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The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham
Mr Pelham is a pattern of respectability. His firm is solid and high-class, his club impeccable and his history blameless. But one day uneasiness, which grows quickly to alarm, seizes him. It appears that he has a double, who begins to interfere in his life. He is driven to cunning and frantic schemes to outwit his strange enemy, and the suspense builds up inexorably to a climax which is handled with Anthony Armstrong's customary skill.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
4 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Armstrong
89 books2 followersAnthony Armstrong was a British author who flourished from 1924 to 1976 and was known for writing in several literary genres, including historical, humorous, crime, and country novels; humorous short stories; drama; non-fiction works; and film and radio scripts.
(George) Anthony Armstrong Willis was born on January 2, 1897, in Esquimalt, British Columbia. He spent the majority of his life in England. He married Francis Monica Sealy in 1926. He was educated at Uppingham and Trinity College, Cambridge. During the years 1915-1925, he served in the Royal Air Force. In 1940 he founded the R.A.F. training magazine Tee Emm, and served as its editor until its demise in 1946.
He began writing for Punch in 1924. From the 1930s through the 1960s he wrote several novels and also many humorous works and plays, some of which were adapted for radio. His articles and short stories were published in such periodicals as New Yorker, County Fair, Strand, Daily Mail, Evening News, and Sunday Chronicle. He received the award "Order of the British Empire" in 1944. He died February 10, 1976.
(George) Anthony Armstrong Willis was born on January 2, 1897, in Esquimalt, British Columbia. He spent the majority of his life in England. He married Francis Monica Sealy in 1926. He was educated at Uppingham and Trinity College, Cambridge. During the years 1915-1925, he served in the Royal Air Force. In 1940 he founded the R.A.F. training magazine Tee Emm, and served as its editor until its demise in 1946.
He began writing for Punch in 1924. From the 1930s through the 1960s he wrote several novels and also many humorous works and plays, some of which were adapted for radio. His articles and short stories were published in such periodicals as New Yorker, County Fair, Strand, Daily Mail, Evening News, and Sunday Chronicle. He received the award "Order of the British Empire" in 1944. He died February 10, 1976.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2024
Disturbingly good 👍
November 21, 2021
Identity theft, it would seem, is not new entirely new crime. Whilst in Anthony Armstrong's day the author who have had no concept of the new and inventive ways that hackers and the like have of taking over a person's life and finances by way of hijacking someone's digital footprint, the premise of his novel, The Strange Case of Mr Pelham follows a scarily familiar formula as the titular hero faces a baffling set of circumstances where is appears as though another is slowly taking over his entire life.
Or are they?
That is the question which challenges the reader throughout this book. Does Pelham truly have a doppelganger, a person so alike him that his faithful manservant, even his devoted secretary, cannot tell them apart, is this merely a trick of his own mind? The more he tries to find the truth, the further away he seems to be and his adversary seems always just one step ahead. It really is a perplexing case, for both our protagonist and us as readers.
We journey through this story from Pelham's point of view, meaning that we too are always slightly adrift from the action, discovering the subterfuge after it happens, and puzzled as to why the other, assuming there is one, might be trying to take over Pelham's life. The answer may well be an obvious one, financial, and yet the potential third party seems to go to great lengths to confuse and confound our hero. And it is this. that keeps the mystery bubbling along perfectly as I was never quite sure how much of this peculiar tale was just a figment of a possibly fractured and overworked, and certainly increasingly paranoid, erratic mind.
Pelham is a very particular character, very set in his ways and the events which happen are certainly against type, but it is not unreasonable to suspect that it may be a cry for help, a need to be something different, something more, that is driving this strange behaviour and set of circumstance. He is very much of his time, and I liked him as a character, even if he was a tad cautious and maybe too old fashioned in approach in an ever changing period of history. The circumstances that bookend the original story, show readers a very different side to his character, and add to the sense of deception that permeates the tale.
Be prepared to be surprised. The conclusion to this tale is not what I expected at all, and the slow building tension and mystery really draws you in. You get a real sense of time and place from the story, and this does have to be born in mind when reading as the traditional gender roles of the 1950s are all in play. But I also got a feeling that the author was a canny storyteller, able to create an intoxicating and unexpected tale. If you like historical crime fiction, with a touch of the unexpected and mystery laden tale that you get from a traditional crime novel, then pick this book up and give it a read. I really rather enjoyed it.
Or are they?
That is the question which challenges the reader throughout this book. Does Pelham truly have a doppelganger, a person so alike him that his faithful manservant, even his devoted secretary, cannot tell them apart, is this merely a trick of his own mind? The more he tries to find the truth, the further away he seems to be and his adversary seems always just one step ahead. It really is a perplexing case, for both our protagonist and us as readers.
We journey through this story from Pelham's point of view, meaning that we too are always slightly adrift from the action, discovering the subterfuge after it happens, and puzzled as to why the other, assuming there is one, might be trying to take over Pelham's life. The answer may well be an obvious one, financial, and yet the potential third party seems to go to great lengths to confuse and confound our hero. And it is this. that keeps the mystery bubbling along perfectly as I was never quite sure how much of this peculiar tale was just a figment of a possibly fractured and overworked, and certainly increasingly paranoid, erratic mind.
