Talk about setting the scene! We first meet Mr and Mrs Bunting fretting over their lack of money. These respectable ex-servants now run a boarding house, the only problem is, they have no boarders. Money is tight and many of their prized possessions have been sold, or pawned, although Mrs Bunting would never lower herself to enter a pawnbrokers shop. The pair are hungry and down to their last pennies.
The boarding house is on the Marylebone Road in a very foggy London circa 1913 but it has been furnished nicely. It is just before Christmas when the couple decide to put the light on in the hallway and a stranger, with little luggage knocks at the door.
Mr Sleuth is just the sort of lodger the couple want in Mrs Bunting’s opinion. She judges him to be a gentleman, and so although he is a bit fussy about keeping his rooms locked, oh and only wants Mrs Bunting to serve his food, and he’s a vegetarian, but he’s paying a handsome sum for the privilege which means Mr Bunting can go back to buy the daily paper and his tobacco.
Those daily papers are filled with stories of murders, bodies found with a note from ‘The Avenger’ Mrs Bunting is seriously unimpressed with everyone’s, well mainly Mr Bunting’s, salacious interest in the case, something only increased by their young friend, Joe who is serving with the Metropolitan Police and not at all adverse to giving titbits out about the investigation. But even with the intrepid Joe playing his part the bodies keep on mounting. With the arrival of Mr Bunting’s teenage daughter Daisy who Joe has taken a shine to, Mrs Bunting begins to suspect their lodger of being The Avenger. She doesn’t know what to do as I suspect she is secretly in agreement of doing away with those fond of drink which seem to be the main victims. That said she doesn’t want to be an accessory after the fact and of course, as the papers say, this could be Jack the Ripper.
This slow burning novel is mesmerising. Even this level-headed reader some one hundred years into the future couldn’t help but be drawn into Mrs Bunting’s mounting apprehension and horror. This middle-aged woman is a fascinating character, even more so than Mr Sleuth with his Bible reading and odd habit of prowling the streets in the fog doesn’t quite compete. She is one of those women of a certain age who seem to relish having no enjoyment in life and looking down on those who do. The only pleasure she seems to approve of is Mr Bunting’s chair, bought as a treat for him to sit in after a hard day’s work. Her attitude to young Daisy is so cutting at times that it seems that Daisy is quite unlike modern teenagers who I’m sure would, in the main react in any other way other than helping Mrs Bunting sweetly with her chores, which is what this lovely girl does. It’s not as though she doesn’t have a spark to her personality which is shown by a visit Joe takes her on to the Black Museum, although sadly for the pair Mr Bunting gate-crashed this romantic trip.
As a classic piece of crime fiction with a psychological bent, this has to be up there with the best and so I urge you to take a trip through the foggy streets of London to revel in the descriptive and yet modern feel to the writing. There on those streets or perhaps upstairs in the boarding house, you will find out the truth of the matter!
The Lodger is number 31 on The Classics Club list and the fifth of my fifty choices that I’ve read and reviewed.
First Published UK: 1913
Publisher: The Crime & Mystery Club; UK
No of Pages: 288
Genre: Classic Fiction
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Great review Cleo. I like the look of this, off to investigate further! 😉
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Excellent news Karen 😊
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I love the sound of this. I’m going to have to see if I can track down a copy.
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I’m so impressed with your progress on your Classics list! I’ve only gotten 3 done so far this year, but maybe I’ll catch up in the summer. Or not. We’ll see. This book sounds quite interesting. Don’t think I had ever heard of it, but might check out where a copy would be located – my library perhaps?
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I can’t tell you how glad I am you were drawn into this one, Cleo! I agree completely that it’s a very well-written psychological study, along with everything else. And the atmosphere is very effective, isn’t it? I’m very glad I read this one, and it seems you are, too. Couldn’t be happier!
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Great review! I could visualize the settings and the characters…and now I want to know more! Thanks for sharing.
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This is one I need to get round to reading. I love the Hitchcock film that is based on the book.
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You’re putting me to shame with the Classics Club posts! I’d better get a move on! 😉 I remember Fiction Fan loving this one too. You both make such a good case for reading it!
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Thank you Leila – I’ve had a great run with this challenge so far and I’m trailing Fiction Fan on many of my choices 😂
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Fab review! Isn’t it just a great book? I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. 😀 I think Mrs Bunting is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve read – she’s not altogether likeable, as you point out, but as her anxiety grew I got so swept up in my sympathy for what she was feeling, and could totally understand why she didn’t know what to do for the best. I know you’re not a film-watcher but the old Hitchcock film really is fun – different in a lot of ways, but again Mrs Bunting shines through…
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I am tempted by the film of this one as I can see it would translate really well to screen – yes, poor Mrs Bunting was the star of the show as far as I was concerned…
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This sounds great! The atmosphere you describe makes me think it would be a good autumn read, so I’ll bear it in mind for then.
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I’m not surprised you loved this book, it sounds so good! Your recommendation, plus FF’s means this is definitely a classic I need to pick up 🙂
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I’m so pleased to hear that Anne – well worth a read, probably one of the creepiest tales I’ve read in a long while.
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