The Lodger
What is The Lodger about?
The Lodger (1913) is Marie Belloc Lowndes’s most famous novel, a suspenseful tale inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders. A respectable London couple, the Buntings, take in a mysterious lodger whose strange habits—going out late at night, keeping locked doors—coincide with a series of murders in the neighborhood. Mrs. Bunting grows increasingly suspicious but is torn between fear and the desperately needed rent money. The novel pioneered the genre of Jack the Ripper fiction and was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927.
Main themes in The Lodger
Jack the Ripper
The presence of jack the ripper in The Lodger connects readers to its enduring relevance.
Domestic suspense
The Lodger thoughtfully explores domestic suspense through its central conflicts.
London
The presence of london in The Lodger connects readers to its enduring relevance.
Hitchcock source
In The Lodger, hitchcock source provides a lens for understanding the story's core message.
Why The Lodger is still relevant today
The Lodger is a landmark of crime fiction that inspired Hitchcock and pioneered the Jack the Ripper fiction genre. Its domestic suspense anticipates the modern psychological thriller.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Lodger about?
A London couple take in a mysterious lodger whose nocturnal habits coincide with a series of murders, creating unbearable domestic suspense.
Is it about Jack the Ripper?
Inspired by the Ripper murders, though set in a later period. It pioneered the genre of Ripper-inspired fiction.
Did Hitchcock adapt it?
Yes, his 1927 film The Lodger was one of his first thrillers.
Can I read it free?
Yes, the complete novel is available free on TextStack.