The Thirty-nine Steps


Read by Adrian Praetzellis

(4.6 stars; 1500 reviews)

Richard Hannay’s boredom is soon relieved when the resourceful engineer is caught up in a web of secret codes, spies, and murder on the eve of WWI. This exciting action-adventure story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 classic film of the same name. John Buchan (1875-1940) was Governor General of Canada and a popular novelist. Although condemned by some for anti-Semitic dialog in The Thirty-Nine Steps, his character’s sentiments do not represent the view of the author who was identified in Hitler’s Sonderfahndungsliste (special search list) as a "Jewish sympathiser." (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis) (4 hr 20 min)

Chapters

Chapter 1 30:13 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 2 16:31 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 3 30:14 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 4 27:48 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 5 23:11 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 6 36:50 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 7 26:31 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 8 19:10 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 9 15:39 Read by Adrian Praetzellis
Chapter 10 34:35 Read by Adrian Praetzellis

Reviews

Such a fun spy thriller!


(5 stars)

the reader is AMAZING!!! THOSE SCOTTISH ACCENTS! The story was a joyride, too--a real adventure with high stakes, shifting loyalties, ciphers and chases and disguises. Hannay is a fun and interesting character, an able spy and yet human enough to be relatable. the narrative humanizes all the characters, which I really appreciate, and it was interesting to see glimpses of the political climate at the time. overall, an awesome book that made my day at work a million times better.

Albania is the type of place that might keep a man from yawning


(5 stars)

loved it, great story of a selfish dilettante who became central to solving a great mystery

ALWAYS EXCELLENT


(5 stars)

Never get tired of this story or the movie! The reader is fabulous and I loved his small aside! I love fishing, too!!🌹


(5 stars)

Simply putting this, it's a brilliant audiobook with a lovely narration that makes you want to go through it in one go!!

excellent reading


(5 stars)

loved the timbre, pacing, and clarity of the reading. a great tale. Very enjoyable to listen to.

Bravo from Borneo


(5 stars)

Bravo! Really enjoyed this fast paced murder mystery cum spy novel. It really moved along from start to finish. John Buchan creates a hero that you root for and wait in anticipation to see how he will defy the odds though his sharpness and acumen. He is a man of many disguises that can melt into a setting. Chapeau to Adrian Praetzellis who did a sterling job in reading the book. He really brought the characters to life. I can't remember the film, which I saw over 40 years ago, but this is of no matter as the book and this reading stand worthy in their own right. Now to find another book read by Adrian!

Delightful!


(5 stars)

The 39 Steps is a fun, interesting, and well written novelette. Of course, it is an adventure story, but never too fast paced. I’m used to the Hitchcock film version, so I kept waiting for the love interest! There never was one, but I loved the story anyway. And Mr. Praetzellis has an extraordinary voice. His Scottish accent is so fun to hear. Thanks for your time, Mr. Praetzellis!

The audiobook was excellent but the story unrealistic


(4 stars)

I really don't know how to rate this book, the narration was amazing and it kept me engaged while the story itself was so unrealistic and the plot moved forward by mere chances. The book deserves only 3 stars, and I'm being generous because it is a classic, but the narration deserved solid 5 stars, thus I rate it 4 stars.