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The Wheel Spins
Iris Carr’s holiday in the mountains of a remote corner of Europe has come to an end, and since her friends left two days before, she faces the journey home alone. Stricken by sunstroke at the station, Iris catches the express train to Trieste by the skin of her teeth and finds a companion in Miss Froy, an affable English governess. But when Iris passes out and reawakens, Miss Froy is nowhere to be found. The other passengers deny any knowledge of her existence and as the train speeds across Europe, Iris spirals deeper and deeper into a strange and dangerous conspiracy.
First published in 1936 and adapted for the screen as The Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock in 1938, Ethel Lina White’s suspenseful mystery remains her best-known novel, worthy of acknowledgement as a classic of the genre in its own right.
First published in 1936 and adapted for the screen as The Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock in 1938, Ethel Lina White’s suspenseful mystery remains her best-known novel, worthy of acknowledgement as a classic of the genre in its own right.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1936
208 people are currently reading
4320 people want to read
About the author
Ethel Lina White
117 books97 followersEthel Lina White was a British crime writer, best known for her novel The Wheel Spins (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes (1938), was based, and Some Must Watch (1933), on which the film The Spiral Staircase (1946) was based.
Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1876, White started writing as a child, contributing essays and poems to children's papers. Later she began to write short stories, but it was some years before she wrote books.
She left employment in a government job working for the Ministry of Pensions in order to pursue writing. Her writing was to make her one of the best known crime writers in Britain and the USA during the 1930s and '40s.
Her first three works, published between 1927 and 1930, were mainstream novels. Her first crime novel, published in 1931, was Put Out the Light. Although she has now faded into obscurity, in her day she was as well known as such writers like Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie.
She died in London in 1944 aged 68. Her works have enjoyed a revival in recent years with a stage adaptation of The Lady Vanishes touring the UK in 2001 and the BBC broadcast of an abridged version on BBC Radio 4 as well as a TV adaptation by the BBC in 2013.
(from Wikipedia)
Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1876, White started writing as a child, contributing essays and poems to children's papers. Later she began to write short stories, but it was some years before she wrote books.
She left employment in a government job working for the Ministry of Pensions in order to pursue writing. Her writing was to make her one of the best known crime writers in Britain and the USA during the 1930s and '40s.
Her first three works, published between 1927 and 1930, were mainstream novels. Her first crime novel, published in 1931, was Put Out the Light. Although she has now faded into obscurity, in her day she was as well known as such writers like Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie.
She died in London in 1944 aged 68. Her works have enjoyed a revival in recent years with a stage adaptation of The Lady Vanishes touring the UK in 2001 and the BBC broadcast of an abridged version on BBC Radio 4 as well as a TV adaptation by the BBC in 2013.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
February 13, 2019
I loved this one & wish I had had the time to review this book straight after I finished it! You know, when I was sitting on the edge of my seat with the excitement. It has been a while since I book made me feel like that.
Iris Carr would appear to have everything going for her. She is young, beautiful, bright and wealthy. But she is also bored & disenchanted with both her life style & the so called friends she is holidaying in Europe with. She decides to let these leeches travel back to England without her. Iris has a couple of adventures that make her feel somewhat vulnerable, before she boards the train for home.
The train is crowded, uncomfortable & Iris isn't getting the attention that, with unconscious arrogance, she takes for granted. Luckily she is befriended by an experienced traveller, sprightly governess Miss Froy. Luckily until - Tah Dah! - The Lady Vanishes.
Although you may have seen this plotline a thousand times before, don't forget that in 1936 (original date of publication) this idea would have been fresh and new. I also see a secondary theme selfishness. Watch out for this.
My only criticisms are that the ending seemed a bit drawn out, then pouf! All over. & Max is a bit of a wet noodle. I wanted to reach into my computer monitor & throttle him!
From the film, The Lady Vanishes. Michael Redgrave & Margaret Lockwood.
But all-in-all, a rattling good yarn!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
Iris Carr would appear to have everything going for her. She is young, beautiful, bright and wealthy. But she is also bored & disenchanted with both her life style & the so called friends she is holidaying in Europe with. She decides to let these leeches travel back to England without her. Iris has a couple of adventures that make her feel somewhat vulnerable, before she boards the train for home.
The train is crowded, uncomfortable & Iris isn't getting the attention that, with unconscious arrogance, she takes for granted. Luckily she is befriended by an experienced traveller, sprightly governess Miss Froy. Luckily until - Tah Dah! - The Lady Vanishes.
Although you may have seen this plotline a thousand times before, don't forget that in 1936 (original date of publication) this idea would have been fresh and new. I also see a secondary theme selfishness. Watch out for this.
My only criticisms are that the ending seemed a bit drawn out, then pouf! All over. & Max is a bit of a wet noodle. I wanted to reach into my computer monitor & throttle him!
From the film, The Lady Vanishes. Michael Redgrave & Margaret Lockwood.
But all-in-all, a rattling good yarn!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
December 27, 2024
I can’t remember how this book came on my radar, but I’m glad it did. There is something I really enjoy about a mystery that takes place on a train. Probably because I love train journeys.
In this novel we meet Iris Carr, who is young and rich and privileged. Following a European summer holiday, she boards a train to head back home to England. First stop will be Trieste, but it is a long trip till they get there. While on the train she meets a fellow English woman, Miss Froy, who is especially kind to her as she is suffering from sunstroke and she has no knowledge of the local language. Iris falls asleep and upon awakening, Miss Froy is gone. All the passengers in their carriage state that there is no such person..Due to her sunstroke, she is made to believe she is imagining this person. Is she or isn’t she? Why s everyone denying Miss Froy’ s existence? Who is right? The suspense builds up to its most satisfying conclusion.
This was a perfect diversion through the busy days of Christmas. Now, I just have to find the Hitchcock movie!
Published: 1936
In this novel we meet Iris Carr, who is young and rich and privileged. Following a European summer holiday, she boards a train to head back home to England. First stop will be Trieste, but it is a long trip till they get there. While on the train she meets a fellow English woman, Miss Froy, who is especially kind to her as she is suffering from sunstroke and she has no knowledge of the local language. Iris falls asleep and upon awakening, Miss Froy is gone. All the passengers in their carriage state that there is no such person..Due to her sunstroke, she is made to believe she is imagining this person. Is she or isn’t she? Why s everyone denying Miss Froy’ s existence? Who is right? The suspense builds up to its most satisfying conclusion.
This was a perfect diversion through the busy days of Christmas. Now, I just have to find the Hitchcock movie!
Published: 1936
August 8, 2021
Appearances
When reading The Wheel Spins (1936) or The Lady Vanishes, as the novel was also called – I don’t know if Hitchcock’s movie adaptation from 1938 had anything to do with this change of title –, I constantly asked myself, once more, why Ethel Lina White’s crime novels do not enjoy more enduring renown, like Agatha Christie’s, and also whether Hitch’s movie is superior to the novel or whether the book, as so often, is better than the film. Both questions have not been settled by me, and while I must admit that Hitchcock’s pace of narration is terser and that the addition of messieurs Charters and Caldicott to the plot was a stroke of genius, I’d also say that turning harmless Miss Froy into a spy who gets secret messages from a folk song performed beneath her hotel window demands a lot of gullibility from the viewer. On the other hand, it’s one of the things we love Hitchcock for, isn’t it? In White’s novel, Miss Froy is just an ordinary English spinster, a bit naïve, who happens to know some details other people would not like her to share in a court of justice.
