Scratching of Materials and Applications, Volume 51 (Tribology and Interface Engineering) (Tribology and Interface Engineering)

Book Description

The surface characterizations of engineering materials effects their scratch/abrasion/Mar resistance, coating adhesion/strength, and abrasive wear mechanism.
Scratching of Materials and Applications has chapters devoted to direct industrial application and contains some of the important works that are being conducted. Scratch testing of materials has grown extensively since the earlier days of the Mohs Scale for ranking minerals according to their relative scratch resistance. This test has been used on metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and coatings of various types and thicknesses.
The chapters are grouped according to the type of the engineering materials used. The beginning chapters relate mostly to bulk polymers, which are followed by different types of coatings (hard wear resistant to the diamond-like carbon coatings) and finally, chapters on the application of scratching technique to metals and ceramics are included at the end of the book. Thus, the book covers a fairly wide spectrum of engineering materials which are useful to engineers and researchers.

* Balances theoretical science with practical application
* Demonstrates real-life applications within industry
* Written experts in the fields of materials, tribology and surface mechanics

Adhesion to Plastics; Molding and Paintability : Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces ISSN 1094-6527

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Adhesion to Plastics; Molding and Paintability : Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces ISSN 1094-6527
Rose A. Ryntz
Manufacturer: Global Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1890086029

Book Description

Growing demands for plastics occur in many industries and resulted in the development of new technologies associated with paintability of plastics. Due to the fact that painting plastics requires extensive knowledge not only of paints but also of substrates, this monograph provides an overview of plastics paintability in a context of molding processes. This book is designed to serve those who are interested in painting plastic substrates, in particular, polypropylene, polyethylene, thermoplastic olefins, and many others. The book is written by a leading scientist in plastic industries and covers basic concepts of plastic processability along with its painting effectiveness. The coverage extends to all modern topics that are "a must" for engineers and chemists who are interested in coatings for plastics.

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Polymers at Interfaces
G.J. Fleer , M.A. Cohen Stuart , J.M.H.M. Scheutjens , T. Cosgrove , and B. Vincent
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0412581604

Book Description

This book is concerned with the configuration of polymers at the interfacial zone between two other phases or immiscible components. In recent years, developments in technology combined with increased attention from specialists in a wide range of fields have resulted in a considerable increase in our understanding of the behavior of polymers at interfaces. Inevitably these advances have generated a wealth of literature and although there have been numerous reviews, a critical treatment with adequate descriptions of both theory and experiment, including detailed analysis of the two, has been missing. This text hopes to fill this gap, providing a timely and comprehensive account of the field as it stands today.
This long needed work will be invaluable to experts as well as newcomers in the broad field of polymers, interfaces and colloids, both in industry and academia. Whilst industrial laboratories involved in this field will find it indispensable, it will be equally important to anyone with an interest in interfacial polymer or colloidal research.

Colloids and Interfaces with Surfactants and Polymers: An Introduction

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Colloids and Interfaces with Surfactants and Polymers: An Introduction
Jim Goodwin
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0470841435

Book Description

This text is both an introduction to the field and a bridge to the more specialist texts that are available, and includes recent ideas that have been developed on the interactions between particles and the concentrated state. It covers the fundamentals of colloid and interface science, placing emphasis on concentrated systems and the ideas associated with them.

Takes a user-friendly, non-mathematical approach
Includes the widely used techniques such as rheology in greater depth than other introductory texts
Gives many practical examples of colloid and interface science
Provides guidance on how to apply new ideas to a number of different systems

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"This text is both an introduction to the field and a bridge to the more specialist texts that are available, and includes recent ideas that have been developed on the interactions between particles and the concentrated state. It covers the fundamentals of colloid and interface science, placing emphasis on concentrated systems and the ideas associated with them.

