The Strange Fate of Lord Bruton
E-books have breathed new life into the novella narrative form. Some stories are too long to be short stories yet they can be told in less than a novel length. This is a prime example, packed with atmosphere and compelling storytelling.
Lord
Bruton is, as his name implies, a brute.
Despite the narrator knowing him, he
retains a fascination for the flawed man.
It begins when Bruton hires the
butler Ellery, who seems impervious to his lordship’s extravagant behaviour. It
was as though Ellery possessed a mesmerising ability. Indeed, slowly but
surely, as the story unfolds, Ellery seemed to become the dominant player in
the relationship.
This
is an excellent gothic tale, revealing a battle of wills between two
fascinating and well-drawn characters.
There may be an echo of Rob Maugham’s
The Servant (1948), but the tale still retains its originality, and grips you
until the very end.
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