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Tigerlily's Orchids
When Stuart Font decides to throw a house-warming party in his new flat he invites everyone in his building. The party will be one everyone remembers. But not for the right reasons....
Living opposite, in reclusive isolation, is a young, beautiful Asian woman, christened Tigerlily by Stuart. As though from some strange urban fairytale, she emerges to exert a terrible spell on the occupants of Lichfield House.
Living opposite, in reclusive isolation, is a young, beautiful Asian woman, christened Tigerlily by Stuart. As though from some strange urban fairytale, she emerges to exert a terrible spell on the occupants of Lichfield House.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
111 people are currently reading
893 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Rendell
456 books1,625 followersA.K.A. Barbara Vine
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
March 26, 2012
Rendell uses one of her tried-and-true formulas here, which to her credit never seems formulaic: Throw a group of disparate individuals, each with various obsessions, even psychoses, together, in a house, an apartment building, the same street or neighborhood, and see what happens. She knows how to handle a large cast of characters effectively, though here I think there was at least one couple too many.
I didn't find this one of her best, though it's not one of her worst either. (Except for the Inspector Wexford series, I've read all of Rendell/Vine.) For example, there was a continuity error that bugged me: Stuart was said to have gone home for Christmas and then chapters later it was said he hadn't gone home for that event.
There was slight pandering to U.S. readers by subtly incorporating a word-difference (insects vs bugs) and temperature-difference (Celsius vs Fahrenheit) in the speech of a couple of characters. That may have been something an editor or publisher requested, but I find that unfortunate, as I'm all for making U.S. readers (and I am one of them) 'work' when there are language differences.
And then there was a plot point she didn't explain that I thought could've used at least a tiny bit of explanation.
Despite all this, her story still makes for compelling reading. A wry, lyrical passage of foreshadowing, something I don't remember her doing before, adds to the tension. As usual, she keeps the reader turning the pages.
I didn't find this one of her best, though it's not one of her worst either. (Except for the Inspector Wexford series, I've read all of Rendell/Vine.) For example, there was a continuity error that bugged me: Stuart was said to have gone home for Christmas and then chapters later it was said he hadn't gone home for that event.
There was slight pandering to U.S. readers by subtly incorporating a word-difference (insects vs bugs) and temperature-difference (Celsius vs Fahrenheit) in the speech of a couple of characters. That may have been something an editor or publisher requested, but I find that unfortunate, as I'm all for making U.S. readers (and I am one of them) 'work' when there are language differences.
And then there was a plot point she didn't explain that I thought could've used at least a tiny bit of explanation.
Despite all this, her story still makes for compelling reading. A wry, lyrical passage of foreshadowing, something I don't remember her doing before, adds to the tension. As usual, she keeps the reader turning the pages.
August 15, 2019
Yine ürkütücü bir gerilim, yine Ruth Rendell. Bu kadını okurken hep tüyler diken diken. Yazma tarzına bir kez alışınca diğerlerini okumak kolay geliyor. Ama ilk kitapta zorlanabilirsiniz. Bu kitabı beğenmedim. Öncelikle bunu söyleyeyim. Bir apartmanda oturanlar etrafında dönen tuhaf olaylar, ilişkiler, rastlantılar, ayrıntılar. Kitabın içine çeken bir konusu yok. Öyle aman aman bir gizem yok. Biraz elimde süründü kitap. Merakla okumadım. Tavsiye etmiyorum bu Ruth kitabını. İsterseniz Kutudaki Canavar’dan başlayın. Bunu okumayın 👎🏻
May 2, 2020
A well written book with twists and turns. The story revolves around a block of flats and the people living in them. Duncan an elderly man who lives across the street weaves fantasies about the people who live in them divorced from reality. There is also black humor throughout the stories.
Stuart a spoilt man who is living off the legacy from an aunt who is very naive and not the sharpest card in the deck. He begins an affair with a married woman, Claudia who gives freeloaders a bad name. Freddy her husband finds out and takes it badly.