Pelham is a very particular character, very set in his ways and the events which happen are certainly against type, but it is not unreasonable to suspect that it may be a cry for help, a need to be something different, something more, that is driving this strange behaviour and set of circumstance. He is very much of his time, and I liked him as a character, even if he was a tad cautious and maybe too old fashioned in approach in an ever changing period of history. The circumstances that bookend the original story, show readers a very different side to his character, and add to the sense of deception that permeates the tale.
Be prepared to be surprised. The conclusion to this tale is not what I expected at all, and the slow building tension and mystery really draws you in. You get a real sense of time and place from the story, and this does have to be born in mind when reading as the traditional gender roles of the 1950s are all in play. But I also got a feeling that the author was a canny storyteller, able to create an intoxicating and unexpected tale. If you like historical crime fiction, with a touch of the unexpected and mystery laden tale that you get from a traditional crime novel, then pick this book up and give it a read. I really rather enjoyed it.
April 1, 2022
Towards the end of last year, I read a book blogger's review of this book, and I recognised it as being the story the film The Man Who Haunted Himself was based on. That review, together with some nostalgia for the movie, aroused my curiosity and prompted me to buy a copy.
Inevitably, when you're reading a story on which a film is based, you look for comparisons. In this instance, there are few obvious ones. So few, in fact, that the only one that sticks in my mind is an image of a collar and tie - which only makes sense if you've seen the film and read the book. The broad theme of the novel seems different to that of the movie, but perhaps because, eventually, what's really going on is spelled out much more clearly on film. By contrast, the novel leaves you, the reader, to work out what you think was happening. In that sense, already being familiar with The Man Who Haunted Himself, it could be argued that I was cheated of that experience.
So what is there to say about The Strange Case of Mr Pelham? The first thing is that it's dated. This novel was published in the 1950s and, as a result, the language and social mores seem almost alien. I've never known a grown man drink so much sherry. Not that I have anything against sherry - you just can't imagine a bloke having it as his regular tipple.
Something else that seemed odd was the style of writing. There was an expectation that it might be more formal than a contemporary novel, but what I hadn't anticipated was how much telling there was, as opposed to showing. In spite of this, once I was used to it, I enjoyed the story. It was interesting to see the different take on things compared to the movie, but the book itself was engaging in its own right. Whether you read it as a curio, to compare against the film, or just because you want to try something different, I'd recommend it.
Inevitably, when you're reading a story on which a film is based, you look for comparisons. In this instance, there are few obvious ones. So few, in fact, that the only one that sticks in my mind is an image of a collar and tie - which only makes sense if you've seen the film and read the book. The broad theme of the novel seems different to that of the movie, but perhaps because, eventually, what's really going on is spelled out much more clearly on film. By contrast, the novel leaves you, the reader, to work out what you think was happening. In that sense, already being familiar with The Man Who Haunted Himself, it could be argued that I was cheated of that experience.
So what is there to say about The Strange Case of Mr Pelham? The first thing is that it's dated. This novel was published in the 1950s and, as a result, the language and social mores seem almost alien. I've never known a grown man drink so much sherry. Not that I have anything against sherry - you just can't imagine a bloke having it as his regular tipple.
Something else that seemed odd was the style of writing. There was an expectation that it might be more formal than a contemporary novel, but what I hadn't anticipated was how much telling there was, as opposed to showing. In spite of this, once I was used to it, I enjoyed the story. It was interesting to see the different take on things compared to the movie, but the book itself was engaging in its own right. Whether you read it as a curio, to compare against the film, or just because you want to try something different, I'd recommend it.
December 27, 2024
🖋️ An unassuming man discovers he either is bilocating, or someone is stalking him and has seized his very personal identity. This is a bizarre – bizarre! – story with a disconcerting twist. This story comes from a 1940 short story that was later reworked and expanded to a book form in 1957. It was written by Anthony Armstrong.
📺 1955 “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” television episode version. Directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock, British film producer, film director, actor, and writer.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
📺 1955 “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” television episode version. Directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock, British film producer, film director, actor, and writer.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
February 17, 2025
Splendid psychological thriller as strait-laced businessman Mr Pelham's life goes awry as a mysterious "Double" seems to be taking his place. Basis for one of my fave films "The Man Who Haunted Himself" and although different in a few respects, there is the same sense of mounting unease/terror. Apparently originally a short story and does feel a bit overlong as a novel, so rounding its 3.5 Stars down to 3.
April 15, 2025
Just occasionally a find a book that comes from left field and "The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham" is that book. The urbane Mr. Pelham realises someone appears to be impersonating him and struggles to balance his own life with the new Mr. Pelham. Has he attempts to gain back his own life the other Mr. Pelham starts to gaslight him. Is he going out of his mind? Subtlety clever book.
January 30, 2022
It’s interesting to see an early version of the evil double tale but this sadly is a novella idea squeezed out to novel length and has little drama to keep it going - a disappointment
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
March 25, 2023
Always been intrigued by this story since I watched The Man Who Haunted Himself, starring Roger Moore. The book is a different version to the film, like it a lot, only criticism I have is, neither the book nor the film really explain how the double arrives.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews