June 2019 Group Read (Spoiler Thread): The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

[Bill]

This is the thread for your spoiler comments on The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

yes -- please keep all spoilers here. Spoilers would kill this book.

[MissLemon]

I've finished, I couldn't put it down! I was disappointed it ended so soon so it lost a star but its really a 4 star book, possibly more. Really atmospheric and suspenseful Looking forward to the discussion.

[Jen]

I like it, but Ellen was sooo miserable. I had a hard time feeling sympathy for her.

[MissLemon]

She is literally starving before The Lodger comes along. Then she is living with a huge moral dilemma and (probably) fear. Personally I'd feel it hard to sympathise with her if she wasn't miserable. It's her largely oblivious husband I have more difficulty with, but she does keep her suspicions from him, and also prevents him coming into contact with The Lodger much, so I can see why he'd be oblivious.

[Patty]

This is the second time I’ve read this book, and I’ve seen two movies based on this book. One of the versions had Daisy’s character be a stage performer who sang while wearing skimpy outfits. This version also added a love story between the lodger and Daisy, as well as more interaction with the family. Obviously, the movie did not follow Lowdes’ themes.

[Tom]

Carolyn wrote: "She is literally starving before The Lodger comes along. Then she is living with a huge moral dilemma and (probably) fear. Personally I'd feel it hard to sympathise with her if she wasn't miserable..."

I don't see the moral dilemma. Granted, the rent Mr. Sleuth paid kept them from starving but there was also a substantial reward to consider. I think it would have been more interesting, and more plausible, if the dilemma was whether or not to report him to the police, considering what would happen if her accusation turned out to be false.

[Lisa]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm grateful to the group for introducing me to books like this and The Circular Staircase, books I would have never picked up on my own. As other folks have mentioned, the suspense really grew after the inquest. After Mr. Bunting began to suspect The Lodger and fear for his daughter, the sense of peril was great. I also love the sensibilities and language of the time and place. It's amusing how some women were depicted as being in danger of fainting or even perishing if faced with something even related to The Avenger. Fun read.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "I really enjoyed this book. I'm grateful to the group for introducing me to books like this and The Circular Staircase, books I would have never picked up on my own. As other folks have mentioned, ..."

Oh my gosh. My library is overfilled with these old books. I love them, for the most part.

[Lisa]

Regarding the points made about The Lodger not being responsible for his crimes because he was a lunatic, that was indeed disconcerting. Mr. Bunting was bothered by this... "And Bunting stared at her ruminatingly. 'Depends on what you call responsible—' he began argumentatively." Mrs. B seemed to have an odd sympathy for The Lodger, beyond the financial comforts he provided. I've been trying to identify what's behind that, and I'm just not sure.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

So what about that ending, huh? It was just okay that Mr. Sleuth really wasn't responsible for what he'd done because he was a lunatic? I was like What???

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

oopsie -- we cross posted!

[Patty]

I guess this was a dipping-of-the-toes into psychological motivation, and the duality of man’s nature.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I suspect Ellen was a tiny bit hoping Daisy and the lodger would have a murderous meeting. There was the money, and a step-daughter she wasn’t fond of in the first place.

Lunatics who are murderers are still vicious nasty murderers. He liked eviscerating them, as if they were food animals. If someone were attacking me with a knife and I had a gun, I for one wouldn’t stop to commiserate with him in his sad condition of mental illness.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I suspect Ellen was a tiny bit hoping Daisy and the lodger would have a murderous meeting. There was the money, and a step-daughter she wasn’t fond of in the first place.

Lunatics who are murderer..."

I didn't get that vibe about Ellen wanting Daisy and the Lodger to meet up. She was pretty panicked when she realized Daisy was alone in the house with him.

One of the scenes I felt was particularly odd was when Mrs. B wouldn't use her kitchen after the Lodger had been down there. I couldn't help but wonder if it was really just the smell or if she had some sort of inkling about what he has been doing.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Just a teeny teeny bit thinking way deep down, I seem to remember a straying thought of 'what if', our Ellen - but I agree when she believed the possibility of her cupidity could be more out in the open and a possible reality her lodger was a killer of young women which might cause other people to suspect Ellen's motives, well!

[Suzy]

I'm with Lisa that this march through the decades of the 20th century is introducing me to some interesting books and authors. For this one I was slogging through until the inquest and then the pages couldn't fly fast enough. I finally got it that the suspense/dread of this novel wasn't necessarily about The Lodger, but about the Buntings and the moral dilemma they faced. It started out about the money, but I think (to answer Nancy's question) they ended up with some sort of perverted sense of Mr. Sleuth as "our lodger", wanting to protect him and not admit they had made a mistake in renting to him. A true psychological thriller - about the psychology of the Buntings! Belloc Lowndes was expert at creating atmosphere and side stories to keep us just slightly off-kilter. I did feel a little let down by the ending, but overall enjoyed the book.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

If you look at other GR reviews about this book, a common thread runs something along the lines that people were disappointed that the book did not have more to do with the Avenger. Sometimes going into a book without preconceived notions or expectations has its advantages!!

[Suzy]

Nancy wrote: "If you look at other GR reviews about this book, a common thread runs something along the lines that people were disappointed that the book did not have more to do with the Avenger. Sometimes going..."

Exactly! Part of the delight was the fact that she made this book about something different than one might expect of a murder mystery.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Suzy wrote: "I'm with Lisa that this march through the decades of the 20th century is introducing me to some interesting books and authors. For this one I was slogging through until the inquest and then the pag..."

If something is not nominated that you are tempted to read, let me know and we'll set up a buddy read.

[Chris]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I suspect Ellen was a tiny bit hoping Daisy and the lodger would have a murderous meeting. There was the money, and a step-daughter she wasn’t fond of in the first place.

I didn't get this feeling at all!!

Nancy wrote: One of the scenes I felt was particularly odd was when Mrs. B wouldn't use her kitchen after the Lodger had been down there. I couldn't help but wonder if it was really just the smell or if she had some sort of inkling about what he has been doing.

And I was wondering what do you think he WAS burning in the ovens??!

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Chris wrote: " aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I suspect Ellen was a tiny bit hoping Daisy and the lodger would have a murderous meeting. There was the money, and a step-daughter she wasn’t fond of in the fir..."

Body parts or organs. :)

[Chris]

Nancy wrote: Body parts or organs. :)

Yeah, that's what I thought also. But since there was really detailed descriptions of the state of the bodies, along with this modeled after Jack the Ripper; I wasn't sure.

[Patty]

I was thinking it was his boots. The odor was acrid (I think that’s what I remember it said), and left a residue.

[Sue]

Yes, I’m also puzzled about the residue in the oven, and his “experiments” upstairs.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Sue wrote: "Yes, I’m also puzzled about the residue in the oven, and his “experiments” upstairs."

While it may have been his boots as Patty mentioned, it might have also been something much worse that I didn't even want to think about.