The Thirty-Nine Steps
William Blackwood and Sons[1] | |
Publication date | 1915[1] |
---|---|
Media type | |
Pages | 253[1] |
Followed by | Greenmantle |
The Thirty-Nine Steps is a 1915
The novel has been adapted many times, including several films and a long-running stage play.[2] In 2003, the book was listed on the BBC's Big Read poll of Britain's "best-loved novels."[4]
Plot
The story's narrator, Richard Hannay, arrives in London from Rhodesia early in 1914, having made a modest fortune as a mining engineer. Disillusioned with his uneventful life as a man about town, he is on the brink of resolving to leave England for good when a panicked neighbour, Franklin Scudder, knocks at the door of his flat in Portland Place. Scudder is a freelance journalist who claims to have uncovered a plot against the Premier of Greece, Constantine Karolides. According to Scudder, Karolides is to be assassinated in London in a few weeks' time, on 15 June, an event which the plotters hope will trigger war in Europe.
Fearing for his life, Scudder has gone to the trouble of faking his own death, and needs to disappear from view. Hannay permits him to hide in his flat, and is horrified when a few days later he returns to find Scudder with a knife through his heart, now truly dead. Determined to warn the government of the plot, but unwilling to go to the police for fear of being arrested for murder, Hannay escapes the building disguised as a milkman and takes a train to Scotland, intending to find a remote area where he can lie low. He takes with him the coded notebook in which Scudder had recorded his findings.
Hannay alights at a rural station in the Galloway Hills, and a cat-and-mouse chase ensues as he evades both the plotters, who attempt to spot him on the open hillside from an aeroplane, and the police. Decyphering Scudder's notes, he learns that his adversaries are members of a German spy ring known as the "Black Stone" whose goal is to steal Britain's naval defence plans before war breaks out. Hannay meets Sir Harry, landowner and local parliamentary candidate, and takes him into his confidence. Sir Harry promises to write to his godfather, Sir Walter Bullivant, Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office, to warn him of the plot.
Narrowly avoiding his pursuers, Hannay stumbles into a lonely cottage and finds himself face to face with the Black Stone's leader. Hannay's lies are convincing enough to leave the spies in doubt as to his true identity, and they lock him in a storeroom rather than killing him outright. Finding a cabinet full of explosives, Hannay uses his experience as a mining engineer to escape by blowing the window from its frame. Eventually he manages to catch a train south, hoping to find Sir Walter Bullivant at his home in Berkshire.
Sir Walter accepts the bulk of Hannay's story but doubts that Karolides' life is in danger. An urgent government phone call, however, informs him that Karolides is already dead. The two men travel to London, where Sir Walter is to host a high-level official meeting at his
Realising that the spies will have to cross the
Principal characters
- Richard Hannay – protagonist and narrator; mining engineer recently arrived from Southern Africa
- Franklin P Scudder – freelance journalist
- Sir Harry – Scottish landowner and local parliamentary candidate
- Sir Walter Bullivant – Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office; Sir Harry's godfather
- Alexander Turnbull – roadmender
Background
This novel was his first "shocker", as he called it – a story combining personal and political dramas. It marked a turning point in Buchan's literary career and introduced his adventuring hero Richard Hannay. He described a "shocker" as an adventure where the events in the story are unlikely and the reader is only just able to believe that they really happened.[6]
Dedication
Buchan dedicated the novel to his friend Thomas Arthur Nelson, saying "My Dear Tommy, / You and I have long cherished an affection for that elemental type of tale which Americans call the 'dime novel' and which we know as the 'shocker' – the romance where the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible. During an illness last winter I exhausted my store of those aids to cheerfulness, and was driven to write one for myself. This little volume is the result, and I should like to put your name on it in memory of our long friendship, in the days when the wildest fictions are so much less improbable than the facts.[8]
Literary significance and criticism
The Thirty-Nine Steps is one of the earliest examples of the '"man-on-the-run" thriller archetype subsequently adopted by film makers as a much-used plot device. In The Thirty-Nine Steps, Buchan holds up Richard Hannay as an example to his readers of an ordinary man who puts his country's interests before his own safety. The story was a great success with the men in the First World War trenches. One soldier wrote to Buchan, "The story is greatly appreciated in the midst of mud and rain and shells, and all that could make trench life depressing."[9]
Hannay continued his adventures in four subsequent books. Two were set during the war, when he continued his undercover work against the Germans and their allies the
Adaptations
The novel has been adapted for multiple media; many of these versions depart significantly from the text – for example, by introducing a love interest absent from the original novel and inspired by Hitchcock's film. In most cases, the title is often abbreviated to The 39 Steps, but the full title is more commonly used for the book and 1978 film adaptation.[2]
Film
The 39 Steps (1935)
The 1935 black-and-white film directed by Alfred Hitchcock deviates substantially from the book.[2] It stars Robert Donat as Hannay and Madeleine Carroll as a woman he meets on the train.[10] It is regarded by many critics as the best film version.[11] This was one of several Hitchcock films based upon the idea of an "innocent man on the run", such as Saboteur and North by Northwest. In 1999, it came 4th in a BFI poll of British films and in 2004 Total Film named it the 21st greatest British film of all time.[12]
The 39 Steps (1959)
The 1959 film directed by Ralph Thomas was the first colour version, starring Kenneth More as Hannay and Taina Elg as Miss Fisher.[2] It is closely based on Hitchcock's adaptation, including the music-hall finale with "Mr. Memory" and Hannay's escape from a train on the Forth Bridge, scenes not present in the book. It features a musical score by Clifton Parker.
The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)
The 1978 version was directed by Don Sharp and starred Robert Powell as Hannay, Karen Dotrice as Alex, John Mills as Colonel Scudder.[13] It is generally regarded as the closest to the book, being set at the same time as the novel, pre-Great War, but still bears little resemblance to Buchan's original story. Its climax bore no relation to the novel's denouement, instead seeing Hannay hanging from the hands of Big Ben. The film was followed by a spin-off television series, Hannay, also starring Powell and featuring adventures occurring before the events in The Thirty-Nine Steps.[2]
The 39 Steps (2008)
The BBC commissioned a new television adaptation of the novel, scripted by Lizzie Mickery and produced by BBC Scotland's drama unit.[14][15] The 90-minute film stars Rupert Penry-Jones, Lydia Leonard, Patrick Malahide and Eddie Marsan, and was first broadcast on 28 December 2008[16] A romantic subplot was added to the story, featuring Lydia Leonard. The storyline only very tenuously follows that of the book, many characters being renamed, or omitted altogether. The film ends with a scene involving a submarine in a Scottish loch, rather than the original setting off the Kent coast, and the apparent death of one character.
Radio
There were numerous American radio adaptations during the two decades following the release of Hitchcock's film, most of which were based on its heavily altered plot. It remains a popular subject for modern live productions done in a similar, old-time radio style.[2][17]
- 1937, starring Lux Radio Theaterseries.
- 1938, starring Orson Welles, part of The Mercury Theatre on the Air series.
- 1943, starring Herbert Marshall and Madeleine Carroll, part of the Philip Morris Playhouse series.
- 1946, starring David Niven, part of The Hour of Mystery series.
- 1947, part of the Canadian Broadcasting CompanyStage Series.
- 1948, starring Glenn Ford and Mercedes McCambridge, part of the Studio One series.
- 1952, starring Herbert Marshall, part of the Suspense series.[18]
There have been many full cast adaptations for BBC Radio and all are based directly on Buchan's novel.[2]
- 1939, in six parts, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by James McKechnie.[19]
- 1944, in six parts, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Derek McCulloch.[20]
- 1950, The Adventures of Richard Hannay in 12 half-hour parts, based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Donald McLean.[21]
- 1950, The Adventures of Richard Hannay in eight half-hour parts, based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Donald McLean.[22]
- 1960, in six episodes, adapted by J. C. Gosforth and produced by Frederick Bradnum.[23]
- 1972, The Adventures of Richard Hannay based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast in six episodes, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Norman Wright.[24]
- 1989, dramatised by Peter Buckman and directed by Patrick Rayner.[25]
- 2001, starring David Robb, Tom Baker and William Hope, adapted by Bert Coules.[26][27]
There are also several BBC solo readings:
- 1947, in 12 parts, abridged by Hilton Brown and read by Arthur Bush.[28]
- 1978, in five parts, abridged by Barry Campbell and read by Frank Duncan.[29]
- 1996, in ten parts, produced by Jane Marshall and read by John Nettles.[30]
Other solo readings:
- 1994, abridged, read by James Fox and released by Orbis Publishing, as part of their "Talking Classics" series. It consisted of an illustrated magazine accompanied by a double CD or cassette.