Wally the caretaker a pervert with paedophillia inclinations who is an unsavory character. The saddest tenant is Olwen an elderly woman set on drinking herself to death. Marius and Rose are the nicest wannabe couple with a past that slowly brings them together. The three young girls Molly, Sophie and Noor add to the mix. Sophie helping Olwen or herself in the end, Molly’s obsession with Stuart and her boyfriend Carl and Noor with her wealthy boyfriend. In the end Carl is a very jealous and bonkers boyfriend. In some ways the reveal is a disappointing with so many people loathing Duncan.
The themes of slavery, naivety, jealously, lust, greed and social manners. A solid 3.5 and Duncan’s overheated house and his imagination of why is very amusing.
Stuart a spoilt man who is living off the legacy from an aunt who is very naive and not the sharpest card in the deck. He begins an affair with a married woman, Claudia who gives freeloaders a bad name. Freddy her husband finds out and takes it badly.
Wally the caretaker a pervert with paedophillia inclinations who is an unsavory character. The saddest tenant is Olwen an elderly woman set on drinking herself to death. Marius and Rose are the nicest wannabe couple with a past that slowly brings them together. The three young girls Molly, Sophie and Noor add to the mix. Sophie helping Olwen or herself in the end, Molly’s obsession with Stuart and her boyfriend Carl and Noor with her wealthy boyfriend. In the end Carl is a very jealous and bonkers boyfriend. In some ways the reveal is a disappointing with so many people loathing Duncan.
The themes of slavery, naivety, jealously, lust, greed and social manners. A solid 3.5 and Duncan’s overheated house and his imagination of why is very amusing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
Ruth Rendell once again gives us a cast of intriguing and believable characters. The drama plays out, slowly at first, but intensifying as we go along. This novel didn't have any of the twists and spins Rendell is known for, however, and it came to a rather predictable and underwhelming end. A far cry from her best work.
June 26, 2011
As Newsday said re this author’s novel Portobello, “Rendell has long been the queen of the psychological crime.....A novel that glides along Portobello Road like the lime in a gin and tonic. It’s intoxicating.” So true! I’ll admit my bias up front - I’ve long been a fan of Rendell and when she releases a new book it tops my reading list. She’s never disappointed me and that certainly holds true of TIGER LILY’S ORCHIDS.
As always we’re treated to intriguing characters whom we follow with rapt attention, trying to out-think the author, which is impossible. There’s always a twist or quick turn within the next several pages, and we’re forced to rethink the possibilities. What pleasure! This time we’re surrounded by outre characters who neighbor in Lichfield House, a London condominium. The time seems to be today when London has been affected by depression and snow, lots and lots of snow.
Each one of Rendell’s characters stands alone, worthy of our focus - together we find a juggernaut of psychological suspense. Stuart Font is a narcisstic (to put it mildly) fellow who after inheriting a bit from his late aunt is attempting to live on his own. Unable to pass a mirror without admiring himself, he is in the clutches of the grasping married Claudia who cannot seem to get enough of him. Olwen Curtis is a pathetic 60-year-old who is determinedly drinking herself to death, and braves icy sidewalks to replenish her gin. Gray haired Marius Potter is a former hippie whose interest in Rose Potter-Jones grows stronger each day. A trio of disparate college students dwell in another flat. Of course, every condo needs a super and this one’s a pedophile.
Across from Lichfield House is a mysterious housewhere immigrants live - they are said to be growing orchids. Add to this mix the innocuous Duncan who rather than participating in life entertains himself by observing the comings and goings of others.
We’re introduced to all with the opening of the book and a party thrown by Stuart. Not a terribly festive evening since Claudia’s husband, Freddy, bursts in to threaten Stuart unless he leaves his wife alone. Stuart would be more than happy to do so because (a) she’s demanding and expensive (b) he sees one of the immigrants from across the street - the most beautiful girl he has ever seen whom he calls Tigerlily.
Rendell is one of the most skillful writers working today; she makes ordinary folks extraordinary through insightful observations and the revelation of their dark secrets. TIGERLILY is a slim, over-too-quickly gem.
- Gail Cooke
April 20, 2015
At first I wasn’t overly convinced by this Ruth Rendell novel. It creates its own little world, focusing as it does on the middle class residents of a block of flats (and some of the people who live in the surrounding houses), but my initial impression was that this was just a slight collection of short stories interweaved together. There’s the good looking young man having an affair with a married woman; a Latin scholar who has a connection with his new age neighbour; a trio of student girls sharing a flat; an alcoholic old lady drinking herself to death – and so on. For the opening hundred pages or so I thought the book was just too annoyingly inconsequential, with a cast of characters nowhere near enough compulsive to really grab this reader’s attention.
