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Title details for The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan - Available

The Thirty-Nine Steps

by John Buchan
Steven Crossley
Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
John Buchan takes us back to Edwardian Britain on the eve of the First World War in the modern thriller The Thirty-Nine Steps. An inexplicable murder drives the innocent Richard Hannay, on the run from a manhunt that never seems to end, to hide in remote Scottish moorland. Disguise and deception are his only weapons, as he struggles to decode the clues left by the murdered man to prevent the theft of naval secrets by an unfriendly foreign power.


The best-known of Buchan's thrillers, The Thirty-Nine Steps has been continuously in print since its first publication and has been filmed three times, including the brilliant 1935 version directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The Thirty-Nine Steps was also a powerful influence on the development of the detective novel, the action romance, and the spy story.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 26, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781400199006
      • File size: 120216 KB
      • Duration: 04:10:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1000
    • Text Difficulty: 5-7

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 22, 2010
      A full cast delivers a gripping performance of John Buchan's classic tale of espionage and intrigue. When Richard Hannay discovers a dead body in his apartment, he's dragged into a dark and dangerous world of global politics, secret societies, and undercover agents. Accused of murder and with the fate of the British fleet resting in his hands, Hannay must elude the police and
      foreign spies, decode a cryptic notebook, and convince the enigmatic Sir Walter Bullivant to believe his incredible tale. David Robb dazzles as Hannay, delivering a gritty, nuanced performance of a man living a nightmare, and with the addition of dramatic music and a host of pitch-perfect sound effects, this audiobook is highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      When he's speaking as protagonist Richard Hannay, David Thorn does a fine job. He captures the tension, focus, and self-doubt of a man accidentally caught up in a spy caper. During these sections, it's easy to understand how this became a classic Hitchcock thriller and it's a pleasure to listen to. It's this narrative voice that sustains listeners through a plot that's a bit too clever and melodramatic to believe in--Thorn makes us cares about Hannay and the England that produced him. However, when he shifts accents, the results are uneven. Those close to an English accent, such as Scots, are adequate, but his Kentucky accent is so far off it detracts markedly from the listening experience. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      This classic in espionage fiction has been dramatized by everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to "Masterpiece Theatre" and is tailor-made for a full-cast adaptation. Music swells, skilled performers deliver dramatic portrayals, and production values shine. Even the plot is classic: An innocent man is caught up in a nightmare of mistaken identity that ratchets up the tension with one near disaster after another. Ordinary guy Richard Hannay searches desperately for someone who'll believe he's not a murderer and help him unravel a secret notebook before it's too late for all of Britain. This well-directed group of actors brings just the right over-the-top bravado to the production. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1000
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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