- 2007, unabridged, read by Audible audiobooks.[31]
- 2007, unabridged, read by Peter Joyce and released by Assembled Stories audiobooks.[32]
In 2014, BBC Radio 3 broadcast Landmark: The Thirty-Nine Steps and World War I, a 45-minute documentary on the novel's initial impact at home and abroad.[33]
Theatre
A
Television
A 1988 prequel television series named Hannay was spawned from the 1978 feature film version.
Video game
A 2013, Scottish developer The Story Mechanics used the Unity game engine to create The 39 Steps, a digital adaptation.[44][45]
Interactive fiction
In 2008, Penguin Books adapted the story as interactive fiction under the authorship of Charles Cumming calling it The 21 Steps.[46]
References
- ^ a b c "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide: The 39 Steps (1935)". Brenton Film. February 2020.
- ^ "The Thirty-Nine Steps first edition dustwrapper". Johnbuchansociety.co.uk. 19 October 1915. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ^ "BBC – The Big Read". BBC. April 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2017
- ^ Buchan, John. The Thirty-Nine Steps. Chapter X, last sentence of the novel.
- ^ a b "Lord Tweedsmuir: novelist and son of John Buchan", obituary, The Times of London, 4 July 2008 ("In 1990 [William] Buchan published a memoir of his own early life, The Rags of Time, in which he described his family life [...]"). Retrieved 8 December 2008
- ^ "The 39 Steps: Thanet Area". undergroundkent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Buchan, John (1993). Harvie, Christopher (ed.). The Thirty-Nine Steps. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Rimington, Stella (11 January 2011). "John Buchan and The Thirty-Nine Steps". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- IMDb
- ^ The BFI 100 Archived 17 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The BFI 100: The 39 Steps". BFI.
- IMDb
- IMDb
- ^ Rushton, Katherine (20 August 2008). "BBC plots 39 Steps remake". Broadcast Now. EMAP. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ "Network TV Programme Information BBC ONE Weeks 52/53". BBC. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ From Old-Time Airwaves to Terry Concert Hall, "The 39 Steps" Radio Play Opens Friday 3 Oct. 2014
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1939)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1944)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Adventures of Richard Hannay (1950)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Adventures of Richard Hannay (1950)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1960)
- ^ BBC Radio 4: The Adventures of Richard Hannay (1972)
- ^ BBC Radio 4: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1989)
- ^ BBC Radio 4: The Thirty-Nine Steps (2003)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps (2001)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1947)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps [radio] (1978)
- ^ BBC Genome: The Thirty-Nine Steps [radio] (1978)
- ^ Amazon Audible: The Thirty-Nine Steps (2007)
- ^ Amazon Assembled Stories: The Thirty-Nine Steps (2007)
- ^ BBC Radio 3: Landmark: The Thirty-Nine Steps and World War I (2014)
- ^ Kachka, Boris (13 January 2008). "How 'The 39 Steps' Went From Tense British Thriller to Broadway Comedy". New York Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ a b Johnson, Andrew (15 June 2008). "Thirty-nine steps to an unlikely theatrical triumph". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Kate Bassett (3 July 2005). "The 39 Steps, West Yorkshire, Playhouse, Leeds". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
- ^ Sam Marlowe (18 August 2006). "The 39 Steps". The Times. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ Georgia Snow (17 June 2015). "The 39 Steps to close after nine years in the West End". The Stage. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- ^ "The 39 Steps, review, New World Stages/Stage 1, Off-Broadway". Newyorktheatreguide.com. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ^ The Broadway League. "Internet Broadway Database listing, "39 Steps"". Ibdb.com. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth."The 39 Steps Will Step Into the Helen Hayes in January 2009", playbill.com, 17 October 2008 Archived 20 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "New year arts: Observer critics pick the culture to get us through to spring". the Guardian. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (9 April 2021). "Netflix Lands 'The 39 Steps' Limited Series; Benedict Cumberbatch, Director Edward Berger & Scribe Mark L. Smith Update A Classic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "The 39 Steps for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Oxford, Nadia (30 April 2013). "The 39 Steps Review". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ The 21 Steps Archived 20 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, interactive fiction
External links
- The full text of The Thirty-Nine Steps at Wikisource
- The Thirty-Nine Steps at Standard Ebooks
- The Thirty-Nine Steps at Project Gutenberg
- The Thirty-Nine Steps at Faded Page (Canada)
- The Thirty-nine Steps public domain audiobook at LibriVox