But then, slowly (and almost surreptitiously) it worked its charms and I found myself drawn into these people’s lives and the drama which surrounds them. So that even before the crimes start (this is a Ruth Rendell novel, there is always going to be crime – and once the book gets going, the criminal actions really do mount up) I was enthralled in the world Rendall had created.
‘Tigerlily’s Orchid’ is an understated little gem.
But then, slowly (and almost surreptitiously) it worked its charms and I found myself drawn into these people’s lives and the drama which surrounds them. So that even before the crimes start (this is a Ruth Rendell novel, there is always going to be crime – and once the book gets going, the criminal actions really do mount up) I was enthralled in the world Rendall had created.
‘Tigerlily’s Orchid’ is an understated little gem.
August 17, 2011
I was disappointed and surprised by this book. Surprised because it is written by such an accomplished author who has a wealth of awards for her writing and is well known for her elegant prose, intricate plots and insights into the human mind - particularly when it comes to the socially isolated and disadvantaged. Disappointed because I found Tigerlily's Orchids somewhat lacklustre and I hate to say this, a bit boring. Apart from a handful of characters, notably Olwen, I found it hard to picture the numerous protagonists in my mind's eye. And the plot itself was rather slow and predictable - even for me who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer at the best of times! Sorry Baroness Rendell of Babergh whom I also admire for her generosity of spirit, political views and philanthropy, but on this occasion though you surprised me, it was not for the anticipated reasons.
July 24, 2011
I love Ruth Rendell and her books. Her last several have been a little off the mark but this is a terrific one. It is a mystery. Who killed a handsome tenant? But it really isn't. It's about the occupants of a flat in London and a neighbor across the street who spies on them and gets everything so wrong. It's like a "Corduroy Mansions" by Alexander McCall Smith with better writing and more sharply drawn characters. These people are far from perfect and that's what makes them so interesting. I couldn't put this down but since it's short that was OK. A great read especially for Ruth Rendell fans.
July 22, 2011
Oh, how I adore Ruth Rendell. And the RR I love is back. There's no one quite like Rendell at observing the way that people think about themselves, particularly when they are vain or self-satisfied or totally delusional or just very lucid about their place in the world. She does plenty of it in this novel that chronicles the lives of a bunch of residents of a London apartment building. One of them, of course, is murdered by the time it's all done (the particularly beautiful one; I think RR has it in for beauty). But along the way we get to observe all the residents interact with each other in ways that are, by turns, slightly mysterious and very funny. I almost didn't care who had committed the murder so taken was I with some of the characters.
But on that front: I read that a new Inspector Wexford is in the pipeline. It's to be published in the fall.
But on that front: I read that a new Inspector Wexford is in the pipeline. It's to be published in the fall.
March 22, 2016
A smashing read. When Ruth Rendell does it good, no-one can beat her. What better premise than a block of flats in a dreary suburb of London, possibly Hampstead Garden Suburb? A parade of shops, houses and the flats in which our diverse characters live their lives.
A vain and foolish young man named Stuart who embarks upon a dangerous affair with married Claudia. This is the central story, but there are several intertwining plots that are just as compelling. There is Duncan, who lives in an overheated house opposite the flats, and who spends his days making wild assumptions, always wrong, about his fellow neighbours; Molly, a young student with a dreary boyfriend who adores Stuart (once she discovers he is not gay); caretaker Wally and his awful wife, and poor dear old Olwen who is intent on drinking herself to death but finds herself thwarted by the weather......
It's Rendell at her very best. You just want to keep on reading until the final page, and it is a real treat. Highly recommend.
A vain and foolish young man named Stuart who embarks upon a dangerous affair with married Claudia. This is the central story, but there are several intertwining plots that are just as compelling. There is Duncan, who lives in an overheated house opposite the flats, and who spends his days making wild assumptions, always wrong, about his fellow neighbours; Molly, a young student with a dreary boyfriend who adores Stuart (once she discovers he is not gay); caretaker Wally and his awful wife, and poor dear old Olwen who is intent on drinking herself to death but finds herself thwarted by the weather......
