The Lodger

Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 421K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Lodger by Marie Belloc LowndesAuthor: Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Mar 13, 2005

Editor's review

This novel is one of Marie Belloc Lowndes's representative works, falling under English literature. It tells a suspense story set around a rented flat: a landlady and her husband grow increasingly suspicious of a lodger with a dubious manner, and the security of daily life is eroded bit by bit. Its readability comes from the layered accumulation of psychological tension rather than gore or fast-paced twists; the author excels at creating a sense of pressure through domestic trivia, neighbors' gazes, and the characters' hesitation. As a public-domain eBook, it is also a suitable sample for understanding early twentieth-century British popular fiction and the crime narrative tradition readers can note how narrative point of view shapes the building of suspense. It suits reading several chapters in a row at night to feel the atmosphere tighten, and also suits comparison with later suspense classics to observe the genre's development.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like psychological suspense and atmosphere over gore
Readers interested in early twentieth-century British popular fiction and crime narrative
Advanced English readers who want to experience suspense rhythm in the original English
Readers who enjoy stories set in enclosed spaces and apartment neighbor settings

Not a good fit for

Thriller readers seeking fast twists and strong action scenes
Readers hoping for modern forensic detective detail
Readers lacking patience for the longer descriptions of early English novels

Reading tips

In the first few chapters, note the landlady and her husband's everyday details; these铺垫 are the foundation of later tension.
Read continuously by chapter, keeping the atmosphere连贯 and avoiding long interruptions.
Note shifts in narrative point of view as you read, and think about how the author makes readers suspicious before the characters are.
After finishing, compare with similar suspense works to compare techniques of atmosphere building.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book scary? Does it have gory descriptions?

From its style, it is closer to psychological suspense than outright horror; the tension comes mainly from characters' suspicions, family atmosphere, and uncertainty rather than gore. Readers who dislike being frightened but enjoy suspenseful atmosphere can usually handle it.

Can I read it without having read the author's other works?

Yes. This is a standalone story that does not depend on earlier works. Readers need only adjust to the narrative pace and longer descriptions of early twentieth-century English fiction to get into the plot.

Is it suitable for English learners?

It suits English readers with some foundation. The language belongs to early modern English fiction with rather long sentences, but the plot is strongly driven and provides sustained reading motivation; read through first and look up words afterward to avoid frequently breaking the atmosphere.

Why is it said to be good for understanding the history of the suspense genre?

It builds suspense in the everyday space of an ordinary family and a rented flat, advancing through characters' psychology and neighborly relations; this approach reflects the transition of early crime narrative toward psychological suspense and is valuable for understanding the genre's evolution.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Lowndes, Marie Belloc, 1868-1947 Author

Marie Belloc Lowndes (1868–1947) was a British novelist known for psychological suspense and crime fiction. The collection includes sixteen of her works, among them The Lodger, The End of Her Honeymoon, Studies in Love and in Terror, What Timmy Did, The Uttermost Farthing, Jane Oglander and Studies in Wives. Her fiction often draws on hidden fears within ordinary domestic settings; her restrained, deliberate prose builds tension layer by layer and reveals her characters' inner suspicion and unease. The Lodger is her best-known work and has been adapted for film and television several times, leaving a mark on later suspense narrative. Public information on her early education and private life is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.