The Thirty-Nine Steps (Dover Thrift Editions)

The writing and the plot stand the test of time. There is fun in the English jargon of a past era, and a couple of politically incorrect cultural markers from a different day. The reading of the book is compelling, the action exciting. This old mystery out shines decades of political action thrillers that have come since.

This is one one of the all time classic thrillers of the olden era. John Buchan was a great author. But its sedentary pace, prim & proper language, sober story-telling and absence of high voltage action may not appeal to the present generation. Read it if you like the olden days sedate mystery novels.

Definitely the paperback airplane reading of its time. Lucky escapes, absurd coincidences, tonnes of pluck, various simple but proud country folk, and all like that there. Entertaining and unpretentious.

Definitely the paperback airplane reading of its time. Lucky escapes, absurd coincidences, tonnes of pluck, various simple but proud country folk, and all like that there. Entertaining and unpretentious.

If you like your spy thrillers with more geography than gadgets, more local color than detailed spy craft, you will likely enjoy this book. The pace varies with the terrain, and the lonely beauty of the Scottish moors is front and center.

The action keeps your interest throughout the book. The main character finds himself in a very dangerous plot, and overcomes all obstacles in the way. The other character seem a bit... undeveloped, as if to highlight all the positives of the main character. The setting seems a bit gloomy, to match the tone of the narrative. The balance between description and dialogue is well thought, making is a well timed read.

This is the progenitor of all the spy-thriller books. John Buchan wrote several books to this series, and all other spy thrillers came after, all they have done is update the technology and the protagonists.

Having seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie, I was anxious to read the book. Even though Hitchcock took liberties with the story, and I did enjoy that, I much prefer the book. It is suspense at its best.

The Dover Edition is especially good to have. I carry a book with me wherever I go and what better way to do that, than to have a book that fits neatly into a purse.

Great memories of having read it in the early 1960s and pleasant recall of those memories in the very recent re-read.

For me, it was mainly a trip down memory lane and the contrast of the writing of that era compared with now was of interest. Contemporary writing would have depicted more violence - not to say that "The Thirty-Nine Steps" was without violence.

The genre depicted was the forerunner of the "James Bond" series.

Buchan, the propaganda secretary during the first world war, wrote there series as part of his job. They show one side of the picture but, being intelligent, full of details and full of action, they make a good, entertaining reading.

Buchan took an historical event, played with it and turned it into a fun, engaging spy novel. The reader empathizes with the main character, marvels at his ability to make just the right choices and his intrepidness. A fun read, priced right (free on Kindle) and leaves the reader seeking other Buchan tales of intrigue.

An Excellent book for light reading. Somewhat predictable plot but an enjoyable, fast-paced adventure. The book is labeled as "Optimized for the Kindle" but contained many typos (scanning errors) in the last chapters.
I downloaded this book based on the title that I recognized as an old classic Alfred Hitchcock movie (that I've heard of but not seen). Now I can't wait to watch the movies (at least 3 versions that I know about). Yes, it was inexpensive but I wouldn't have been disappointed at twice the price.