It's Rendell at her very best. You just want to keep on reading until the final page, and it is a real treat. Highly recommend.
December 6, 2020
I usually appreciate a study of human nature and relationships that reveal just how quirky human beings are, but this book was a huge disappointment in that regard. And it didn't present a story that I could connect with. Even the murder and the mystery of Tigerlily came to nothing. In fact, I couldn't relate to any of the characters.
I kept reading because of the author's reputation and the glowing blurbs on the book jacket because I fully believed that I hadn't arrived at the part where the "exquisitely paced drama" began. By the last twenty pages of the book, I gave up.
I kept reading because of the author's reputation and the glowing blurbs on the book jacket because I fully believed that I hadn't arrived at the part where the "exquisitely paced drama" began. By the last twenty pages of the book, I gave up.
October 2, 2011
Although I recently read another book by this author, the library notified me that I should pick up my copy of this, her latest book. I'm always pleased to read Rendell!
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Despite my previous statement and my fondness for her books, this was not one of Rendell's best efforts. There was an interesting, unusual collection of characters, but the story did not sustain my interest. Perhaps it's my current mood.
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Despite my previous statement and my fondness for her books, this was not one of Rendell's best efforts. There was an interesting, unusual collection of characters, but the story did not sustain my interest. Perhaps it's my current mood.
May 11, 2019
Though the first quarter of the book gives you a hard time consuming numerous characters and their daily chores, you pick pace with the disparate characterizations in the later parts. However the predictable narrative with umpteen subplots makes you root for a classic whodunnit thriller only to get disappointed as it unfolds.
March 7, 2021
I’ve been thinking about this one for a while. When I finished it, I wasn’t sure what I thought. The characters were all so flawed and I think that affected my initial reaction which was “not my favorite “. But as I have gotten away from the book, I have found myself thinking about this damaged group of people all living in the same apartment building. They were so real. Their problems and the situations they found themselves in were, for the most part, so sad. The book was compelling even though the murder ( hey, it is Ruth Rendell) doesn’t occur until page 160 or so. I’m glad she killed off who she did. That character needed to die ! But the killer was a bit of a stretch. Not a lot of character development. We never know WHY these people are like they are. But that would have been an entirely different book.
August 12, 2010
I had the privilege of learning the title of this book from Ruth Rendell herself when I met her in November 2009, shortly after she finished it and months before her publisher officially announced it. Two days short of nine months later it's in my hands, one of the first copies to be received in the U.S. from England (love those pre-order prices at Book Depository, and no shipping charges, even on Transatlantic purchases!)
Fifty pages in, I can tell you that's it's the typical Rendellian mixture that her readers have come to expect and to love, obsessive-compulsives and eccentrics such as a woman who is bent on drinking herself to death, a high-maintenance mistress, a former Hippie, a porter/maintenance man with a secret vice, and a young man who can't pass a mirror without admiring himself, to mention just a few. And when reality isn't enough for some of these characters, they begin to create their own (as does the lonely widower who makes up lives for neighbors he doesn't really know, such as the mysterious people going in and out of the house next door to his own, one of whom is a young Asian woman to whom he's given the name "Tigerlily"). It's a recipe for disaster, of course, and Rendell is the mistress of such concoctions!
8/11: Finished it - Yes, it's a page-turner, but, regrettably, I have to say that this one promises a bit more than it actually delivers. Engrossing, yes, but not completely satisfying in its resolution, which is really rather abrupt - although there's a murder, ultimately its motive is obscure. Various characters pop in and out without having much to do with anything that's going on. But even three--star Rendell is superior to just about everyone else!
Fifty pages in, I can tell you that's it's the typical Rendellian mixture that her readers have come to expect and to love, obsessive-compulsives and eccentrics such as a woman who is bent on drinking herself to death, a high-maintenance mistress, a former Hippie, a porter/maintenance man with a secret vice, and a young man who can't pass a mirror without admiring himself, to mention just a few. And when reality isn't enough for some of these characters, they begin to create their own (as does the lonely widower who makes up lives for neighbors he doesn't really know, such as the mysterious people going in and out of the house next door to his own, one of whom is a young Asian woman to whom he's given the name "Tigerlily"). It's a recipe for disaster, of course, and Rendell is the mistress of such concoctions!