The novel centres on Iris Carr, a young and spoilt socialite, who is on the point of noticing that life as she has led it so far is becoming more and more shallow to her, and who is about to go through her own acid test when she finds herself the only witness to the existence of her fellow-passenger on an express train, Miss Froy, who suddenly disappears. Now, Iris has suffered from sunstroke, and all her fellow-passengers in her carriage deny that there ever was a woman called Miss Froy in their company, but Iris suspects that they are all under the sway of the sinister baroness, who dominates the whole wagon, and so our heroine is forced to fall back on the help of her English fellow-passengers, most of whom she has alienated through her behaviour in the hotel.
White really succeeds in keeping her readers on the edges of their seats – even if they pursue the laudable hobby of reading in bed – by working with cliff-hangers, foreshadowing, red herrings and all the other tricks of the craft, and even though you may very early suspect the real whereabouts of Miss Froy, you will still be under suspense and inclined to participate in Iris’s ordeal. At the same time, the author also manages to draw a very critical and satirical picture of what she may regard as British self-complacency and bigotry, because all the heroine’s compatriots have certain selfish motives not to get drawn into Iris’s cause, and it is interesting to listen to them – thanks to the omniscient narrator – salving their consciences and allaying their moral qualms. There are a couple of newly-weds (apparently), two prim and proper English ladies, a pastor and his wife, and a professor, and although they would regard themselves as pillars of propriety, in this case, they utterly fail to live up to the moral standards they would profess.
At first sight, this might seem a fair stance, but as the novel shows, it can also be a paltry excuse to limit one’s cares to number one. It also proves the professor wrong, who at the beginning of the journey points out to a fellow-traveller that a trial by jury is always a sure thing because, according to him, the testimony of a person who exudes respectability is more trustworthy than that of someone who fails to do so.
All in all, The Wheel Spins is a clever blend of crime story and criticism of hypocrisy, and White’s sense of humour and her knowledge of narrative tricks will keep you splendidly entertained.
When reading The Wheel Spins (1936) or The Lady Vanishes, as the novel was also called – I don’t know if Hitchcock’s movie adaptation from 1938 had anything to do with this change of title –, I constantly asked myself, once more, why Ethel Lina White’s crime novels do not enjoy more enduring renown, like Agatha Christie’s, and also whether Hitch’s movie is superior to the novel or whether the book, as so often, is better than the film. Both questions have not been settled by me, and while I must admit that Hitchcock’s pace of narration is terser and that the addition of messieurs Charters and Caldicott to the plot was a stroke of genius, I’d also say that turning harmless Miss Froy into a spy who gets secret messages from a folk song performed beneath her hotel window demands a lot of gullibility from the viewer. On the other hand, it’s one of the things we love Hitchcock for, isn’t it? In White’s novel, Miss Froy is just an ordinary English spinster, a bit naïve, who happens to know some details other people would not like her to share in a court of justice.
The novel centres on Iris Carr, a young and spoilt socialite, who is on the point of noticing that life as she has led it so far is becoming more and more shallow to her, and who is about to go through her own acid test when she finds herself the only witness to the existence of her fellow-passenger on an express train, Miss Froy, who suddenly disappears. Now, Iris has suffered from sunstroke, and all her fellow-passengers in her carriage deny that there ever was a woman called Miss Froy in their company, but Iris suspects that they are all under the sway of the sinister baroness, who dominates the whole wagon, and so our heroine is forced to fall back on the help of her English fellow-passengers, most of whom she has alienated through her behaviour in the hotel.
White really succeeds in keeping her readers on the edges of their seats – even if they pursue the laudable hobby of reading in bed – by working with cliff-hangers, foreshadowing, red herrings and all the other tricks of the craft, and even though you may very early suspect the real whereabouts of Miss Froy, you will still be under suspense and inclined to participate in Iris’s ordeal. At the same time, the author also manages to draw a very critical and satirical picture of what she may regard as British self-complacency and bigotry, because all the heroine’s compatriots have certain selfish motives not to get drawn into Iris’s cause, and it is interesting to listen to them – thanks to the omniscient narrator – salving their consciences and allaying their moral qualms. There are a couple of newly-weds (apparently), two prim and proper English ladies, a pastor and his wife, and a professor, and although they would regard themselves as pillars of propriety, in this case, they utterly fail to live up to the moral standards they would profess.
”’It just shows how careful one should be when one is abroad. We always keep to our rule never to get mixed up in other people’s business.”
At first sight, this might seem a fair stance, but as the novel shows, it can also be a paltry excuse to limit one’s cares to number one. It also proves the professor wrong, who at the beginning of the journey points out to a fellow-traveller that a trial by jury is always a sure thing because, according to him, the testimony of a person who exudes respectability is more trustworthy than that of someone who fails to do so.
All in all, The Wheel Spins is a clever blend of crime story and criticism of hypocrisy, and White’s sense of humour and her knowledge of narrative tricks will keep you splendidly entertained.
January 31, 2019
This was first published in 1936 and was, of course, made into a popular film (although I have never seen it). However, when it was chosen by my reading group, I was interested to read it and liked the cover of this edition – released to celebrate 70 years of Pan books.
Iris Carr is a young woman, who has been on holiday with a group of friends. She is an independently wealthy orphan, but somewhat disenchanted by her frivolous lifestyle. As such, she decides to allow her friends to leave for England without her and to travel back alone. However, once on her own, she is somewhat at a loss and feels slightly daunted by her lack of language skills. The other hotel guests are pleased her large group of noisy, unconventional and thoughtless friends are gone and Iris is both embarrassed, and annoyed, at the realisation that they were looked down upon.
On her train journey home, Iris meets a kindly, older lady, Miss Froy, who takes her under her wing. When Iris wakes from a nap though, she finds that Miss Froy has gone and everyone denies that she has ever existed…
This book had much more of a Golden Age feel than I had imagined it would have. Iris is very much a Bright Young Thing, with a group of loud, inconsiderate friends, who enjoy shocking the spinster sisters, and the vicar, and his wife, who are staying at the hotel. However, as time goes on, she becomes more mature and interested in someone other than herself. Typically, with novels of this period, you have sinister foreign political elements and some of the plot reminded me of early Campion novels. Overall, good fun and a light mystery, with no real sense of danger, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Rated 3.5
Iris Carr is a young woman, who has been on holiday with a group of friends. She is an independently wealthy orphan, but somewhat disenchanted by her frivolous lifestyle. As such, she decides to allow her friends to leave for England without her and to travel back alone. However, once on her own, she is somewhat at a loss and feels slightly daunted by her lack of language skills. The other hotel guests are pleased her large group of noisy, unconventional and thoughtless friends are gone and Iris is both embarrassed, and annoyed, at the realisation that they were looked down upon.
On her train journey home, Iris meets a kindly, older lady, Miss Froy, who takes her under her wing. When Iris wakes from a nap though, she finds that Miss Froy has gone and everyone denies that she has ever existed…
This book had much more of a Golden Age feel than I had imagined it would have. Iris is very much a Bright Young Thing, with a group of loud, inconsiderate friends, who enjoy shocking the spinster sisters, and the vicar, and his wife, who are staying at the hotel. However, as time goes on, she becomes more mature and interested in someone other than herself. Typically, with novels of this period, you have sinister foreign political elements and some of the plot reminded me of early Campion novels. Overall, good fun and a light mystery, with no real sense of danger, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Rated 3.5
April 7, 2025
This was such a page-turner of a mystery (or almost a thriller really). And even though I guessed what had happened to the lady who had vanished, I still enjoyed the ride of this one. Full of unlikable characters, this still managed to enthrall me. I can’t wait to watch the Hitchcock film now!
August 21, 2011
One of my favorite Hitchcock movies, and arguably his best British film, is The Lady Vanishes. It is a droll mix of humor and mystery concerning the disappearance of a old British lady on a train in Europe. Iris, another younger British woman, is the only one who remembers her and everyone else says the old woman doesn't exist.
The Wheel Spins by Ethel White is the novel on which The Lady Vanishes is based on. It is an excellent example of the movie being better than the book. This isn't that The Wheel Spins is bad. It just doesn't hold up that well. It tends to be a little dated. On one level, the tale is quite humorous but it tends to bog down the mystery. There is a lot of yammering about the duties of being British and lot of opportunities to be socially indiscreet. Iris's blight is interesting. She spends much time questioning her sanity but she is really a bit of a ditz, not as all resourceful as Hitchcock's charming heroine. Yet, it is fun in a poor man's Oscar Wilde-like Make-fun-of-those-staunchy-British way. It works best as a historical oddity for those who are tracing the British mystery from Wilkie Collins to Agatha Christa, of which Ethel White seem to be the bridge. But it is still a fairly enjoyable mystery.
The Wheel Spins by Ethel White is the novel on which The Lady Vanishes is based on. It is an excellent example of the movie being better than the book. This isn't that The Wheel Spins is bad. It just doesn't hold up that well. It tends to be a little dated. On one level, the tale is quite humorous but it tends to bog down the mystery. There is a lot of yammering about the duties of being British and lot of opportunities to be socially indiscreet. Iris's blight is interesting. She spends much time questioning her sanity but she is really a bit of a ditz, not as all resourceful as Hitchcock's charming heroine. Yet, it is fun in a poor man's Oscar Wilde-like Make-fun-of-those-staunchy-British way. It works best as a historical oddity for those who are tracing the British mystery from Wilkie Collins to Agatha Christa, of which Ethel White seem to be the bridge. But it is still a fairly enjoyable mystery.
July 13, 2018
Novela de misterio con una trama sencilla pero que me ha resultado muy adictiva. Reconozco que la resolución del caso no me ha sorprendido porque vi venir lo que pasaba, aun así me parece una novela muy disfrutable y amena que me ha mantenido en tensión hasta el final.
Viajaremos junto a Iris en un tren expreso a lo largo del este de Europa. Lo mejor para mí es el ambiente estresante que crea la autora, la protagonista estará sola, en un tren cargado de pasajeros y rodeados de personas que hablan un idioma que no entiende y para colmo de males la única persona con la que puede hablar y comunicarse desaparece dejándola sola entre un grupo de extraños nada amigables.
Otro aspecto que me gusta de la novela es la duda que siembra la autora en el lector sobre los hechos ocurridos, no digo más porque creo que es mejor entrar en la novela con pocos datos. La recomiendo a todos los que disfruten con el género de misterio.
Viajaremos junto a Iris en un tren expreso a lo largo del este de Europa. Lo mejor para mí es el ambiente estresante que crea la autora, la protagonista estará sola, en un tren cargado de pasajeros y rodeados de personas que hablan un idioma que no entiende y para colmo de males la única persona con la que puede hablar y comunicarse desaparece dejándola sola entre un grupo de extraños nada amigables.
Otro aspecto que me gusta de la novela es la duda que siembra la autora en el lector sobre los hechos ocurridos, no digo más porque creo que es mejor entrar en la novela con pocos datos. La recomiendo a todos los que disfruten con el género de misterio.
June 4, 2020
За настроєм дуже схоже на Дафну. Гарний детектив в закритому просторі. Оцінка 3.5
February 17, 2019
I admit, I'm probably one of the few people in the known world who hasn't seen the famous Hitchcock film but can imagine that this is one of those rare cases where the film is better than the book. White is excellent at ratcheting up the unease with a subtle sense of wrongness, and is she one of the first to use the 'is the woman right - or insane?' trope that has come back so overwhelmingly in contemporary psych-thrillers and domestic noir?
All the same, too much of the plot is flagged upfront for there to be much mystery about what's going on - were readers back in 1936 more innocent, perhaps, than we are when it comes to bookish twists and revelations?
There are some pacing issues: it takes quite a while before we're even on the train and, once the mystery is underway, the tension dissipates as we switch to the missing woman's unknowing parents back home in England, and an amusing though distracting back story of a 'honeymoon' couple.
All that said, Iris' plight is gripping, her train romance amusing, and the trope of the 'sinister foreigners' used with unabashed gusto! There's even something quite creepy about the whole thing.
Anyone who hasn't read the book/seen the film should avoid clicking on the spoilers below:
An enjoyable read, for sure, but it seems as if Hitchock's film (which I must watch) made more of its strengths.
All the same, too much of the plot is flagged upfront for there to be much mystery about what's going on - were readers back in 1936 more innocent, perhaps, than we are when it comes to bookish twists and revelations?
There are some pacing issues: it takes quite a while before we're even on the train and, once the mystery is underway, the tension dissipates as we switch to the missing woman's unknowing parents back home in England, and an amusing though distracting back story of a 'honeymoon' couple.
All that said, Iris' plight is gripping, her train romance amusing, and the trope of the 'sinister foreigners' used with unabashed gusto! There's even something quite creepy about the whole thing.
Anyone who hasn't read the book/seen the film should avoid clicking on the spoilers below:
An enjoyable read, for sure, but it seems as if Hitchock's film (which I must watch) made more of its strengths.
September 12, 2020
A rip-roaringly good yarn of suspense and tension on a train journey.
The movie adaptation diverges from the book in a number of ways. Some I think are improvements, some maybe not. I actually prefer the book's motive for the villains. But I prefer the characters in the movie. In the movie, some people are combined and some are replaced, and it just results in a tighter storyline and also some welcome comedic relief.
The tension in this book is really well done, especially because Miss Carr is truly, truly, truly on her own in this dilemma, to a degree beyond what the movie depicts. The book also gives her more of a back story to explain how it is that she's gotten so cut off from the support of other people.
Ultimately I thought it was a top-notch story from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, and it completely holds its own against the more well-known authors from the 20's and 30's.
The movie adaptation diverges from the book in a number of ways. Some I think are improvements, some maybe not. I actually prefer the book's motive for the villains. But I prefer the characters in the movie. In the movie, some people are combined and some are replaced, and it just results in a tighter storyline and also some welcome comedic relief.
The tension in this book is really well done, especially because Miss Carr is truly, truly, truly on her own in this dilemma, to a degree beyond what the movie depicts. The book also gives her more of a back story to explain how it is that she's gotten so cut off from the support of other people.
Ultimately I thought it was a top-notch story from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, and it completely holds its own against the more well-known authors from the 20's and 30's.
January 20, 2024
Very compelling. Now I need to find the film.
September 29, 2023
He leido esta novela para un club de lectura, la verdad es que no es una novela que me llamase mucho la atención, pero me ha gustado me ha resultado sencilla, de lectura rápida por sus capítulos cortos y entretenida, justo lo que necesitaba después de la anterior novela que leí que era bastante intensa. Mi única pega es que no me ha terminado de convencer la resolución de la desaparición.
