Reviews

Il pensionante by Marie Belloc Lowndes

arytaco's review against another edition

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3.0

What if you were housing a serial killer? That is the dilemma presented in The Lodger. There is constant suspense as the suspect, supposedly Jack the Ripper, is alone upstairs, while murders swirl each night that he takes a walk in the foggy evenings. Furthermore, what if housing this serial killer is saving you from financial ruin. From here, the reader may learn that a global tragedy can prove to pay dividends for a few select individuals.

thenovelbook's review against another edition

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3.0

Tremendously creepy and suspenseful (though not graphic). However, in the end, I wanted resolution and I felt that it wasn't there.
SpoilerEarly on, I thought that it might be left up to the reader to decide whether or not the lodger was guilty, but no, that gets spelled out pretty clearly. Then I thought there would be some kind of comeuppance, but nope, it's left hanging. I know this story is based on the Jack the Ripper murders, so I guess that's why the resolution is so unsatisfying, since they were never solved in real life? I also thought that the landlord and his wife might express more regret, but...I'm still not sure how they really felt about their actions or lack thereof.

sabjj's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

blackcat_mala's review against another edition

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funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I actually really enjoyed this book and would without a doubt recommend. I loved to hate some of the characters and found the point of view refreshing in this Jack-the-ripper-inspired story. 

camiya's review against another edition

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medium-paced

5.0

acmerz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

radikaliseradgroda's review against another edition

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3.0

Not as good as the movie adaptation, but very atmospheric.

cimorene1558's review against another edition

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4.0

Interesting book. I can see why Hitchcock made a movie out of it, and I can see why it was kind of a big deal when it came out. The level of suspense is extremely high, even if you're pretty sure you know what's going to happen. Definitely worth reading once, if you like classic mysteries.

alliecat_'s review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed this book, and found the character studies to be so accurate. It feels like this book could have been written today, almost. Only the end was disappointing, it seems like she just hurried to finish.

emilybelger's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5