Review: Nantwich Book Club reads "The 39 Steps"

By Joy Cassidy
This month we read John Buchan’s The Thirty Nine Steps.

The spy-thriller has been the basis of many varying adaptations, most famously Hitchcock’s 1935 film version of the same name.

Although we enjoyed reading this short novel, there were many flaws in Buchan’s plot; unexplained characters, convenient oversights and implausible anecdotes which made us feel we were almost reading the unedited version of this classic text.

At the same time, Buchan’s personal writing style draws the reader in, forcing the pages to turn in quick succession.

The fact this spy thriller, written in 1915, has had so many varying adaptations, from comedy drama to tense film thrillers, is testament to the fact Buchan’s novel is the forerunner of the spy thriller genre.

We were even able to draw comparisons with the like of Bourne and Bond, bringing this one-time current affairs novel, relevant in the 21st Century.

Upcoming books to be reviewed are as follows:

– February: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Sallinger
– March: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Nantwich Book Club meets on the first Sunday of the month at 8pm at The Black Lion, on Welsh Row in Nantwich.

New members are always welcome.