arrêter et lui poser des questions. Mais voici la chose en substance :

Il était né en Amérique, au Kentucky. Ses études terminées, comme il avait passablement de fortune, il se mit en route afin de voir le monde. Il écrivit quelque peu, joua le rôle de correspondant de guerre pour un journal de Chicago, et passa un an ou deux dans le sud-est de l'Europe. Je m'aperçus qu'il était bon polyglotte, et qu'il avait beaucoup fréquenté la haute société de ces régions. Il citait familièrement bien des noms que je me rappelais avoir vus dans les journaux.

Il s'était mêlé à la politique, me raconta-t-il, d'abord parce qu'elle l'intéressait, et ensuite par entraînement inévitable. Je devinais en lui un garçon vif et d'esprit inquiet, désireux d'aller toujours au fond des choses. Il alla un peu plus loin qu'il ne l'eût voulu.

Je donne ici ce qu'il me raconta, aussi bien que je pus le débrouiller. Au-delà et derrière les gouvernements et les armées, il existait d'après lui un puissant mouvement occulte, organisé par un monde des plus redoutables. Ce qu'il en avait découvert par hasard le passionna : il alla plus avant, et finit par se laisser prendre. À son dire, l'association comportait une bonne part de ces anarchistes instruits qui font les révolutions, mais à côté de ceux-là il y avait des financiers qui ne visaient qu'à l'argent : un homme habile peut réaliser de gros bénéfices sur un marché en baisse ; et les deux catégories s'entendaient pour mettre la discorde en Europe.

Il me révéla plusieurs faits bizarres donnant l'explication d'un tas de choses qui m'avaient intrigué – des faits qui se produisirent au cours de la guerre des Balkans : comment un État prit tout à coup le dessus, pourquoi des alliances furent nouées et rompues, pourquoi certains hommes disparurent, et d'où venait le nerf de la guerre. Le but final de la machination était de mettre aux prises la Russie et l'Allemagne.

Je lui en demandai la raison. Il me répondit que les anarchistes croyaient triompher grâce à la guerre. Du chaos général qui en résulterait, ils s'attendaient à voir sortir un monde nouveau. Les capitalistes, eux, rafleraient la galette, et feraient fortune en rachetant les épaves. Le capital, à son dire, manquait de conscience aussi bien que de patrie. Derrière le capital, d’ailleurs, il y avait la juiverie, et la juiverie détestait la Russie pis que le diable.

– Quoi d'étonnant ? s'écria-t-il. Voilà trois cents ans qu'on les persécute ! Ceci n'est que la revanche des pogroms. Les Juifs sont partout, mais il faut descendre jusqu'au bas de l'escalier de service pour les découvrir. Prenez par exemple une grosse maison d'affaires germanique. Si vous avez à traiter avec elle, le premier personnage que vous rencontrez est le Prince von und zu Quelque chose, un élégant jeune homme qui parle l'anglais le plus universitaire – sans morgue toutefois. Si votre affaire est d'importance, vous allez trouver derrière lui un Westphalien prognathe au front fuyant et distingué comme un goret. C'est là l'homme d'affaires allemand qui inspire une telle frousse à vos journaux anglais. Mais s'il s'agit d'un trafic tout à fait sérieux qui vous oblige à voir le vrai patron, il y a dix contre un à parier que vous serez mis en présence d'un petit Juif blême au regard de serpent à sonnettes et affalé dans un fauteuil d'osier. Oui, monsieur, voilà l'homme qui dirige le monde à l'heure actuelle, et cet homme rêve de poignarder l'Empire du Tzar, parce que sa tante a été violentée et son père knouté dans une masure des bords de la Volga.

Je ne pus m'empêcher de lui dire que ses juifs anarchistes me paraissaient avoir gagné bien peu de terrain.

– Oui et non, répondit-il. Ils ont progressé jusqu'à un certain point, mais ils se sont heurtés à plus fort que la finance, à ce qu'on ne peut acheter, aux vieux instincts combatifs essentiels à l'humanité. Quand vous allez vous faire tuer, vous dénichez un drapeau et un pays quelconques à défendre, et si vous en réchappez vous les aimez pour tout de bon. Ces sots bougres de soldats ont pris la chose à cœur, ce qui a bouleversé le joli plan élaboré à Berlin et à Vienne. Toutefois mes bons amis sont loin d'avoir joué leur dernière carte. Ils ont gardé l'as dans leur manche, et à moins que je ne parvienne à rester vivant un mois encore, ils vont le jouer et gagner.

