The Thirty-Nine Steps (Dover Thrift Editions)
John Buchan, Dover Thrift Editions
"I returned from the City about three o'clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life."
I picked this up with high hopes. A classic thriller!! Recently made into a Masterpiece Theater movie (a sure sign of worth!). A famous Hitchcock thriller. Alas, I was not a fan. The pros: it is eminently readable. Clearly written, and compelling - you pick it up, and tear through it. Not at all boring. Cons: unbelievable plot, even for a spy novel. The antagonists are both terribly powerful and totally incompetant. Oh, yes, and serious anti-Semitism, which was extremely off-putting. I will say, though, that my copy (which was put out by Penguin, not the Dover Thrift that I've linked above) is fabulous to look at - which was just another link in my unreasonable expectations. So - has anyone read this and have higher praise for it?
Categories: Fiction