The Thirty-Nine Steps
Hanney, an expatriated Scot, returns from a long stay in South Africa to his flat in London. One night he is buttonholed by an American who appears to know of an anarchist plot to destabilise Europe, and claims to be in fear for his life. Hannay lets the American hide in his flat, and returns later to find that another man has been found shot dead in the same building, apparently a suicide. Four days later Hannay finds the American stabbed to death...
Followed by Greenmantle, and Mr. Standfast.
this nervous little chap.
There was a tray of drinks on a table beside him, from which he filled himself a stiff whisky-and-soda. He drank it off in three gulps, and cracked the glass as he set it down.
'Pardon,' he said, 'I'm a bit rattled tonight. You see, I happen at this moment to be dead.'
I sat down in an armchair and lit my pipe.
'What does it feel like?' I asked. I was pretty certain that I had to deal with a madman.
A smile flickered over his drawn face. 'I'm not mad - yet. Say, Sir, I've been watching you, and I reckon you're a cool customer. I reckon, too, you're an honest man, and not afraid of playing a bold hand. I'm going to confide in you. I need help worse than any man ever needed it, and I want to know if I can count you in.'
'Get on with your yarn,' I said, 'and I'll tell you.'
He seemed to brace himself for a great effort, and then started on the queerest rigmarole. I didn't get hold of it at first, and I had to stop and ask him questions. But here is the gis
Reviews
Add a review for this title.
An earlier review mentions Robert Donat playing the lead role, but for some reason I kept seeing Cary Grant running around through the moors. Not heavy reading, but a good story, with fun characters - a step above "pulp" fiction.
Bit stoggy not unlike new bread, but you get into it and it races along - for me it pays to see the old English(1930-ish) which really establishes a reference point and lets you imagine the time that it was set in. Robert Donat plays the hero and makes a good fist of the part, but for those of you reading it from another era the film would really help.
The plot does not hang together very well and is far fetched. Despite this the story moves quickly and is fun to read.