– Mais je croyais que vous étiez mort ! interrompis-je.

– Mors janua vitæ, sourit-il. (Je reconnus la citation : c'était à peu près tout ce que je savais de latin.) J'y arrive, mais je dois vous instruire d'un tas de choses auparavant. Si vous lisez les journaux, vous connaissez sans doute le nom de Constantin Karolidès ?

Je dressai l'oreille à ces mots, car je venais de lire des articles sur lui cet après-midi même.

– C'est l'homme qui a fait échouer toutes leurs combinaisons. C'est le seul grand cerveau de toute la bande politique, et il se trouve de plus que c'est un honnête homme. En conséquence voilà douze mois qu'on a résolu sa mort. J'ai fait cette découverte sans peine, car elle était à la portée du dernier imbécile. Mais j'ai découvert en outre le moyen qu'ils se proposent d'employer, et cette connaissance était périlleuse. Voilà pourquoi j'ai dû trépasser.

Il prit un nouveau whisky, et je m'en fis un également, car l'animal commençait à m'intéresser.

– Ils ne peuvent l'atteindre

Avis sur Les trente neuf marches

[haloedrain · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I was expecting more of a thriller, but after a while I stopped worrying about Hannay because the author keeps throwing him exactly what he needs, no matter how improbable.

[lisamorr · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Bored Richard Hannay has already had enough of London, after returning from a life abroad. But then a neighbor drops by and Richard's life becomes very exciting, very fast. The coincidences are unbelievable at times in this espionage thriller as Richard becomes embroiled in trying to stop a secret plot to undermine the British war effort as Europe marches towards WW1. Still it was a fun ride as Richard races across Scotland by train, car and on foot as he tries to shake his pursuers and expose the plot.

[col2910_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Synopsis/blurb................John Buchan wrote "The Thirty-Nine Steps" while he was seriously ill at the beginning of World War I. In it, he introduces his most famous hero, Richard Hannay, who, despite claiming to be an "ordinary fellow", is caught up in the dramatic race against a plot to devastate the British war effort. Hannay is hunted across the Scottish moors by police and a pitiless enemy in the corridors of Whitehall and, finally, at the site of the mysterious 39 steps. The best-known of Buchan's thrillers, this novel has been continuously in print since first publication and has been filmed three times. Other Buchan "World Classics" include "Witchwood" and "Greenmantle".My take......I doubt I will be providing much original thought on this classic book which was published 99 years ago. It has 460 reviews on Amazon UK – soon to be 461, and nearly 10,000 ratings on Goodreads.The Thirty-Nine Steps introduces us to Richard Hannay, who subsequently figures in 4 more novels by Buchan, none of which I have read. They are;2. Greenmantle (1916)3. Mr Standfast (1918)4. The Three Hostages (1924)5. The Island of Sheep (1936)As an aside, the time-span between the 4th and 5th books is interesting, I wonder why? Saying that - Buchan did live an interesting and full life...at various times....Unionist MP, Governor of Canada, Government War propagandist, Army enlistment, diplomatic service in South Africa, church elder, novelist. We open and Hannay is restless and in need of an adventure to stimulate him. One soon arrives in the appearance of a stranger who enlists Hannay’s help in hiding him. The man, Scudder has faked his death and tells Hannay he is being followed by a German gang of spies. Scudder confides that he has uncovered a plot to kill the Greek Premier and also that there is a scheme afoot to steal British plans that have been prepared in the event of an outbreak of war. Scudder is discovered murdered the next day in Hannay’s flat and Richard, a likely suspect in the murder flees, managing to evade the Germans who are watching him. A sense of obligation and duty compels Hannay to try and thwart the assassination attempt. With three weeks to lay low until the events Scudder has outlined are scheduled to begin, Hannay takes a train to Scotland to kill time. Having taking Scudder’s notebook when fleeing London and deciphered his coded notes, these appear to contradict what Scudder previously told him. Over the next week or two he is relentlessly pursued both by aeroplane and car, by both the Germans and the police, still anxious to arrest Hannay for murder. His adventures see him posing as a road-mender at one time and unbelievably making a political speech for a prospective politician, Sir Harry at a rally. Having taken Harry into his confidence, Harry fortuitously has a relative in the Foreign Office and writes Hannay a letter of introduction. Still on the run, Hannay survives being taken prisoner by the enemy. After managing to escape, Richard returns to London and contacts Harry’s relative – Sir Walter Bullivant; unburdening himself of his secrets. The Greek PM still gets assassinated. Our erstwhile hero still feels there is more at risk and gatecrashes a meeting at Bullivant’s house where he catches a glimpse of one of his Scottish pursuers in disguise. Hannay’s adversary is now in possession of material damaging to Britain’s war plans.Hannay works with British military leaders to discover the significance of Scudder’s phrase – The Thirty Nine-Steps in a bid to save the day.Overall verdict – I really liked this one. It felt a bit like a Boys Own adventure and to be honest there’s a place in my reading schedule for books of this type occasionally. One criticism would be that Buchan does seem to rely on some rather unlikely coincidences to help Hannay (and the author?) out of a jam at times. Last minor gripe would be the one of language with references made to “the Jew” and a “Jewish plot.” I wouldn’t dare to tar Buchan with an anti-semite brush, but 100 years after this was written it sits a little bit uncomfortably with me. Happily, reading this managed to tick a number of boxes for me. I have a couple of signed-up for challenges that this meets the criteria for, plus one of my own.Read Scotland – tick.Vintage Mystery – Golden – tick (not quite sure which box on my bingo card I will be ticking just yet)Espionage Challenge – tickIn addition, my son’s Christmas present to both my wife and me were tickets to see the West End production of The Thirty-Nine Steps last Saturday, something I will briefly cover in my next blog post. I managed to read the book before seeing the show, spoilsport that I am.4 from 5I do have a paperback copy of this around the house somewhere, but couldn’t locate it, so I got a free version from Amazon UK for my kindle. There are a couple of other Buchan/Hannay books on the site available for nowt, so I now have Greenmantle and Mr Standfast waiting.