Después de unas vacaciones en Europa, la joven Iris Carr, regresa a Inglaterra en el expreso de Trieste, el tren va repleto, y en su vagón todos son extrajeros y le parecen hostiles, excepto una dama inglesa, la señorita Froy que entabla conversación con ella.
Al poco Iris se queda dormida y al despertar la señorita Froy ha desaparecido, y lo más extraño, nadie recuerda haberla visto, aquí comienza la odisea de Iris Carr para averiguar lo que esta pasando, con la ayuda de un joven resuelto, Max Hare.
¿Será todo un complot para hacer desaparecer a la señorita Froy o estará Iris imaginando cosas?
Después de unas vacaciones en Europa, la joven Iris Carr, regresa a Inglaterra en el expreso de Trieste, el tren va repleto, y en su vagón todos son extrajeros y le parecen hostiles, excepto una dama inglesa, la señorita Froy que entabla conversación con ella.
Al poco Iris se queda dormida y al despertar la señorita Froy ha desaparecido, y lo más extraño, nadie recuerda haberla visto, aquí comienza la odisea de Iris Carr para averiguar lo que esta pasando, con la ayuda de un joven resuelto, Max Hare.
¿Será todo un complot para hacer desaparecer a la señorita Froy o estará Iris imaginando cosas?
March 18, 2013
Here is another entry into the Book to Movie Reading Challenge (as well as a whole boat load of other challenges). Ethel Lina White's novel The Wheel Spins (1936) was snapped up by Alfred Hitchcock and transformed into The Lady Vanishes (1938). This is another of the very rare cases where the movie is better than the book. Or maybe it's just that once I find something in one medium I rarely like it better in another....I first watched The Lady Vanishes about 20 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed Margaret Lockwood as Iris Henderson, a rich young Englishwoman who befriends a governess by the name of Miss Froy while traveling on a train through Europe. Mid-way on their journey, Miss Froy disappears and Iris cannot make anyone believe that the woman ever existed, let alone that she has vanished. Her fellow passengers blame Iris's "fantasy" a blow to the head that she had received earlier, but Iris knows that something is wrong. Gilbert, a musicologist and fellow passenger, is the only one who finally believes her and together the two piece together how someone could not only disappear into thin air, but have their existence erased completely as well.
The book is very slow-moving. The beginning, which I guess is supposed to drill firmly into the reader's mind how selfish Iris is, really doesn't seem to all that necessary--at least not in the length presented. And it takes a good half of the book to get to the real action--the disappearance of Miss Froy. There is good build-up of Iris's frustration and her feeling that perhaps she really is mad (as suggested by several passengers) She is far more on her own than in the movie--in the book, she appeals to a professor and his young friend, a linguist, but neither of them truly believe her the way Gilbert does in the film. The novel, as a whole, didn't hold me the way the movie did and it ended fairly abruptly. Hitchcock is a master and mixed just the right amount of humor with his suspense. He adds a few characters (such as Charters and Caldicott, the cricket enthusiasts) for color and tells a ripping good tale. He also adds a more detailed, action-packed ending to add a bit more excitement.
If you're going to do both--I would definitely suggest reading the book first. It's possible that a reader coming to the story in book-form first might have a greater appreciation for White's novel. I don't think reading the book first will dampen your enthusiasm for the film. Two and a half stars for the book. Four stars for the film.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
The book is very slow-moving. The beginning, which I guess is supposed to drill firmly into the reader's mind how selfish Iris is, really doesn't seem to all that necessary--at least not in the length presented. And it takes a good half of the book to get to the real action--the disappearance of Miss Froy. There is good build-up of Iris's frustration and her feeling that perhaps she really is mad (as suggested by several passengers) She is far more on her own than in the movie--in the book, she appeals to a professor and his young friend, a linguist, but neither of them truly believe her the way Gilbert does in the film. The novel, as a whole, didn't hold me the way the movie did and it ended fairly abruptly. Hitchcock is a master and mixed just the right amount of humor with his suspense. He adds a few characters (such as Charters and Caldicott, the cricket enthusiasts) for color and tells a ripping good tale. He also adds a more detailed, action-packed ending to add a bit more excitement.
If you're going to do both--I would definitely suggest reading the book first. It's possible that a reader coming to the story in book-form first might have a greater appreciation for White's novel. I don't think reading the book first will dampen your enthusiasm for the film. Two and a half stars for the book. Four stars for the film.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
November 8, 2020
Iris Carr es una joven rica que ha pasado unos días de vacaciones con un grupo de amigos en un hotel de montaña de un país de Europa. Cuando decide irse es la última del grupo que queda en el hotel y coge impaciente el tren camino a Trieste. Allí todo el mundo parece ser hostil con ella, menos una joven institutriz llamada señorita Froy con la que entabla conversación. Tras despertarse después de quedarse dormida se percata de que la señorita Froy ha desaparecido, y lo peor del todo nadie recuerda haber visto nunca a una mujer que encaje con su descripción.
Me animé a leer este libro porque encajaba en el punto de “Un libro sobre un viaje en tren” de mi reto de lectura anual. Ha sido todo un descubrimiento. Salvando las distancias me ha recordado un poco a “Asesinato en el Orient Express” de Agatha Christie. Por lo que, si te gustó este último, seguro que “La dama desaparece” te gustará”. Es una novela de misterio que a los amantes del género les gustará.
La extensión del libro no es muy larga y los capítulos son cortos, lo que hace que la lectura sea bastante rápida. De hecho, yo me lo he leído en apenas en un día. La trama me ha tenido enganchada en todo momento. No entendía nada de lo que estaba pasando y solo quería saber más y más.
En cuanto a los personajes me ha gustado mucho la protagonista, Iris, siempre mantiene su idea en la cabeza y persigue su objetivo hasta el final. El resto de personajes son piezas que sirven para ir encajando el puzzle entero, pero que tampoco tienen nada a destacar.
Si que es verdad que llega un momento que te imaginas lo que va a pasar, pero eso no le resta interés y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final. Novela amena y muy entretenida.
Me animé a leer este libro porque encajaba en el punto de “Un libro sobre un viaje en tren” de mi reto de lectura anual. Ha sido todo un descubrimiento. Salvando las distancias me ha recordado un poco a “Asesinato en el Orient Express” de Agatha Christie. Por lo que, si te gustó este último, seguro que “La dama desaparece” te gustará”. Es una novela de misterio que a los amantes del género les gustará.
La extensión del libro no es muy larga y los capítulos son cortos, lo que hace que la lectura sea bastante rápida. De hecho, yo me lo he leído en apenas en un día. La trama me ha tenido enganchada en todo momento. No entendía nada de lo que estaba pasando y solo quería saber más y más.
En cuanto a los personajes me ha gustado mucho la protagonista, Iris, siempre mantiene su idea en la cabeza y persigue su objetivo hasta el final. El resto de personajes son piezas que sirven para ir encajando el puzzle entero, pero que tampoco tienen nada a destacar.
Si que es verdad que llega un momento que te imaginas lo que va a pasar, pero eso no le resta interés y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final. Novela amena y muy entretenida.
August 30, 2024
"She felt suddenly helpless and afraid as she looked away from the grim face to the shrieking darkness rushing past the window. The maniac shrieks of the engine and the frantic shaking of the train increased her sense of nightmare."