8/11: Finished it - Yes, it's a page-turner, but, regrettably, I have to say that this one promises a bit more than it actually delivers. Engrossing, yes, but not completely satisfying in its resolution, which is really rather abrupt - although there's a murder, ultimately its motive is obscure. Various characters pop in and out without having much to do with anything that's going on. But even three--star Rendell is superior to just about everyone else!
May 27, 2011
This book was not quite as good as I've come to expect from all her other books, but any Ruth Rendell book is head and shoulders over a lot of other authors that write in her genre. Ms. Rendell has a unique writing style that pulls the reader in, quite seductively, into a world of unimaginable horror. I found this book did not have the same menace as most of her other books, and the sense of danger just wasn't there as much. But her characters are wonderfully drawn and realistic. Her setting is described perfectly, so the reader feels that they are right there. She has an uncanny knack of turning simple, everyday things into something threatening and frightening. I will not miss any of her books.
May 29, 2013
I remember when things used to happen in a Rendell book, quite near the beginning and you would be drawn in all the way through with plots and clues...not anymore...
This didn't 90% of the book telling me about the people who lived in some flats (have I not recently read a very similar thing by vine? The saint zita society or similar???)
There was no shock as to who was killed,or why,or anyone else caught up in the mystery...
Not the Rendell I know,and not sure I like...
Bring back Wexford!!!
This didn't 90% of the book telling me about the people who lived in some flats (have I not recently read a very similar thing by vine? The saint zita society or similar???)
There was no shock as to who was killed,or why,or anyone else caught up in the mystery...
Not the Rendell I know,and not sure I like...
Bring back Wexford!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2017
What an excellent author who I haven't read before. The first half of the book builds up our knowledge of the characters who live in the block of flats. Lots of different types of addictions explored. And many of the characters are not likeable.
Then one of them is murdered.
But it's not all gore like some murder books.
I really enjoyed the story telling and getting to know the characters.
Will definitely be reading more of her books.
Then one of them is murdered.
But it's not all gore like some murder books.
I really enjoyed the story telling and getting to know the characters.
Will definitely be reading more of her books.
January 4, 2021
Holy hell. Olwen the elderly alcoholic was like a stab in the heart. One of the most accurate and sad portrayals of pure down-and-out alcoholism that I’ve ever read. Just stunning. I’m not sure how much the character resonates if you haven’t been or known an alcoholic, but damn. If you have, she really hit the nail on the head, for me at least.
Anyway, that said, this was my first Rendell, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting plot and quirky characters that all came together nicely.
Anyway, that said, this was my first Rendell, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting plot and quirky characters that all came together nicely.
June 22, 2022
I've been on a bit of a Ruth Rendell binge lately. This is the third in a row I've read and I am three quarters of the way through another oldie, an audio book which is proving to be excellent.
I didn't agree with the cover blurb as I didn't see Tigerlily exerting any sort of "terrible spell" on the residents of Lichfield House, only Stuart. In fact, she only played a minor role in the book and was inserted, I think, as a distraction and perhaps the reason for the title.
Overall, there were just a few too many characters to keep track of. Some appeared half-way through the book and even if they were mentioned earlier, I couldn't remember and they seemed superfluous to the story anyway. But the main characters were an amusing and interesting bunch and classic Rendell. Who hasn't imagined what is going on in the life of a neighbour you sometimes see in the street? I loved that part.
I figured out what was going on in Mr Deng's house (who wouldn't?) long before it was revealed but Stuart's killer was a bit of a surprise as the perpetrator just didn't seem the type. But that is how she keeps the suspense going! I was a little disappointed with the abrupt ending. I was waiting for a twist which never came. Still, a satisfying story.
I didn't agree with the cover blurb as I didn't see Tigerlily exerting any sort of "terrible spell" on the residents of Lichfield House, only Stuart. In fact, she only played a minor role in the book and was inserted, I think, as a distraction and perhaps the reason for the title.