[gypsysmom_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

At the beginning of this book there is a note from the author to a friend: MY DEAR TOMMY You and I have long cherished an affection for that elementary type of tale which Americans call the 'dime novel' and which we know as the 'shocker' -- the romance where the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible. During an illness last winter I exhausted my store of those aids to cheerfulness, and was driven to write one for myself. This little volume is the result, and I should like to put your name on it in memory of our long friendship, in the days when the wildest fictions are so much less improbable than the facts. J.B. And so that is the genesis of one of the first spy novels. It is set in Britain just before World War I. A middle-aged man, Hannoy, has made his fortune in Africa and is living in London and getting thoroughly bored with his new life. Then his sedate existence is overturned when his upstairs neighbour asks for help. He claims to be in fear of his life because he has learned some information about Germany's intentions to start a war. Hannoy allows him to stay in his flat and listens to his tale but is sceptical about it. Then he comes home one night and finds his house guest stabbed to death. He realizes he will be next so he flees to Scotland where he manages to stay one step ahead of German agents and British police by effecting a number of disguises. He has managed to decipher the little black book his guest had always carried with him but he is still unclear as to the event which the spy said would take place on June 15th. The clue is in the phrase "Thirty-nine Steps" and once that is figured out the German plot can be foiled. This reminded me quite a bit of H. Rider Haggard's classic King Solomon's Mines which I read last year. Male-dominated adventure yarn but fun to read.

[bensdad00 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A classic of mystery, intrigue and adventure; set in a world immediately familiar and yet unfathomably foreign.

[sasham-1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

A fun adventure story full of the close encounters and unlikely coincidences that make great fiction

[troyka-3 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

very hard going when trying to understand dialect. it made it a chore for me, but its still a good book, just not dyslexia friendly.

[aront-2 · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

I heard this book read as an audio book on the best audio books' classic tales podcast. That's the only thing that made it bearable (check out the podcast it's excellent). Well the mercifully short ending helped. The fact that Hitchcock managed to make this into a fantastic film proves once again that books and their films are as closely related as a man and his fifth cousin twice removed.

[joe8dane · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

A fun, quick read.