When Alfred Hitchcock decided to make a movie of The Wheel Spins (renamed as The Lady Vanishes for the big screen) by Ethel Lina White in 1938, it became his ticket to Hollywood greatness.
Even though almost 90 years have passed since it was first published, the story, plot and writing of the book doesn't feel dated at all.
The setting of the fast moving train travelling on dangerous terrain, the close set compartments and the sense of time slipping away helps to bring forth the sense of urgency, fear and desperation Iris Carr feels--both in her quest to locate Miss Froy who she knows exists and is in danger and to prove that she is not hallucinating. It is also shared by Miss Froy, who locked and hidden away in a compartment, still holds out hope to be rescued while her parents and dog in a small country cottage anxiously wait for her to return home.
Agatha Christie is the most famous name of the Golden Age of Mysteries era but I am looking forward to getting introduced to other writers who were equally popular at the time.
This reissue by Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo is due to be out on September 3, 2024. My thanks to the publisher for the e-Arc of the book which I received via NetGalley.
When Alfred Hitchcock decided to make a movie of The Wheel Spins (renamed as The Lady Vanishes for the big screen) by Ethel Lina White in 1938, it became his ticket to Hollywood greatness.
Even though almost 90 years have passed since it was first published, the story, plot and writing of the book doesn't feel dated at all.
The setting of the fast moving train travelling on dangerous terrain, the close set compartments and the sense of time slipping away helps to bring forth the sense of urgency, fear and desperation Iris Carr feels--both in her quest to locate Miss Froy who she knows exists and is in danger and to prove that she is not hallucinating. It is also shared by Miss Froy, who locked and hidden away in a compartment, still holds out hope to be rescued while her parents and dog in a small country cottage anxiously wait for her to return home.
Agatha Christie is the most famous name of the Golden Age of Mysteries era but I am looking forward to getting introduced to other writers who were equally popular at the time.
This reissue by Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo is due to be out on September 3, 2024. My thanks to the publisher for the e-Arc of the book which I received via NetGalley.
July 19, 2024
Iris is a young English woman on holiday in Eastern Europe returning home by train first to Trieste. An older Englishwoman, Miss Froy befriends her on the journey and after tea together, Iris sleeps. When she awakes Miss Froy is missing and everyone around her denies she ever existed. It’s a simple plot and the answer is probably obvious but it was such a fun read. The pacing is a bit slow to start with, once it gets going it’s hard to stop reading. An excellent classic mystery.
November 13, 2024
Much underrated despite being the source for Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938).
February 3, 2017
Is this literature? No. Was this fun? Yes. It was certainly the right book at the right time. It is less mystery and more psychological thriller, but some of each. There is a Hitchcock film which I haven't seen, but of all directors, Hitchcock would certainly have been the right one for this. White easily sets the atmosphere.
I like the older stuff. I don't know if I'll find time for more of this author, but I wouldn't be opposed to it in the least. At first I thought this would sit toward the bottom of the 3-star pile, but based on the last half, I'm more than willing to push it up into the top quarter or so of those reads.
But faces kept coming in between her and her goal—faces that grinned or scowled—the faces of strangers. They melted away like a mist, only to give place to other faces. There was a flash of eyes and teeth—a jam of bodies. She thrust and struggled, while her cheeks burned and a wave of hair fell across her cheeks.Throughout, I was reminded that I almost always get the wrong answer to the question "What do you think will happen next?" For several chapters, I made up all sorts of scenarios and then was presented with one I had not even considered. Of course, it's all plot and very little characterization, but even if only occasionally, that's just the right thing to be reading.
I like the older stuff. I don't know if I'll find time for more of this author, but I wouldn't be opposed to it in the least. At first I thought this would sit toward the bottom of the 3-star pile, but based on the last half, I'm more than willing to push it up into the top quarter or so of those reads.
October 16, 2017
I adore 'The Lady Vanishes'; it is easily one of my favourite films. I also love discovering forgotten authors who have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. Imagine my delight then when I found a Kindle copy of Ethel Lina White's collected works, including The Wheel Spins, the novel which Hitchcock's film was based upon.
The Wheel Spins is remarkably slick. White moves from one character to the next so fluidly, and her writing is strong. I was immediately pulled in. Whilst Hitchcock's film adaptation follows White's plot relatively well, there is so much depth within the novel; the backstories of many of the secondary characters are given. The Wheel Spins has a wonderful mystery at its heart, and is both entertaining and perfectly paced. I highly recommend it for fans of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Edmund Crispin.
The Wheel Spins is remarkably slick. White moves from one character to the next so fluidly, and her writing is strong. I was immediately pulled in. Whilst Hitchcock's film adaptation follows White's plot relatively well, there is so much depth within the novel; the backstories of many of the secondary characters are given. The Wheel Spins has a wonderful mystery at its heart, and is both entertaining and perfectly paced. I highly recommend it for fans of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Edmund Crispin.
September 17, 2021
If you’ve seen the 1938 Hitchcock classic The Lady Vanishes, you know what it’s about. Iris meets the friendly Miss Froy on the train. When Iris wakes up, she finds Miss Froy has vanished. When Iris starts asking around, all her fellow passengers deny ever having seen Miss Froy. But Iris is convinced Miss Froy is real and sets out to find her.
This is a well-written, fast-paced book and the mystery here is every bit as gripping as it is in the movie. Though there are a few subtleties, specifically in terms of the characters, which the movie does just a little bit better in my opinion.
This is a well-written, fast-paced book and the mystery here is every bit as gripping as it is in the movie. Though there are a few subtleties, specifically in terms of the characters, which the movie does just a little bit better in my opinion.
August 24, 2025
Alfred Hitchcock made this into his movie The Lady Vanishes. I haven’t seen the movie but I want to watch it after reading this.
This novel is a quick fun read for its quirky comedy. The plot is captivating with Iris Carr trying to find the woman that has gone missing. What makes this novel are Irene’s interactions with the other passengers, especially the professor, but are many interesting moments that runs through this though the characters and themes aren’t fleshed out.
This novel is a quick fun read for its quirky comedy. The plot is captivating with Iris Carr trying to find the woman that has gone missing. What makes this novel are Irene’s interactions with the other passengers, especially the professor, but are many interesting moments that runs through this though the characters and themes aren’t fleshed out.
December 19, 2016
...aka The Lady Vanishes...
A young Englishwoman, Iris Carr, is travelling home alone from an unspecified European country. Suffering from sunstroke, she nearly misses her train but a helpful porter shoves her into a carriage at the last moment. The people in the carriage clearly resent her presence – all except one, that is. Miss Froy, another Englishwoman, takes Iris under her wing and carries her off to have tea in the dining carriage. When they return, Iris sleeps for a while. When she awakes, Miss Froy has gone, and the other passengers deny all knowledge of there having ever been another Englishwoman in the carriage...
This is the book that has been made into more than one version of a film under the title of The Lady Vanishes. The basic plot is very similar – Iris is struggling to get anyone to believe her story, partly because she has made herself unpopular with her fellow travellers, and partly because each of those travellers have their own reasons for not wanting to get involved in anything that might delay the journey. But Iris is determined to find out what has happened to Miss Froy, as much to prove herself right as out of genuine concern for the other woman.
