The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps by John Buchan was written in 1915 and takes place in 1914, involving a plot to start World War I.  A classic tale of espionage, it begins with a simple murder and involves a chase throughout England and Scotland before the main character, Richard Hannay, decodes the few clues he has and stops the plot from unfolding.  It's really nothing like the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name, which is also good, leaving out the autistic memorist who unwittingly gives away the secret to the 39 Steps before being shot.

I felt like going on a long drive, so I took my Spark up to Anza Borrego State Park for the morning and listened to The 39 Steps on Audible, which cost $2.48.  I also bought the 2013 video game based on the novel for a couple of dollars, but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.  All-in-all, it was a fun novel and a fun morning.  The book is only four hours long, so it's perfect for the odd road trip.

Not many 1915 novels are still worth reading.  Some are classics, and while I don't think The 39 Steps will make its way into the Western Cannon, it's an excellent study of a very modern adventure.  What would movies of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s have been without the idea of a regular guy getting drawn into a murder and a spy thriller?  This novel is the genesis of much of Hitchcock's work, I believe.