Overall, there were just a few too many characters to keep track of. Some appeared half-way through the book and even if they were mentioned earlier, I couldn't remember and they seemed superfluous to the story anyway. But the main characters were an amusing and interesting bunch and classic Rendell. Who hasn't imagined what is going on in the life of a neighbour you sometimes see in the street? I loved that part.
I figured out what was going on in Mr Deng's house (who wouldn't?) long before it was revealed but Stuart's killer was a bit of a surprise as the perpetrator just didn't seem the type. But that is how she keeps the suspense going! I was a little disappointed with the abrupt ending. I was waiting for a twist which never came. Still, a satisfying story.
October 16, 2023
I enjoy this author's descriptions and the British cityscapes that she makes come to life. I have read several by her and this one seemed the slowest to get to the actual murder. There were some surprises and a decent ending but I was not really enamored with any of the characters. It was a bit of the point that things happen to a whole small community in a neighborhood and within the confines of a building, and life goes on.
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August 14, 2024I always enjoy Ruth Rendell's psychological take on the 'whodunit.' This one has a very interesting plot twist in the last moments which I didn't see coming.
October 24, 2011
Ruth Rendell novels are a study in human relationships, and this book is no exception. It takes a look at an assortment of tenants living in an apartment house block in London, particularly one building, but also a couple of homes across the way.
An inordinate amount of space is devoted to one tenant, a young, handsome youth, Stuart Font, who recently inherited some money and bought his apartment. He decides to have a housewarming and invite all the other tenants. His married lover forces him to invite her, setting the stage for her husband to invade the apartment and harm Stuart, who is later found murdered in a nearby park.
The mystery, of course, is who the murderer is. But it is almost superfluous since the interaction of the various characters is the prime focus of the novel: One woman who is determined to drink herself to death; three young girls, students of a sort, one of whom falls in love with Stuart, who in turn is obsessed with a beautiful young Asian in the house across the street after discarding his married lover; an elderly couple who once had a one-night stand in their youth and find each other again; the caretaker couple, the husband of which enjoys spying on young girls and watching pornography on his computer. Among others.
The author’s eye for detail is sharp, and the personality descriptions vivid. For a crime novel, the mystery is virtually irrelevant, but certainly the character studies are vital. For that reason alone, the book is recommended.
An inordinate amount of space is devoted to one tenant, a young, handsome youth, Stuart Font, who recently inherited some money and bought his apartment. He decides to have a housewarming and invite all the other tenants. His married lover forces him to invite her, setting the stage for her husband to invade the apartment and harm Stuart, who is later found murdered in a nearby park.
The mystery, of course, is who the murderer is. But it is almost superfluous since the interaction of the various characters is the prime focus of the novel: One woman who is determined to drink herself to death; three young girls, students of a sort, one of whom falls in love with Stuart, who in turn is obsessed with a beautiful young Asian in the house across the street after discarding his married lover; an elderly couple who once had a one-night stand in their youth and find each other again; the caretaker couple, the husband of which enjoys spying on young girls and watching pornography on his computer. Among others.
The author’s eye for detail is sharp, and the personality descriptions vivid. For a crime novel, the mystery is virtually irrelevant, but certainly the character studies are vital. For that reason alone, the book is recommended.
June 28, 2011
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I thought originally that it was following a formula that Ruth Rendell sometimes follows, with all the dysfunctional people trapped together in one setting. But then, the story grabbed me and did not let go. It is not a long novel, only 257 pages, so it is easily readable in a short span of time.
It is the story of the residents of Lichfield house, all of them with various problems. Stuart Font is extremely good looking and extremely vain and is having an affair with a married woman. An older woman named Olwen lives alone in a flat and wants to drink herself to death. Three college students live together, and a man named Duncan lives across the street, inventing lives for the people he watches outside the window. Of course, fate will intervene, as fate often does, and events will happen as these assorted characters bump headlong into each other.
Rendell is good with character and adds enough back story to them that you are interested in what is happening. She also adds touches of mystery so that you are not quite sure as to what is going on and have to keep reading in order to find out. But she does reveal the answers eventually, so you are not left with a questioning feeling at the end of the book.
I rather enjoyed Tigerlily's Orchids. I don't want to say too much, because it is definitely worth reading.