[deltaqueen50 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure story and is probably what John Buchan is most known for even though he was a well recognized historian, accepted a peerage as Lord Tweedsmuir and served as a governor-general of Canada. This short adventure thriller is famous for it’s “man-on-the-run” action story and for the many films it has inspired.The story opens with Richard Hannay, an Englishman who grew up in South Africa, finding his life in London rather boring and so is very open to becoming involved in uncovering an anarchist plot when he is approached by a nervous American. This American all too soon turns up dead and left in Hannay’s apartment. Now implicated in murder, Hannay decides to travel to Scotland to hide from both the British police and a very powerful German spy ring until the appropriate authorities can be advised of the situation. The story moves quickly as Hannay relies on the help of various people that he meets in the Scottish highlands and ultimately he turns the tables on the spies by helping to hunt them down.The Thirty-Nine Steps is a very quick read and has the hero dashing around in the heather and peat bogs of the Scottish Highlands for most of the book. Set in the weeks prior to the opening of World War I, the author captures the nationalistic feelings and the political blunders that help to set up this occurrence. Although somewhat dated, I enjoyed this story.

[terris-7 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

From Amazon: "In this fast-paced spy thriller, a self-described "ordinary fellow" stumbles upon a plot involving not only espionage and murder but also the future of Britain itself. Richard Hannay arrives in London on the eve of World War I, where he encounters an American agent seeking help in preventing a political assassination. Before long, Hannay finds himself in possession of a little black book that holds the key to the conspiracy — and on the run from both the police and members of a mysterious organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden.
This is the first of five novels in John Buchan's Greenmantle series, featuring the adventures of the stalwart and resourceful Richard Hannay. Originally published in 1915, it also served as the basis for several movies and plays, including Alfred Hitchcock's classic cinematic adaptation." I really enjoyed this!

[pilgrimjess · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This is yet another book that I find rather hard to write a review for and again it is mainly because I am of an age where I remember watching the film. I distinctly remember watching this movie at school and I guess that is the real problem, the book not only shows it's age but mine too.For those who do not know the plot, the book is told in the first person by Richard Hannay an ex-pat who has recently returned to the old ancestral homeland with a fair amount of money but with no friends or other ties and his is bored rigid. Then a neighbour is killed in his flat and the finds himself thrust into a spy mystery persued not only by the baddies but the police also.The book written nearly 100 years ago and is set in the run up to WW1. This book is important because it was one of the first real spy stories and as such marks a shift in literary trends but also touches on the prevailing class differences of the time. Hannay was a mine-engineer in Rhodesia, so reasonably working class, but has made some money abroad and now finds himself rubbing shoulders with the upper classes.With a long line of mis-adventures and disguise changes along the way ala Jason Bourne in the Bourne series but as this barely 100 pages long so there is little fleshing out of the various characters within. On the whole the book felt rather insubstantial and the ending a little rushed but you can certainly see why it has stood the test of time. A book of it's time hence 3 stars but perhaps it would have been better if I could get the image of Robert Powell racing across the country out of my mind

[justabookreader · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Sometimes, I like to go old school with my books. This book was one of those occasions. I should start off by telling you that The Thirty-Nine Steps is a serial story that appeared in a magazine in and around 1915 or so. I found it interesting for that reason; the fact that it was an old school spy thriller took it over the top though. However, there’s a reason for my telling you this up-front but the valuable lesson learned will be shared in a moment.Richard Hannay is an ordinary man trying to settle into his London home after years away in South Africa when a neighbor, Franklin Scudder, corners him and tells him that he’s uncovered a German plot to assassinate a Greek Premier and he needs help hiding out. Soon after agreeing to hide Scudder, Hannay comes home to find him dead. From then on, Hannay is running from everyone. He can’t go to the police, he doesn’t know who is really chasing him, and he doesn’t know if any of it is real or not. Running is his one and only option.Lesson learned: if you are going to read a serialized story, read it that way. Each chapter is a complete story, in a way. There’s a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Yes, you can say that of most novels but it’s especially true in this case since each chapter was run by itself it needed to reintroduce the characters and story in subtle ways. When I tried to read this book all in one sitting, it didn’t work. I started to wonder if I would even finish it because it wasn’t working for me. So, I started and ended each chapter at lunch. And it clicked! The book started working and I was in love with it. It became exciting to see how Hannay was going to get out of his predicament and who he would meet up with next. It was my lunch reading and I couldn’t wait for it.It’s a man on the run thriller, one the first of its kind from what I remember reading about this story. The story itself is a great distraction too. I got caught up and was happy to see things work out in some cases or be left wondering about the next set up.Warning: if you’re going to read this, go one chapter at a time and let the story play out. It’s so much better that way. And try it you should.