We first meet Iris when she and a group of her friends are staying at a hotel in the mountains. They are modern and loud, with the arrogance of youth, and are entirely unaware and uncaring that they are annoying the other guests. When Iris has an argument with one of her crowd, she decides not to travel home with them, but to wait a day or two and go on her own. But as soon as they leave, she begins to realise how lonely and isolated she feels, especially since she doesn't speak a word of the local language. White is excellent at showing the superior attitude of the English abroad at this period – the book was published in 1936. When the locals don't understand her, Iris does that typically British thing of speaking louder, as if they could all just understand English if only they would try a bit harder. White also shows how Iris and her gang use their wealth to buy extra attention, and Iris' assumption that money and looks will get her whatever she wants. All this makes the book interesting reading, even if it doesn't make Iris a terribly likeable character.
Once the mystery begins, White adds an extra dimension to Iris' concern for Miss Froy by making her begin to doubt her own sanity. There are shades here of the way women were treated as 'hysterical' – not really to be depended upon, creatures of emotion rather than intellect. There's an ever-present threat that the men, baddies and goodies both, may at any time take control of Iris' life, deciding over her head what's best for her, and that the other passengers would accept this as normal. With no friends and no language skills, Iris finds herself very alone for almost the first time in her life, and growing increasingly afraid. Oddly, it reminded me a little of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper – the idea that a woman could so easily be declared unstable or even 'mad', and find herself treated so dismissively that she might even begin to doubt herself.
There's also one of those romances of the kind that would make me snort with outrage if it happened in a contemporary book, but which works fine in a novel of this period. You know the kind of thing – man meets 'girl' and falls instantly in love even though he thinks she's a hysteric and quite possibly insane, because she's very pretty, after all; and she loves him right back even though he treats her like a slightly retarded three-year-old, or maybe like a favourite puppy, because he's awfully handsome and quite witty. Admittedly the rest of the men are all so much worse that I found myself quite liking him too...
White's writing is excellent and, although the motive for the plot is a bit weak, the way she handles the story builds up some great tension. She's insightful and slightly wicked about the English abroad and about attitudes to women, both of which add touches of humour to lift the tone. And she rather unusually includes sections about Miss Froy's elderly parents happily anticipating the return of their beloved only child, which gives the thing more emotional depth than I'd have expected in a thriller of this era. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to seeking out more of White's work, and to re-watching the Hitchcock version of the movie.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A young Englishwoman, Iris Carr, is travelling home alone from an unspecified European country. Suffering from sunstroke, she nearly misses her train but a helpful porter shoves her into a carriage at the last moment. The people in the carriage clearly resent her presence – all except one, that is. Miss Froy, another Englishwoman, takes Iris under her wing and carries her off to have tea in the dining carriage. When they return, Iris sleeps for a while. When she awakes, Miss Froy has gone, and the other passengers deny all knowledge of there having ever been another Englishwoman in the carriage...
This is the book that has been made into more than one version of a film under the title of The Lady Vanishes. The basic plot is very similar – Iris is struggling to get anyone to believe her story, partly because she has made herself unpopular with her fellow travellers, and partly because each of those travellers have their own reasons for not wanting to get involved in anything that might delay the journey. But Iris is determined to find out what has happened to Miss Froy, as much to prove herself right as out of genuine concern for the other woman.
We first meet Iris when she and a group of her friends are staying at a hotel in the mountains. They are modern and loud, with the arrogance of youth, and are entirely unaware and uncaring that they are annoying the other guests. When Iris has an argument with one of her crowd, she decides not to travel home with them, but to wait a day or two and go on her own. But as soon as they leave, she begins to realise how lonely and isolated she feels, especially since she doesn't speak a word of the local language. White is excellent at showing the superior attitude of the English abroad at this period – the book was published in 1936. When the locals don't understand her, Iris does that typically British thing of speaking louder, as if they could all just understand English if only they would try a bit harder. White also shows how Iris and her gang use their wealth to buy extra attention, and Iris' assumption that money and looks will get her whatever she wants. All this makes the book interesting reading, even if it doesn't make Iris a terribly likeable character.
Once the mystery begins, White adds an extra dimension to Iris' concern for Miss Froy by making her begin to doubt her own sanity. There are shades here of the way women were treated as 'hysterical' – not really to be depended upon, creatures of emotion rather than intellect. There's an ever-present threat that the men, baddies and goodies both, may at any time take control of Iris' life, deciding over her head what's best for her, and that the other passengers would accept this as normal. With no friends and no language skills, Iris finds herself very alone for almost the first time in her life, and growing increasingly afraid. Oddly, it reminded me a little of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper – the idea that a woman could so easily be declared unstable or even 'mad', and find herself treated so dismissively that she might even begin to doubt herself.
There's also one of those romances of the kind that would make me snort with outrage if it happened in a contemporary book, but which works fine in a novel of this period. You know the kind of thing – man meets 'girl' and falls instantly in love even though he thinks she's a hysteric and quite possibly insane, because she's very pretty, after all; and she loves him right back even though he treats her like a slightly retarded three-year-old, or maybe like a favourite puppy, because he's awfully handsome and quite witty. Admittedly the rest of the men are all so much worse that I found myself quite liking him too...
White's writing is excellent and, although the motive for the plot is a bit weak, the way she handles the story builds up some great tension. She's insightful and slightly wicked about the English abroad and about attitudes to women, both of which add touches of humour to lift the tone. And she rather unusually includes sections about Miss Froy's elderly parents happily anticipating the return of their beloved only child, which gives the thing more emotional depth than I'd have expected in a thriller of this era. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to seeking out more of White's work, and to re-watching the Hitchcock version of the movie.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
October 24, 2022
Ethel Lina White is an English crime writer who was prolific in the late 1920's thru the early 1940's. In her time she was as well-known as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Of course, I only discovered her in recent years, mainly due to my enjoyment of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, The Lady Vanishes, which was based on White's book, The Lady Vanishes or The Wheel Spins. Another of her books, which resides on my TBR bookshelf, Some Must Watch, which was turned into another mystery movie, The Circular Staircase.
I have to say that I'm glad that I finally read one of White's books. This was a gem of a story. It focuses on a young English woman, Iris Carr, who was on vacation with a group of friends at a small resort somewhere in Eastern Europe. The story starts at the end of this vacation. Iris and her friends have been a rowdy, undisciplined group, causing some consternation amongst the more staid older English visitors also staying at the resort. Iris is getting a bit bored of her friends so decides to stay another day when the rest depart.
She has no real friends left there now as the remaining guests, all scheduled to leave in two days time, lump her in with her friends. Iris spends her last day in the sun and gets a bad sunburn. At the train station the next day, while waiting for her train, she collapses and only just makes it on to the train before it leaves the station. It also turns out that the rest of the guests, for various reasons, have decided to move up their departures so are on the train too. As well, there are two other Englishmen, one a professor and the other, an engineer, also catch the train.
In Iris's compartment, are a countess who is very off-putting, a family, and a young lady, none of whom are English. Across from Iris, is an elderly lady, who Iris discovers is English and they go to dinner together. The other English companions on the train, basically ignore Iris. Iris, still feeling poorly, falls asleep in her compartment after dinner and when she wakes up, her companion, one Winnifred Froy, is no where to be seen. This begins an intense search by Iris to find her.
What seems a simple story becomes quite complex. Her English compatriots, for reasons that will come out as the story progresses, don't remember Miss Froy. The other passengers in Iris's car will deny that there ever was a Miss Froy. In the compartment next to Iris's, a doctor and nurse(s) accompany a patient bound with bandages. He also denies ever seeing Miss Froy and also insinuates that Iris might be having mental difficulties due to her sunstroke.