Takes a user-friendly, non-mathematical approach
Includes the widely used techniques such as rheology in greater depth than other introductory texts
Gives many practical examples of colloid and interface science
Provides guidance on how to apply new ideas to a number of different systems

Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy of Polymers: Theory and Practice (Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces Series)

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Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy of Polymers: Theory and Practice (Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces Series)
Marek W. Urban
Manufacturer: An American Chemical Society Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0841233489

Book Description

Combines theoretical fundamentals with practical applications of attenuated total reflectance to the analysis of polymers and polymeric materials. Provides a comprehensive quantitative novel approach to the analysis and interpretation of attenuated total reflectance. Discusses sampling and microsampling techniques suitable for use with attenuated total reflectance analyses. Examines the advantages and disadvantages of attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy.

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Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces II

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Polymers & Macromolecules | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471934569

Book Description

Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces II W. J. Feast, University of Durham, Durham, UK H. S. Munro, Courtaulds Research, Coventry, UK R. W. Richards, University of Durham, Durham, UK This volume presents a collection of review papers, based on the `Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces II International Symposium' which took place in Durham (UK), July 1991 Compiled here, the papers present an authoritative overview of current technology and research on polymer surfaces, by acknowledged experts in their specialist fields. Individual reviews cover analytical techniques, properties, reactions, modelling and synthesis of surfaces and interfaces. Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces II will be of interest to polymer scientists, surface scientists, chemists, physicists and biologists, working in industrial and academic laboratories. Reviews of the previous volume `Altogether a most useful addition to polymer science' — Physics Bulletin `The book can be unreservedly recommended to chemists and materials scientists with an interest in adhesion, biomaterials, polymer dispersions and molecular engineering' — Polymer Contents Surface Chemistry of Chemically Resistant Polymers; T. G. Bee, A. J. Dias, N. L. Franchina, B. U. Kolb, K.-W. Lee, P. A. Patton, M. S. Shoichet and T. J. McCarthy Self-assembled Molecular Films as Polymer Surface Models; D. L. Allara, S. V. Atre and A. N. Parikh Non-equilibrium Effects in Polymeric Stabilization; M. E. Cates and J. T. Brooks Ion Beam Analysis of Composition Profiles near Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces; R. A. L. Jones Laser Light Scattering; J. C. Earnshaw Characterization of Interfaces in Polymers and Composites using Raman Spectroscopy; R. J. Young Surface Modification and Analysis of Ultra-high-modulus Polyethylene Fibres for Composites; G. A. George SSIMS — An Emeriging Technique for the Surface Chemical Analysis of Polymeric Biomaterials; M. C. Davies Scanning Probe Microscopy — Current Issues in the Analysis of Polymeric Biomaterials; M. C. Davies, D. E. Jackson, C. J Roberts, S. J. B. Tendler, K. M. Kreusel, M. J. Wilkins and P. M. Williams Surface Grafting of a Thrombin Substrate on a Polymer Membrane and the Inhibition of Thrombin Activity Leading to Non-thrombogenicity; Y. Ito, L.-S. Liu and Y. Imanishi Acid—Base Effects at Polymer Interfaces; C. J. van Oss

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Polymers at Surfaces and Interfaces
Richard A. L. Jones , and Randal W. Richards
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521479657

Book Description

This text deals with the behavior of polymers at surfaces and interfaces. Topics covered include the nature and properties of the surface of a polymer melt, the structure of interfaces among different polymers and between polymers and nonpolymers, the molecular basis of adhesion and the properties of polymers at liquid surfaces. Emphasis is placed on the underlying physical principles. It introduces statistical mechanics models of polymer behavior near interfaces, emphasizing theory that is applicable to experimental situations. Advanced undergraduates, graduate students and research workers in physics, chemistry and materials science with an interest in polymers will find this book of interest.

Conjugated Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces: Electronic and Chemical Structure of Interfaces for Polymer Light Emitting Devices

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Conjugated Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces: Electronic and Chemical Structure of Interfaces for Polymer Light Emitting Devices
W. R. Salaneck , S. Stafstrom , and J. L. Brédas
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521544106

Book Description

The authors illustrate the basic physics and materials science of conjugated polymers and their interfaces, particularly, but not exclusively, as they are applied to polymer-based light emitting diodes. The approach is to describe the basic physical and associated chemical principles that apply to these materials, which in many instances are different from those that apply to their inorganic counterparts. The main aim of the authors is to highlight specific issues and properties of polymer surfaces and interfaces that are relevant in the context of the emerging field of polymer-based electronics in general, and polymer-based light emitting diodes in particular. Both theoretical and experimental methods used in the study of these systems are discussed. This book will be of interest to graduate students and research workers in departments of physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and materials sciences studying polymer surfaces and interfaces and their application in polymer-based electronics.

Dynamics and Patterns in Complex Fluids: New Aspects of the Physics-Chemistry Interface : Proceedings of the 4th Nishinomiya-Yukawa City, Japan, Octo (Springer Proceedings in Physics)

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Dynamics and Patterns in Complex Fluids: New Aspects of the Physics-Chemistry Interface : Proceedings of the 4th Nishinomiya-Yukawa City, Japan, Octo (Springer Proceedings in Physics)
Nishinomiya-Yukawa Memorial Symposium 1989 , and Akira Onuki
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Enzymatic Reactions in Organic Media
A.M. Klibanov
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0751402591

Book Description

Traditionally in organic chemistry enzymes have been used in aqueous systems, but recently they have been used in reactions in which the solvent is not water. This book is the first to bring together the available information into one volume, giving the organic chemist access to this exciting technology.

Amazon.com

The Dress Lodger is engrossing historical fiction. As in the best of its genre, Sheri Holman's atmospheric, miasmic tale set in cholera-stricken Sunderland, England, circa 1831 is based on fact. Its epigraph from Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary--"Grave: A place where the dead are laid to await the coming of the medical student"--casts the novel's thematic lodestone, steering the reader into a deathly plot pursued through streets emanating the sounds, insufferable smells, humor, adversities, and disease of an early-19th-century industrial city.

Fifteen-year-old Gustine--the dress lodger--is a potter's assistant by day, prostitute by night. Her overbearing pimp and landlord has her permanently shadowed by an indefatigable, mysterious old woman "called Eyeball or Evil Eye or Gray Sister by boys who have read their Homer, but mostly called just plain Eye." Otherwise how could he guard his investment in the startling blue dress in which Gustine rents herself? Her trade, he explains, "works on this basic principle: a cheap whore is given a fancy dress as a higher class of prostitute, the higher the station of the clientèlle; the higher the station, the higher the price." Gustine's garment beckons Henry Chiver, an ambitious young surgeon who has fled Edinburgh, having been implicated in the convictions of infamous pioneer anatomists Burke and Hare for murder and grave robbing. For this doctor, desperate to reestablish his tarnished reputation through medical discovery, the heart is the favorite organ, "the singular fascination of his life." But to further his researches, and quell the increasing demands of his paying students--who are restless for induction into the arts of the scalpel--Henry requires dead bodies for dissection, to the horror of his naïve, philanthropic fiancée. But the Anatomy Act, which allows doctors to obtain corpses legally, has yet to pass through Parliament, and a suspicious public is terrifying itself with stories of murderous "burkers."

Street-smart Gustine, a pragmatist trapped in unrelenting poverty, is all heart for her nameless little son who wears--literally--his heart on the outside. His rare case of ectopia cordis is just the sort of anatomical anomaly whose study would make a name for the doctor. Amid the gathering momentum of the cholera epidemic, Henry and Gustine strike up a fatal pact: life for her son in exchange for a fresh supply of dead bodies for Henry's dissection. With mordant Dickensian wit and Elizabeth Gaskell's deft touch for gutsy outcast women seizing control of their destiny, Sheri Holman carves out a rich, imaginative adventure as incisive and as gruesomely fascinating as a 19th-century operating theater. --Rachel Holmes

Book Description

In Sunderland, England, a city quarantined by the cholera epidemic of 1831, a defiant, fifteen-teen-year old beauty in an elegant blue dress makes her way between shadow and lamp light. A potter's assistant by day and dress lodger by night, Gustine sells herself for necessity in a rented gown, scrimping to feed and protect her only love: her fragile baby boy. She holds a glimmer of hope after meeting Dr. Henry Chiver, a prisoner of his own dark past. But in a world where suspicion of medicine runs rampant like a fever, these two lost souls will become irrevocably linked, as each crosses lines between rich and destitute, decorum and abandon, damnation and salvation. By turns tender and horrifying, The Dress Lodger is a captivating historical thriller charged with a distinctly modern voice. . . .

Customer Reviews:

A Quirky Good Read.......2007-08-14

Like a patchwork quilt, Holman takes bits of seemingly disparate lives and threads them together into a tapestry where nothing is as it appears. The device of the third person narrator reminds me a little of the movie "Moulin Rouge"; a story within a story, or the book as a theater. There is always one story line that cycles around to the next. I'm willing to give a lot of lattitude to the plot if I'm enjoying the ride, and while that was usually true, there were also parts where the writing was just tedious, or lines of action that seemed to almost crescendo but then fizzle. Still, I certainly enjoyed it enough to keep going. I mean, where else are you going to find a character who is a ferret named Mike, on the same level of importance as his human counterparts?

Gritty, heart-breaking historical thriller.................2007-07-01

In this well drawn historical novel, we find a young lady with raw courage, resolve and cunning amid filthy, horrible, dire conditions.
A mere 14 year girl when she first takes to the street life of prostitution to survive, her character is almost impossible not to care about and feel genuine empathy for...the situation is so painfully bleak.

The novel takes place in Sunderland, England in 1831 and it is here that cholera is about to first strike in Britain in an alarming and deadly epidemic. Once it 'jumps ship', Gustine becomes an unwitting vehicle of the transmission of the infection.

She turns her tricks at night `lodged' in a beautiful blue dress that a fine lady would wear, thus charming her clients into believing her to be of a higher social stature. She is wise beyond her years, possessing all the skills of surviving the mean back streets and evil that surround her.

The narration is captivating and surprisingly elegant given the bleakness of the scene. It is reminiscent of a modern Greek tragedy infused with body-snatching , Gothic puzzles and psychological dramas!

It is also a love story; the love of a desperate mother nurturing a fragile infant. She will do anything to help and protect her baby.

Enter a physician anatomist, Dr Henry Chiver, aged 32 and greedy for freshly dead bodies on which he may teach his students the art of surgery and dissection.

As secrets unravel and deceptions prevail, surprises surface and this novel stuns!

If you like historical thrillers......you'll probably really enjoy this book!

All are victims.......2007-05-30

A novel where everyone, in one way or another, falls victim to a cholera plague spreading across the globe, and now entering the lives & politics of Sunderland, England. Through superb writing & masterful story-telling, the rough life of the underclass and the intentions of the wealthy--good or bad--are thoroughly examined. I wasn't turned off by the graphics of the novel--it only helps to contribute to the medical history that provides a backbone for the story. More disturbing was the vulgar about-face made by Dr. Chiver (a sympathetic character at the novel's outset) balanced by the emotional flowering of the Eye and personal growth of Gustine. Overall, a captivating novel that I absolutely could not put down, especially towards the end--loved every bit of it!

Disappointment.......2007-05-22

The book had an interesting premise, characters that I thought I would care about. I dragged myself through the first half of the book thinking it would grab me. Never did. I found the rambling stream of conciseness writing style a distraction and the subject matter too grim, between the two I lost interest. The book was filled with ugliness, not a glimmer of hope for the characters or alas the poor reader. The best part was when I gave myself permission to skim the last 80 pages.

Overwhelmingly a non-hit with the book club.

Engaging and well written.......2007-05-21

I enjoyed this book while I was reading it. I thought the story was engaging and it's unraveling moved me. I liked the main character Gustine, a hard working and devoted mother.

I felt that Sheri Holman's depiction of the characters was realistic and many faceted. No one was all good or all bad, she showed us the strength and weakness, good and evil in each of them.

The story is a richly detailed narrative told from an unusual perspective and only revealed to the reader at the end of the book. Gustine is a young mother who works two jobs to care for her infant son; one of which is selling herself as a prostitute and doing so in a beautiful gown she rents from her landlord. A handsome young doctor, Dr Henry Chiver has secrets from his past and an obsessions of his own. He is engaged to be married to Audrey Place. Their connections are woven during the time of an epidemic of cholera in Sunderland, England, 1831.