[davros410 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Interesting adaptation, although I don't understand why it was updated to being set in 1950 rather than just before World War I. Was this when it was first adapted by Classics Illustrated?It's not as good as the original novel, but is a good taster.

[maggiecraig_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Re-read this classic tale of adventure and derring-do a few months ago. Still think it's a terrific yarn in its depiction of one man being hunted through the moors and hills of Galloway in south-west Scotland, pursued by the agents of a foreign power. We're building up to World War I, and tensions in Europe are rising.There's the occasional throwaway remark illustrating the casual prejudices of the time which can bring the modern reader up short but there's much to admire too, particularly the terrific sense of place and the great characterisation.

[wildbill_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

A very entertaining Sunday morning read. I read this once before long ago but I kept getting the ending mixed up with the movie version. A pre-WW I suspense espionage that introduced the character Richard Hannay. The story involves someone getting caught up in an espionage plot somewhat like Eric Ambler's stories. The difference is that here there is a definite good guy and bad guy and the good guy wins. The book is well written and I recommend it as an entertaining story.

[ursula_2 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

After a brief introduction to our main character, Richard Hannay, who is living in London but considering returning to South Africa due to boredom, we are thrust immediately into the plot by the arrival of a strange man with an even stranger tale. The man, Scudder, tells Hannay about a political plot that is underway and which he is trying to thwart. Scudder has faked his own death to escape his pursuers, who are going to commit a political assassination. Hannay is fascinated with the story, which he believes in spite of its outlandishness because he assesses the man as an honest one. Shortly, Scudder is killed, and Hannay takes up his mission. He is pursued across the UK by the police as well as by the bad guys as he tries to prevent the war from coming to pass.I was unsurprised that Hitchcock was drawn to make a movie out of this one (although I hear that the movie bears little resemblance to the book - I haven't seen it yet). It reminds me a lot of North by Northwest, with the story being based on relentless pursuit of someone who is innocent. The book definitely succeeds at creating an atmosphere of complete paranoia. I usually just read along at face value, but I was seeing spies and counterspies, plots and potential double-crosses everywhere. It's a short book, full of narrow escapes and cunning disguises, and it moves quickly. If you're looking for complete plausibility, it probably won't appeal to you, but one can see all the earmarks of future spy novels touched on here.Recommended for: Bond aficionados, people who enjoy Germans as villains, Tarantino fans, people who have always wanted to read detailed descriptions of the Scottish countryside.Quote: "'By God!' he whispered, drawing his breath in sharply, 'it is all pure Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle.'"

[helenliz_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

This was brilliant. Never seen any of the adaptions, although I did know something of what went on, but not the whole story. So I came to it very new. It's all a bit convolouted, and trying to describe the plot does tend to sink into melodrama, but somehow, when reading it, is seems entirely sensible. Richard Hannay has made his money in mining in the colonies and comes back to the UK - only to be bored out of his mind by London. He's just resolved to leave when he is accosted by a fellow flat holder and told a fable about a plot that sounds rather far-fetched. But he thinks the fellow is for real, so helps him out - only to have him murdered. whoops. So he's now wanted by the police and trying to foil a feindish plot all at the same time. It's not very long, but it packs an awful lot of narative into a small package. The climax is a grat piece of the study f human nature, and how you can start to doubt yourself when faced with what seems to be overwhelming evidence against you. Thrilling adventure and some great character studies throughout.

[edgeworth_1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

The Thirty-Nine Steps is a WWI-era thriller by John Buchan; in the introduction, he mentions in a letter to a friend that he wrote it because he was bedridden with illness and had exhausted his own supply of easy, amusing thriller novels, so he decided to write his own. The novel follows protagonist Richard Hannay, a Scottish-born Rhodesian miner who has recently returned to the mother country and finds himself embroiled in a plot to throw Europe into war. With the man who warned Hannay of the plot soon murdered in his own flat, Hannay finds himself on the run in Scotland, pursued by both the conspirators and the British police.I think I picked up The Thirty-Nine Steps because it was on the BBC’s Big Read, and because I recently got an ereader and was looking for public domain novels to download to test it out. It’s a relatively entertaining lark which reminded me quite a bit of Geoffrey Hosuehold’s Rogue Male (though I liked it better, since it has more variety in it) and no doubt enthralled many a soldier in the trenches of France. It moves along at a decent pace and clocks in nice and short at just over 100 pages. I’m just not sure why it’s so famous or why it made the Big Read list – there are probably hundreds of thrillers from the era that are of about the same quality. The Thirty-Nine Steps is entertaining enough, but if you die without reading it your life wasn’t necessarily a waste.

