Just Finished Reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps (FP: 1915) and The Power House (FP: 1916) by John Buchan [304pp] 

Richard Hanny was bored with London. He had decided to leave the capital and try his luck elsewhere in the Empire, South Africa maybe or Australia. Somewhere, he hoped, with a little more going for it. Maybe he hadn’t heard the warning of being careful with his wishes? Returning to his flat late at night he found a mysterious man waiting for him, a man with a strange story of foreign agents and threats to England. He told a good story and Hanny believed him – at least up to a point. The confirmation came at the point of a knife. Not one aimed at Hanny himself, but one buried in the chest of his recent guest. Going to the police was hardly an option although a body in his flat might interest them a little too much for comfort. There was really only one thing he could do – leave London, evade the police and find out exactly what he had just gotten himself involved in. Maybe then he could take the evidence to the police or the authorities and they wouldn’t lock him up for a hundred years, or worse! He just had to stay alive long enough to do so. Challenge accepted. 

I’ve had this copy (an old hardback published heaven knows when) for a few decades at least so, along with some of the other classics I’ve read recently, thought it was about time I actually read it. I’ve seen the movie adaptations multiple times and have enjoyed them, most especially the 1959 version starring Kenneth More although the 1935 version with Robert Donat had its charms too. Both films play a great deal with the narrative so it turned out that most of the plot was actually new to me. My first surprise was just how short it was at a mere 170pp – so much less of a novel and much more of a reasonably long novella. Apart from the tension early on most of the story seemed to consist of a hare and hounds chase across Scotland sprinkled with improbable escapes and lucky meetings. My particular favourite was when the baddies locked Hanny in a room – presumably prior to his death – that contained blasting caps and high explosives. Luckily, Hanny was an ex-mining engineer.....!! Despite a rather thin narrative together with the improbably lucky coincidences and meetings, this was still quite entertaining although the mystery and the ending were both rather lacklustre. Reasonable 

The second novella, ‘The Power House’, had much in common with ‘The 39 Steps’ – professional out of his depth, secret organisation up to no good, government agencies at a loss and a threat to the realm. Interestingly though, this story was, in my opinion at least, better than its more famous counterpart. 

The story is told by the main character – an English barrister and Member of Parliament – during an evening chat after some duck hunting with friends and was in response to the assertion that said barrister was lucky enough to lead a dull safe life. Not so, apparently. The story involved the sudden disappearance of an acquaintance and the search by a friend for him. Wanting to help in any way he can the barrister/MP starts making enquiries and finds himself becoming entangled in an international conspiracy that puts his life in danger. The plot was, I found, much tighter and more focused that that of ‘39 Steps’ despite having much the same overall theme. The barrister himself was rounded and believable as was his plethora of contacts in London both high – ambassadors, police commissioners and civil servants – and low – petty criminals he’d dealt with in court. I also really liked his belligerent Yorkshire MP friend (from the opposition party) who was always up for a fight. He was often very funny and was a nice touch. The mystery itself was well handled and the ending equally believable. Overall, it was very nicely done. Why this novella isn’t the one we’re all familiar with rather than ‘39 Steps’ is beyond me. Recommended if you can find it in print.