I enjoyed the commentary on class and the politics of public policy. I thought the Reader's Guide and conversation with Sheri Holman was a nice bonus to this novel. I liked hearing how she took real people from history and wove them together with her own fiction.

This could be a good one for a book club.

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I just finished this overlooked little gem...
atmospheric
A well written story of moral turmoil
A Great Read
Scariest book I ever read!

The Lodger (Oxford Popular Fiction)
Marie Belloc Lowndes
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 019282371X

Book Description

In 1888, a series of prostitutes were brutally murdered in the East End of London. These gruesome crimes filled the press and shook England with fear and intrigue. Marie Belloc Lowndes established her considerable reputation as a crime writer through her fictional account of these murders.
Dealing with not only the psychology of "The Avenger"--her version of Jack the Ripper--but also with that of his landlady, Mrs. Bunting, who never gives away his secret, Lowndes creates an atmosphere of suspense, fear, and horror.
The only paperback edition of this classic available, The Lodger is a chilling page-turner from first to last.

Customer Reviews:

I just finished this overlooked little gem..........2005-06-19

It is a GREAT book and will go on my 'special' bookshelf of superior things. "The Lodger" is written,1900-ish, by Marie Belloc Lowndes, who is the sister of vaguely famous Hillaire Billoc. I had assumed from the name Hillaire that he was some French writer I had missed, but he turned out to be just a right wing English politician who thought women shouldn't get the vote, even though, obviously, his sister could write rings around him. Anyway, the plot is this: (Don't read this is you fear exposure to a few plot details)

Robert and Ellen Bunting were an ex butler and his wife, a lady's maid who after a business failing had fallen on very hard times, and were reduced to such straights that the husband's purchase of a penny newspaper to read about the details of the horrendous, "Avenger" (aka Jack The Ripper), serial killings in London nearly precipitated an argument between them, despite the fact that they were a very nice couple who cared for each other in their restrained English way. At the moment of their greatest despair, their prayers are answered as a 'gentleman' comes knocking in answer to the sign in their window of 'rooms to let'.

""On the top of the three steps which led up to the door, there stood
the long, lanky figure of a man, clad in an Inverness cape and an
old-fashioned top hat. He waited for a few seconds blinking at her,
perhaps dazzled by the light of the gas in the passage. Mrs.
Bunting's trained perception told her at once that this man, odd as
he looked, was a gentleman, belonging by birth to the class with
whom her former employment had brought her in contact.

"Is it not a fact that you let lodgings?" he asked, and there was
something shrill, unbalanced, hesitating, in his voice.

"Yes, sir," she said uncertainly--it was a long, long time since
anyone had come after their lodgings, anyone, that is, that they
could think of taking into their respectable house.

Instinctively she stepped a little to one side, and the stranger
walked past her, and so into the hall.

And then, for the first time, Mrs. Bunting noticed that he held a
narrow bag in his left hand. It was quite a new bag, made of strong
brown leather.

"I am looking for some quiet rooms," he said; then he repeated the
words, "quiet rooms," in a dreamy, absent way, and as he uttered
them he looked nervously round him.

Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully
furnished, and was very clean.

There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary
feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which
matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

A very superior lodging-house this, and evidently a superior
lodging-house keeper.

"You'd find my rooms quite quiet, sir," she said gently. "And just
now I have four to let. The house is empty, save for my husband
and me, sir."

Mrs. Bunting spoke in a civil, passionless voice. It seemed too
good to be true, this sudden coming of a possible lodger, and of a
lodger who spoke in the pleasant, courteous way and voice which
recalled to the poor woman her happy, far-off days of youth and
of security.

"That sounds very suitable," he said. "Four rooms? Well, perhaps
I ought only to take two rooms, but, still, I should like to see
all four before I make my choice."

How fortunate, how very fortunate it was that Bunting had lit the
gas! But for that circumstance this gentleman would have passed
them by.

She turned towards the staircase, quite forgetting in her agitation
that the front door was still open; and it was the stranger whom
she already in her mind described as "the lodger," who turned and
rather quickly walked down the passage and shut it.

"Oh, thank you, sir!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry you should have
had the trouble."