The story follows Iris and the English professor and the engineer as they search for Miss Froy. Neither really believes Iris but they feel some obligation in helping Iris. The story develops at a nice pace, the tension increases as Iris becomes more and more frustrated. We do know that there is a Miss Froy as the story even goes back to England to meet her parents. It's a fascinating story as we get to get into the minds and lives of the other English passengers, as well. You may think you know where the story is going and you may be right, but it will take many obscure paths to get there. I'm so glad I read this and now I have another mystery writer of the that generation to search out. (4.5 stars)
I have to say that I'm glad that I finally read one of White's books. This was a gem of a story. It focuses on a young English woman, Iris Carr, who was on vacation with a group of friends at a small resort somewhere in Eastern Europe. The story starts at the end of this vacation. Iris and her friends have been a rowdy, undisciplined group, causing some consternation amongst the more staid older English visitors also staying at the resort. Iris is getting a bit bored of her friends so decides to stay another day when the rest depart.
She has no real friends left there now as the remaining guests, all scheduled to leave in two days time, lump her in with her friends. Iris spends her last day in the sun and gets a bad sunburn. At the train station the next day, while waiting for her train, she collapses and only just makes it on to the train before it leaves the station. It also turns out that the rest of the guests, for various reasons, have decided to move up their departures so are on the train too. As well, there are two other Englishmen, one a professor and the other, an engineer, also catch the train.
In Iris's compartment, are a countess who is very off-putting, a family, and a young lady, none of whom are English. Across from Iris, is an elderly lady, who Iris discovers is English and they go to dinner together. The other English companions on the train, basically ignore Iris. Iris, still feeling poorly, falls asleep in her compartment after dinner and when she wakes up, her companion, one Winnifred Froy, is no where to be seen. This begins an intense search by Iris to find her.
What seems a simple story becomes quite complex. Her English compatriots, for reasons that will come out as the story progresses, don't remember Miss Froy. The other passengers in Iris's car will deny that there ever was a Miss Froy. In the compartment next to Iris's, a doctor and nurse(s) accompany a patient bound with bandages. He also denies ever seeing Miss Froy and also insinuates that Iris might be having mental difficulties due to her sunstroke.
The story follows Iris and the English professor and the engineer as they search for Miss Froy. Neither really believes Iris but they feel some obligation in helping Iris. The story develops at a nice pace, the tension increases as Iris becomes more and more frustrated. We do know that there is a Miss Froy as the story even goes back to England to meet her parents. It's a fascinating story as we get to get into the minds and lives of the other English passengers, as well. You may think you know where the story is going and you may be right, but it will take many obscure paths to get there. I'm so glad I read this and now I have another mystery writer of the that generation to search out. (4.5 stars)
August 7, 2023
This was one of the best written thrillers I’ve ever read, just gripping. Masterful pacing, excellent senses of place, and believable characters and character development — which is impressive given that the whole thing takes place over two-and-a-half days.
I really enjoy all the typical thriller hijinks (explosions, car chases, dark alleys, one-night love affairs with attractive double agents etc) but this book has none of those things. It got me thinking about the wildly different gendered experiences people had in the 1930s. A thriller with a rational lady heroine behaving mostly within the bounds of 1935 social convention is unlikely to suffer explosions. And that’s where the brilliance of this story lays: it’s so relatable as well as extremely stressful. Who hasn’t met a boringly benign person on a train or plane?! Except, in this case, the bland traveler vanishes and NOBODY BUT OUR HEROINE ACKNOWLEDGES IT. Such an excellent setup. So well executed.
Also, the satire of Various British Types traveling abroad was really good and is still pretty funny 90 years on.
The solution is well done and the motive is pretty good. The Hitchcock adaptation features international espionage but that was all him.
I really enjoy all the typical thriller hijinks (explosions, car chases, dark alleys, one-night love affairs with attractive double agents etc) but this book has none of those things. It got me thinking about the wildly different gendered experiences people had in the 1930s. A thriller with a rational lady heroine behaving mostly within the bounds of 1935 social convention is unlikely to suffer explosions. And that’s where the brilliance of this story lays: it’s so relatable as well as extremely stressful. Who hasn’t met a boringly benign person on a train or plane?! Except, in this case, the bland traveler vanishes and NOBODY BUT OUR HEROINE ACKNOWLEDGES IT. Such an excellent setup. So well executed.
Also, the satire of Various British Types traveling abroad was really good and is still pretty funny 90 years on.
The solution is well done and the motive is pretty good. The Hitchcock adaptation features international espionage but that was all him.
October 9, 2015
Iris Carr is on her way home to England after vacationing with friends in Europe. She has tired of their company and stays behind an extra day, which leaves her travelling alone. In a setting of foreigners and strangers on the train, she meets another English woman, Mrs Froy, and finds comfort in her companionship. Iris had a slight accident on her way to the train, a head injury, and she is glad to be with someone to look after her. She awakens after a nap to find Mrs Froy gone and when she asks about her, no one else on the train remembers seeing her. With everyone telling her she's imagining it due to her head injury, she begins to wonder herself if there really is a Mrs. Froy.
I found this book and author after watching an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that was based on part of this story, and then found that his The Lady Vanishes movie was based on this book. I never heard of this author, but enjoyed the story enough to look into the rest of her works, and there seem to be quite a few.
Not too deep, but a well written good story.
I found this book and author after watching an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that was based on part of this story, and then found that his The Lady Vanishes movie was based on this book. I never heard of this author, but enjoyed the story enough to look into the rest of her works, and there seem to be quite a few.
Not too deep, but a well written good story.
August 24, 2021
Bardzo dobrze napisana i intrygująca powieść, chociaż liczyłam, że będę bardziej zaangażowana.
June 20, 2025
Dopo una vacanza circondata da un’orda di amici scalmanati, Iris Carr si ritrova ad affrontare il viaggio di ritorno verso l’Inghilterra tutta sola su un lunghissimo treno intercontinentale. La vita è sempre stata facile per lei, una ragazza giovane, bella, simpatica e con una certa ricchezza alle spalle capace di garantirle una vita agiata.
Ad Iris è sempre parso che ogni porta si potesse aprire, che chiunque potesse volerle bene, che una sorta di angelo custode vegliasse su di lei, sbrogliando tutte le situazioni difficili nelle quali il caso avesse deciso di farla invischiare. Questo viaggio, però, la costringerà a cambiare idea, a dubitare di sé stessa, della sua forza e della sua mente.
Già il fatto di trovarsi da sola sulla banchina in attesa del treno le provoca una strana sensazione, abituata com’è a viaggiare con una torma di amici sempre pronti a intrattenerla. Quella solitudine autoimposta comincia a starle stretta, le pare di non essere più in grado di muovere un solo passo senza qualcuno al suo fianco.
Mentre è in attesa dell’arrivo del treno, poi, un colpo di sole le fa perdere i sensi, si risveglia nella sala d’aspetto della stazione in balia di alcune donne del posto che cercano di aiutarla, ma delle quali Iris non capisce la lingua: questa impossibilità di comunicare non fa che alimentare la sua confusione e solo grazie ad un facchino intraprendente riesce a salire sul treno prima che questo lasci la stazione.
continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...