Rendell has proven herself once again a master of the mystery/crime novel.
It is the story of the residents of Lichfield house, all of them with various problems. Stuart Font is extremely good looking and extremely vain and is having an affair with a married woman. An older woman named Olwen lives alone in a flat and wants to drink herself to death. Three college students live together, and a man named Duncan lives across the street, inventing lives for the people he watches outside the window. Of course, fate will intervene, as fate often does, and events will happen as these assorted characters bump headlong into each other.
Rendell is good with character and adds enough back story to them that you are interested in what is happening. She also adds touches of mystery so that you are not quite sure as to what is going on and have to keep reading in order to find out. But she does reveal the answers eventually, so you are not left with a questioning feeling at the end of the book.
I rather enjoyed Tigerlily's Orchids. I don't want to say too much, because it is definitely worth reading.
Rendell has proven herself once again a master of the mystery/crime novel.
July 17, 2020
This is the first book I've read by this author. I picked it up as Ruth Rendell has a good reputation. The book, however, wasn't to my liking. The setup was akin to an episodic film. You have all these people living in the same area. A young, vain man plans a house warming party. Invited are a.o. the woman drinking herself to death, the pedophile caretaker, a group of female students cohabiting. etc. At the last moment, he also invites the married woman with who he has an affair. And then he is found dead.
The problem is that the book spends at least half of the time setting the scene. You get a glimpse into the characters' lives, such as, e.g., the old hippie reminiscing about his past with the woman he is falling in love with. The actual murder mystery takes second place to this portrayal of urban life. Though I have to say what are the odds of having slavery, alcoholism, abusive relationships, pedophilia etc. all happening in one place?
My point is that if you're looking for a good mystery, this probably isn't the book for you, which is why I gave it a low rating. There were glimpses of writing talent, so it was okay instead of entirely unlikeable. If instead, you like this look into different personal lives, this might be of more interest and then deserves a higher rating. Maybe I'll pick one of her detective novels instead to see whether I could enjoy the author’s writing style.
The problem is that the book spends at least half of the time setting the scene. You get a glimpse into the characters' lives, such as, e.g., the old hippie reminiscing about his past with the woman he is falling in love with. The actual murder mystery takes second place to this portrayal of urban life. Though I have to say what are the odds of having slavery, alcoholism, abusive relationships, pedophilia etc. all happening in one place?
My point is that if you're looking for a good mystery, this probably isn't the book for you, which is why I gave it a low rating. There were glimpses of writing talent, so it was okay instead of entirely unlikeable. If instead, you like this look into different personal lives, this might be of more interest and then deserves a higher rating. Maybe I'll pick one of her detective novels instead to see whether I could enjoy the author’s writing style.
January 22, 2012
Ruth Rendell is getting less dark and edgy - but no less good. This story follows the inhabitants of an apartment house in London. The "Tigerlily" of the title is one of the people who live across the street, and there's a surprise in their house. I was actually disappointed that the surprise wasn't something worse. There's an oddly innocent couple of leftover hippies; three college girls who are fairly typical of girls that age (hey, I was one once, I should know); a good-looking guy with a big ego and a woman problem; and a man who may be dangerous.
There are a lot of similarities between this book and "Portobello" - most noticeably, the lessening of the dark edginess that used to be a given in Rendell's books. Like "Portobello", "Tigerlily's Orchids" follows several different quirky characters, makes you sympathize with all but the absolutely worst ones, and ties everything up in a neat solution at the end. Contrast this with "Lake of Darkness", where none of the characters are especially likeable, and the ending isn't happy for anyone.
But Rendell is still good. She hasn't yet slid into cozy English villages with stock characters that are just too cute; there's still *some* darkness and edge. So I'm still reading.
There are a lot of similarities between this book and "Portobello" - most noticeably, the lessening of the dark edginess that used to be a given in Rendell's books. Like "Portobello", "Tigerlily's Orchids" follows several different quirky characters, makes you sympathize with all but the absolutely worst ones, and ties everything up in a neat solution at the end. Contrast this with "Lake of Darkness", where none of the characters are especially likeable, and the ending isn't happy for anyone.