[shanaqui_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Before I write my review, I like to poke around and read other reviews, on amazon and goodreads and by searching google. I like to see if anyone's picked up something I missed that's worth thinking about, or if people are being perfect idiots about it. I've read that this book is terribly boring and you'd be better off reading a cereal box, I've read that this book is not suitable for girls, and I've read that it isn't suitable for Americans because the spelling is "weird".

Note my gender.

And the interesting fact that I'm supposed to deal with American spelling, but the Americans can't deal with ours... Ah, hypocrisy.

Anyway! The Thirty-Nine Steps is, apparently, one of the first spy novels. It's not a genre I'm incredibly interested in, but usually when I come across a mystery novel or whatever, I can get engrossed in it. This one's a very quick read, my copy is only a little over a hundred pages long, though the writing is quite small and close, which was a liiiittle irritating. Couldn't actually read it in bed without my glasses on!

That aside. It's quite a fun little story: tightly plotted, with several daring escapes and breathless moments. Suspension of disbelief is necessary, but not too necessary. The main character isn't the most likeable man in the world -- rich, bored, quite skilled at deceit, quick-tempered, a little whiny... But he isn't that bad, either. At least, I didn't particularly want him to get caught and killed. The writing was readable, too, quite immediate despite the past tense, and I didn't notice any particularly clunky parts.

It didn't bowl me over, not to the extent that I'd say "it was amazing" (five stars), but yeah, I "really liked it" (four stars).

[pussreboots · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

The 39 Steps is actually a quick read and a rather dry thriller. I think part of that apparent dryness is a result of it being the inspiration for so many spy thrillers. It is impressive to see a book published in 1915 still in print -- so many books don't have this long of a life in print. All the comedic bits that make it a memorable Hitchcock film aren't there. Even as a young filmmaker he was already exercising his authority as an up and coming auteur.

[bibliophile_pgh · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I enjoyed this story. A very quick read. Definitely different than the Alfred Hitchcock movie that I remember. It is one of the first spy and espionage thrillers.

[daptolibrary · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

We rarely fail to please with our classics. As a group we can see the merit in most of these literary gems, even if it does not fall into our preferred genre. The 39 Steps was seen for what it was; a boy’s own adventure with quick, punchy episodes written to entertain. The hero, Richard Hannay, delighted us as he skipped his way through the country side as a more than competent espionage agent dodging enemies and much of the humour was not lost to us.On a more serious note, we found the descriptive passages, particularly of the Scottish landscape beautifully written and believe Steps to be a book of its time that ticked many of boxes for an engaging adventure novel in 1915.A few of us were not quite so impressed, finding the writing a little amateurish with too many coincidences and an unbelievable story line. Old-fashioned it may be, but as a forerunner to the modern day adventure espionage novel, you are not likely toget anything better.

[revslick_1 · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

This is the classic that started the 'man-on-the-run' action thrillers. It's also the one everybody has tried to live up to since. Classic, espionage, thriller - don't put it down otherwise you might have to backtrack. You don't follow this one - you just hang on for the ride.

[alexbrightsmith-1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

A rollicking good little yard that doesn’t insult its readers’ intelligence with blatant impossibility. Perfect of its type.

[rlangston-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

A slight disappointment given this book is on so many "must read" lists. More Ian Fleming than John le Carre, with a shallow plot and even shallower protagonist. That said, the book was written in 1915 and arguably established the genre.

[wdwilson3 · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

Hitchcock's "39 Steps" is one of my favorite old movies. That it sprung from this preposterous book impresses me even more. The similarities are limited to the title, the protagonist's name, and the first few chapters. After that, believe it or not, the movies is far more plausible.

[reneh-2 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Maybe because I have seen three or four film versions, but there was not much tension for me while reading the book. Still three stars. The book is well written and now - at last - I know the real ending.

[391_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

I LOVED this book. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[davethewebb_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

An excellent book. Doesn't seem unrealistic, although the hero is on the verge of failure most of the time. Keeps up the suspense admirably.