For a moment their eyes met. "It's not safe to leave a front door
open in London," he said, rather sharply. "I hope you do not often
do that. It would be so easy for anyone to slip in.""

Ellen Bunting becomes even more sure the shy new lodger is a gentleman because his manners are so odd. He arrives with no luggage but a brown leather bag he clutches continually. Ellen is reassured because from her years of service in Regent's Park households, she knows peculiarity of behavior is a sign of good breeding. The lodger who's name is Mr. Sleuth, borrows a bible and pays the months rent in advance. He's a vegetarian, which shocks the conservative Bunting's, but they cook prepare his eggs and cheese with as good a face as they can't put on it. Mr. Sleuth is so glad there is a sink and gas stove in his room on which to conduct his 'scientific experiments'. He rents the entire two floors above the couples apartment. The couple are able to repay a loan they got from a young policeman who has romantic intentions toward Mr. Bunting's daughter Daisy from a first marriage, who lives with a rich aunt. The tired policeman visits often, and Mrs. Bunting gives him tea as he tells of the failure or success of the police in their search for the man who is committing horrendous crimes which have enthralled all wintery London. The murders start to occur closer and closer to the couples home, as the gentle Mr. Sleuth sits upstairs during the daytime reading aloud all the sections of the bible which are most unflattering to women. Ellen, polishing the banisters, listens to his voice. At night he goes out in rubber soled shoes. Quickly, Ellen begins to suspect her lodger is a notorious murderer, but she doesn't turn him in because, understandably, he stands between them and starvation. Not to mention the fact that she's become oddly attached to him. He's such a gentle gentleman.

What a rare great book! It's so well written. Wonderful, thoughtful characters. I restrain myself from giving away the end, although of course, as is my way, I read the last chapter first... sigh. A book this good is like being in love.

Now I'm reading "Castle In The Carpathians" by Jules Verne. It's not very scary though. His bats, I understand, all turn out to be mechanical. I must find more ghost stories to read, it's such a dark and rainy summer. (I haven't finished Tristam Shandy yet, but am plugging along in the odd hour.)

atmospheric.......2003-09-30

This is the suspenseful best-seller by Hillaire Belloc's sister that inspired Hitchcock's first talkie and the 1940s-era remake that won its star, Laird Cregar, an Oscar. The motivation of the murderess lodger's landlady may be hard for moderns to swallow. Her crisis comes from, on the one hand, guessing that her lodger is a serial killer, and, on the other, needing his rent money as well as harboring the working-class Victorian's deeply ingrained aversing to informing to the coppers -- this even though a young detective is a constant visitor and supportive friend. This conflict is never resolved. By accident only are the landlady and her husband saved from "The Avenger." Despite the protagonists' moral cowardice, the deus ex machina ending and considerable over-writing, this is a gripping, atmospheric page-turner, redolent with fine detail of every-day life in the London of the period. Their character warts don't prevent Mr. and Mrs. Bunting from being sympathetic. Indeed, those flaws help the book rise above its genre.

A well written story of moral turmoil.......1999-12-03

Our reading group read this book and the six people present all enjoyed it - some more than others. The consensus - it was more of a period piece dealing with moral conflict rather than a horror story (although we all agreed it was quite disturbing). Almost all of us were disappointed in the ending. Still, we were all glad we read this very well written book.

A Great Read.......1999-12-03

I loved this book. It was not the horror story that I was expecting, but more of the classic tale of suspense and spine tingling situations. If you need a lot of "blood and guts", this is not the book for you. If you want a great book to read, cozied up the the fire with a cup of tea, prepare to enjoy!

Scariest book I ever read!.......1999-08-28

This is a literate, well-written thriller in the Poe tradition. What happens to the landlords when a strange lodger insists on paying handsomely for simple lodging? And what about the terrible murders that just begin as he moves in? Could they be related? But he is so nice. And he pays so well! The plot is simple. The setting and characters are tightly drawn. But readers are in for a frightening ride!

