The 39 Steps

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh. It is the first of the five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous knack for getting himself out of delicate situations.

The plot of the book isn't anything like the movie adaptation. Its basically the hero is running away from villains, escaping them by a combination of his own brilliance at disguise and dumb luck. Plus there are some remarkable coincidences (he meets an familiar acquaintance in the wilds of Scotland and then again later in London).

The character of Hannay is not entirely sympathetic, possessing a view of Jews and foreigners that grates but is characteristic of the period. As with other books of this vintage the dialogue is a bit overblown. But it's a ripping yarn, a quick read, and a taste of a period where these tales were lapped up.