Ad Iris è sempre parso che ogni porta si potesse aprire, che chiunque potesse volerle bene, che una sorta di angelo custode vegliasse su di lei, sbrogliando tutte le situazioni difficili nelle quali il caso avesse deciso di farla invischiare. Questo viaggio, però, la costringerà a cambiare idea, a dubitare di sé stessa, della sua forza e della sua mente.
Già il fatto di trovarsi da sola sulla banchina in attesa del treno le provoca una strana sensazione, abituata com’è a viaggiare con una torma di amici sempre pronti a intrattenerla. Quella solitudine autoimposta comincia a starle stretta, le pare di non essere più in grado di muovere un solo passo senza qualcuno al suo fianco.
Mentre è in attesa dell’arrivo del treno, poi, un colpo di sole le fa perdere i sensi, si risveglia nella sala d’aspetto della stazione in balia di alcune donne del posto che cercano di aiutarla, ma delle quali Iris non capisce la lingua: questa impossibilità di comunicare non fa che alimentare la sua confusione e solo grazie ad un facchino intraprendente riesce a salire sul treno prima che questo lasci la stazione.
continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...
May 16, 2024
Zapowiadała się świetnie, ale w środku to wszystko oklapło. Oczywiście kocham osadzenie akcji w pociągu, ale trochę niecierpliwiłam się na samo tempo wydarzeń. Natomiast najbardziej doceniam rozdziały jeszcze przed podróżą pociągiem - pachniało mi to smutnym i pięknym piórem Sylvii Plath.
January 15, 2024
Returning alone from her boisterous holiday with friends (really acquaintances), Iris Carr blacks out due to sunstroke just before her train arrives. After returning to consciousness and hirriedly boarding, she meets experienced traveller and governess Mrs. Froy, who’s friendly, chatty with everyone, and eager to return to England to reunite with her own family.
Falling asleep as they get underway, Iris awakens to discover Mrs. Froy has disappeared, and no one she asks claims to have ever seen the older woman. Iris comes to doubt her sanity, but slowly also realizes that something odd, and possibly nefarious, is occurring. Enlisting the help of a young man, as well as another Brit, a Professor, Iris begins asking questions, both of those in her car, as well as other Brits who saw Iris with Mrs. Froy.
Iris' mental health is called into question several times, and it looks increasingly like Mrs. Froy is a delusion concocted by Iris because of her sun-addled mind. That Iris persists in her belief and questioning, even in the face of a doctor, the Professor, and even the young man, deciding she should be drugged because she's "hysterical" is laudable, and unusual, as Iris is pretty much the epitome of self-centred and privileged at the outset of the story.
The story moves a little more slowly than I would have liked, spending more time on descriptions at the novel's beginning than I thought were entirely necessary. But, this was also written many years ago, when readers had different expectations for a thriller.
Taking that into account, the author built suspense and a nice sense of drama and peril in the story, making me wonder if Iris would be successful in proving Mr. Froy was real. (I had seen the movie, but wasn't sure if Hitchcock gave the story a happy ending because Hollywood).
The way the men of the story behaved was disgusting, especially those who thought they were "helping" Iris. I also could not understand why Iris decided to continue her acquaintance with Max after the train incident, as he was pretty uninteresting, and I could detect no real romance developing between him and Iris. But maybe that was a requirement by the author's editor/publisher, or even her way of quickly wrapping things up? And since I'm already alluding to it, post-resolution to the Mrs. Froy disappearance, i.e., the ending of the novel, was a little too abruptly handled.
Falling asleep as they get underway, Iris awakens to discover Mrs. Froy has disappeared, and no one she asks claims to have ever seen the older woman. Iris comes to doubt her sanity, but slowly also realizes that something odd, and possibly nefarious, is occurring. Enlisting the help of a young man, as well as another Brit, a Professor, Iris begins asking questions, both of those in her car, as well as other Brits who saw Iris with Mrs. Froy.
Iris' mental health is called into question several times, and it looks increasingly like Mrs. Froy is a delusion concocted by Iris because of her sun-addled mind. That Iris persists in her belief and questioning, even in the face of a doctor, the Professor, and even the young man, deciding she should be drugged because she's "hysterical" is laudable, and unusual, as Iris is pretty much the epitome of self-centred and privileged at the outset of the story.
The story moves a little more slowly than I would have liked, spending more time on descriptions at the novel's beginning than I thought were entirely necessary. But, this was also written many years ago, when readers had different expectations for a thriller.
Taking that into account, the author built suspense and a nice sense of drama and peril in the story, making me wonder if Iris would be successful in proving Mr. Froy was real. (I had seen the movie, but wasn't sure if Hitchcock gave the story a happy ending because Hollywood).
The way the men of the story behaved was disgusting, especially those who thought they were "helping" Iris. I also could not understand why Iris decided to continue her acquaintance with Max after the train incident, as he was pretty uninteresting, and I could detect no real romance developing between him and Iris. But maybe that was a requirement by the author's editor/publisher, or even her way of quickly wrapping things up? And since I'm already alluding to it, post-resolution to the Mrs. Froy disappearance, i.e., the ending of the novel, was a little too abruptly handled.
February 8, 2019
This was well done, building suspense and doing the whole woman-endangered-in-an-uncaring-crowd plot device brilliantly- and therein lies the rub for me. I was so distracted by the pull of memory I couldn’t remember as I read, have I seen the film, read the book before, or was it just that so many other books and films have parodied this classic? I couldn’t decide!
Either way, I’m very glad I read this one with the Reading the Detectives group - I know for sure now, I have read it! I found it fascinating how the author sets up the “wheels within wheels” - fascinating coincidences, or motivations, that keep people from speaking up, putting themselves out for another, or helping another. It was all very convincing, and human, and real; the author gives us sharp insights into her characters with brief internal monologues and revealing conversations. It’s very satisfying and entertaining, how simple twists of fate could have lead to very different outcomes!
As other reviews have pointed out, some bits drag on too long, and again, I knew where the missing governess, Miss Froy, actually was - I’m not sure how, whether from reading the story or seeing the film - so some of the freshness or shock value of the plot device was worn off for me. Also, as a review I read pointed out, the bits of the book that dragged were probably excellently tightened up in the Hitchcock film, as the plot lends itself to a cinematic experience. Now I feel like I need to watch the movie, to see which is better!
A classic mystery, very well done; and if some bits drag for you, simply skim along, like I did! Very satisfying.
Either way, I’m very glad I read this one with the Reading the Detectives group - I know for sure now, I have read it! I found it fascinating how the author sets up the “wheels within wheels” - fascinating coincidences, or motivations, that keep people from speaking up, putting themselves out for another, or helping another. It was all very convincing, and human, and real; the author gives us sharp insights into her characters with brief internal monologues and revealing conversations. It’s very satisfying and entertaining, how simple twists of fate could have lead to very different outcomes!
As other reviews have pointed out, some bits drag on too long, and again, I knew where the missing governess, Miss Froy, actually was - I’m not sure how, whether from reading the story or seeing the film - so some of the freshness or shock value of the plot device was worn off for me. Also, as a review I read pointed out, the bits of the book that dragged were probably excellently tightened up in the Hitchcock film, as the plot lends itself to a cinematic experience. Now I feel like I need to watch the movie, to see which is better!
A classic mystery, very well done; and if some bits drag for you, simply skim along, like I did! Very satisfying.
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