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Madame Castels Lodger
Keyes
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus & Giraux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JFA6LO

The Paradine Case/Foreign Correspondent/The Lodger (Alfred Hitchcock Collection)

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The Paradine Case/Foreign Correspondent/The Lodger (Alfred Hitchcock Collection)
Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Radio Spirits
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1570194025
Release Date: 2002-07-30

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The Dress Lodger
Sheri Holman
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press Boston 1985
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NSKR7K

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Madame Castel's Lodger
Keyes & Cushman
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K6E15E

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The Lodger
Marie Belloc Lowndes
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1592243304

Book Description

The Lodger was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller, and a remarkable film it is. But the story Hitchcock tells -- of young love and mistaken identity (and is that a mistake, or malicious accusation by a rival. . . ?) -- is very different from Lowndes's tale, a story of an elderly couple with a strange and unsettling tenant -- a man with peculiar habits who may be the Ripper himself. . . .

Average customer rating:

Astounding
Makes You Want to Get a Lodger
Suspiciously over-rated...
Pure Entertainment
You WILL love this book!

The Lodger
Drew Gummerson
Manufacturer: GMP Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Gay | Mystery & Thrillers | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1902852400

Book Description

Honza takes in a lodger, Andy, who seems like his opposite-a coarse straight guy who comes home drunk every night to fart happily in front of the TV. But when, in a drunken stupor, Andy confesses to murder, Honza refuses to believe him. Then one weekend Andy disappears, only to return with his face rearranged. This black comedy of misunderstandings is a deft debut with huge crossover potential.

Drew Gummerson, 30, is based in England's Midlands, and has lived in the States, Australia, the Czech Republic and Japan. This is his first novel and he is working on a second.

Customer Reviews:

Astounding.......2003-11-05

Renting out a room can be hell, especially when you're used to living on your own. There's something very threatening about letting a lodger into your private space, never quite knowing if they are who they say they are. What if they turn out to be a serial killer? Or worse, straight?

Such a dilemma faces Honza Drobrolowski, a freelance writer whose commissions aren't enough to pay off his mounting credit card bills. Reluctantly he decides to let out his small spare room. After rejecting a dippy hippy and a fellow gay man called David (who, in a brief but graphic sex scene, it becomes clear is of rather Goliath proportions), Honza eventually settles on a skeletally thin haulier called Andy. Unlike the art-house film loving Honza, Andy has simple tastes: he slobs on the sofa in front of soap operas and football, resting a can of beer between his legs and moving occasionally to fart the Match of the Day theme tune.

Bizarrely, Honza finds himself liking Andy more and more, probably because he's like a grown-up version of the landlord's four-year-old nephew Nicholas, who visits every weekend while his prostitute mother is turning tricks. Nicholas and Andy get on like a house on fire, and Honza finds himself settling into an unexpected life of domesticity, despite having to explain to all and sundry that Andy is just 'the lodger', and not 'the LODGER lodger'. This life of bliss starts to crack when Andy returns from a drunken night out with his "mates", and confesses to Honza that he's killed a man.

From that point on, one expects the novel to turn into a murder mystery, or one in which the lodger turns out to be exactly the sort of blood-crazed axe man that Honza feared when he first let out the room. It doesn't. Instead, we continue following these two amiable people getting on with their lives, with the mystery of Andy's alcohol-induced half-confession playing only slightly on Andy's mind. It's a brave decision on the part of the author, but a very successful one. We all imagine that our own lives could be more thrilling than they actually are, but to be able to replicate that in a novel without the reader feeling cheated is a rare feat. The thrill, once Andy reveals the true nature of his secret and he and Honza set out to right the wrong, lies not in 'whodunit' style mystery, but the tensions of whether these two likeable characters will be able to emerge with their friendship intact. The subplot about Honza's sister running off to London with her son in tow is deftly handled, and the heartbreak Honza feels at the thought of losing access to Nicholas is all too palpable.

The Lodger is Drew Gummerson's first novel, and an astounding, deservedly confident one it is too. Combining moments of high class wry comedy with well-observed sideswipes at the nature of being gay in Britain today, it deserves to be on everybody's bookshelf.

