39 steps

John Buchan's world-famous novel is being published in Hungarian for the first time. Its publication is justified by its unwavering popularity, the more than one hundred thousand copies sold since its first publication, its category-creating role, its vivid characters, and its excellent plot. Its last English-language edition was published in 2015. The Thirty-Nine Stairs is the most famous part of the five-part Richard Hannay novel series, and established John Buchan's reputation as the best thriller writer of his time. The tense, fast-paced, first-person singular story is a surprisingly intriguing description of a life-threatening adventure, characterized by skillful and vivid descriptions of landscapes and weather. It is characterized by conciseness, clarity, precise observation, and wry humor. The protagonist, Richard Hannay, in many ways embodies the average man who knows the limits of his abilities, and as such is a man with whom the reader is happy to identify. John Buchan's Thirty-Nine Stairs is a terrifying spy story. A fast-paced, well-written book with lively characters and a tense atmosphere, it is a classic piece of the thriller genre. I really appreciate the refreshing conciseness of the novel: it is relatively short and can be read in one sitting. In 1934, Alfred Hitchcock bought the film rights from John Buchan, who was already a well-known writer at the time. The film version was titled The 39 Steps and was probably the first escape hero type film in film history when it was released in 1935. This made Alfred Hitchcock a famous director all over America. The novel itself is set in pre-World War I Britain, where the protagonist, Richard Hannay, accidentally falls into the Great Power spy game. And when his roommate is killed, he must flee to protect his life and expose the spies' secret.