Makes You Want to Get a Lodger.......2003-04-17

Drew Gummerson's novel "The Lodger" is an enjoyable book. There is a predictable style to it that probably is the author's intent. It's easy to get "involved" with the characters. I found myself waiting for the commute home to immerse myself back into this book. This novel reads very easily and the pages practically turn themselves. I highly recommend it.

Suspiciously over-rated..........2003-03-07

...

If you like predictable, slow paced cliché riddled gay literature then this is the book for you. If not then save your time and money.

As soon as The Lodger arrives on the scene then the ultimate ending is not too hard to work out, but takes a long time to arrive. My biggest problem with this book was my dislike for Honza the main character. Why someone who is so self possessed, shallow and vain is so well liked by family, neighbours, shopkeepers and the local drag queen did not make sense. Also irritating was the nephews incessant addressing Honza as Uncle. This is all dished up against the usual background of Steps, drugs and sex in toilets.

I was looking forward to this book but was sadly disappointed.

Pure Entertainment.......2003-02-27

Larry Bailey, The Open Book Ltd, Sacremento
Drew Gummerson was a delightful discovery. His latest book "The Lodger" is a book to read when you want to read a fun novel, just for the pure pleasure of reading.
What makes Drew Gummerson's work so enjoyable is his great timing in setting up scenes, situations, and characters well in advance of the punch lines and "troubled" conclusions. This book is really a well-orchestrated comedy, drama, suspense and love story. There were some situations in "The Lodger" that left me laughing and rolling on the floor, while other sections kept me reading as fast as I could, flipping through pages to end the suspense of the immediate story line's subplot.
"The Lodger" revolves around a main character named Honza Drobrolowski. Honza is gay, a writer by profession, living in Derby, England, but has been a little slow in getting his work published. In order to makes ends meet, he is forced to sub-rent a room to a lodger (room mate to US). Trying to keep his writing on a regular schedule, he picks the applicant (Andy) with the least interest to him: straight, works as a hauler (moving man), keeps to a strict schedule (goes to work, comes home, drinks beer, watches television, and goes to bed). Slowly, Honza's world starts to un-wined: his sister (who we discover is really a whore) and his nephew (who he absolutely adores and keeps on weekends) are moving to London; he can't get his book published; and his lodger, who has become a steady, lovable person through his simplicity, reliable, and unassuming roommate, comes home drunk, very late, one evening and announces while passing out on the bed "he really didn't mean to kill him".
Drew Gummerson's book, "The Lodger" is pure entertainment; it doesn't get much better than this!

You WILL love this book!.......2002-12-08

O.K. I don't want to write this review in too gushing a manner but I really did love it! The characters were intriguing and the story compelling. I read 'The Lodger' over a period of only two evenings (another attack of 'couldn't put it down' syndrome) and even found that the story's main characters (Honza the writer, his nephew Nicholas and his lodger Andy) invaded one of my dreams on the first night after I'd started reading this humorous and emotive tale of a man just looking for an 'easy' life. This book is highly recommended. I'm just trying to work out how many friends and relatives I can get away with buying this for as a gift for Christmas...

Average customer rating:

An Historical treatise !

Madame Castel's lodger
Frances Parkinson Keyes
Manufacturer: Fawcett Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007EQ12U

Customer Reviews:

An Historical treatise !.......2003-02-26

Much as I enjoy the Southern works of Frances Parkinson Keyes,I found this one to just too much like a text book work on the Civil War with just a few extraneous characters thrown in to make a story of it.It would probably be of great interest to students of history with its descriptions of battles and military personnel,but,without having a particular interest in the Civil War (or as she always referred to it-The War Between the States ),I found it to be rather heavy going and did a lot of "skipping".

Average customer rating:

Beautifully Written

The Lodger: A Spider Latham Mystery
Liz Adair
Manufacturer: Deseret Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1570089507

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully Written.......2004-05-25

The Lodger was an exciting murder mystery that kept me guessing until the end. It was a beautifully written novel and was easy to understand. I liked that there were just a few main characters, and that it took place in a small town in Nevada. This book shows real-life struggles of small town people trying to figure out who killed this woman. This book would interest people of all ages and I will definetly be looking forward to reading the second book in the Spider Latham Mystery Series.

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