But Rendell is still good. She hasn't yet slid into cozy English villages with stock characters that are just too cute; there's still *some* darkness and edge. So I'm still reading.
December 11, 2013
It was only towards the very end of this hopeless tale in which various, largely unlikeable inhabitants of a couple London apartment buildings follow their sorry, pitiful obsessions that I realized there was perhaps supposed to be a comic bent to the story. But I failed to understand why an alcoholic drinking herself to death was funny. I failed to understand why a narcissistic, adulterous heir admiring himself in mirrors as he quickly spent his aunt's money on an impossibly greedy and overbearing lover was funny. Or why the vengeful aristocratic husband with a cudgel was funny. Or the pedophiliac caretaker. There are a host of characters: Old people, young people, obsessed people, bad people, lonely peoplenone of them cuddly. I presume that we're meant to see their dark sides; possibly we're meant to see their humanity by momentarily inhabiting their sordid brains with them. But I couldn't even see their relation to the story, unless the story was about the inevitable decline and fall of hapless humans.
I think I used to like Ruth Rendell, because, if I remember correctly, she had such a dark view of her characters. I'm going to reread an Inspector Wexford novel and see if this novel is just beyond the pale or if I've just gone soft in my older age.
I think I used to like Ruth Rendell, because, if I remember correctly, she had such a dark view of her characters. I'm going to reread an Inspector Wexford novel and see if this novel is just beyond the pale or if I've just gone soft in my older age.
August 3, 2011
It's hard to find words for the absolute amazingness of Ruth Rendell, one of my all-time favorite authors. I hope she lives forever, and continues to write books, so that I can continue to read them. Like so many of her other novels, Tigerlily's Orchids isn't a traditional murder mystery, though it does contain a murder, as well as several mysteries. And like all of her books, this one is full of deeply believable, though not always likeable, characters, who are quirky, sometimes bizarrely so, but always human. The setting--an outer London neighborhood--is just as real and palpable as the people, so that, reading the book, I found myself feeling completely inside the world Rendell creates, and not wanting to leave. I guess all wonderful books give you that "being in another world" feeling, but somehow Rendell's writing seems to do that very intensely for me: there's something incredibly atmospheric, sometimes creepy, but always compelling, about the particular worlds she creates. And, as usual, she manages to address huge themes--social class and race in particular--with wisdom, but with a light, totally entertaining touch.
October 9, 2011
I'm not sure what kind of book to call this book ...
It is the story of several inhabitants of an apartment building - all of them with secrets and some rather unsavory habits
I found all of her characters interesting, particularly Olwen, the lady who is a drunk, and whose goal is to drink herself to death. Olwen's pursuit of gin is an overwhelming dilemma for her; the many ways she obtains her bottles are quite astonishing and sad.
There is Stuart Font, a narcisstic and shallow man who is having an affair with a married woman - but who falls in love with the young and beautiful Asian girl across the street
Three college girls share a room - one of the girls does not have the money to spend that the others do.
There is also an ex-hippie, a doctor and his wife - and the flat manager - who has a pedophile fantasy secret of his own
Duncan, a nosy and bored widower lives across the street - and he constantly peers out his window at his neighbors and the secretive Asian family whose mysterious comings and goings create a great deal of speculation.
The stories were a little bit slow .. but Ms. Rendell does bring it all together at the end.
It is the story of several inhabitants of an apartment building - all of them with secrets and some rather unsavory habits
I found all of her characters interesting, particularly Olwen, the lady who is a drunk, and whose goal is to drink herself to death. Olwen's pursuit of gin is an overwhelming dilemma for her; the many ways she obtains her bottles are quite astonishing and sad.
There is Stuart Font, a narcisstic and shallow man who is having an affair with a married woman - but who falls in love with the young and beautiful Asian girl across the street
Three college girls share a room - one of the girls does not have the money to spend that the others do.
There is also an ex-hippie, a doctor and his wife - and the flat manager - who has a pedophile fantasy secret of his own
Duncan, a nosy and bored widower lives across the street - and he constantly peers out his window at his neighbors and the secretive Asian family whose mysterious comings and goings create a great deal of speculation.
The stories were a little bit slow .. but Ms. Rendell does bring it all together at the end.
August 29, 2011
I enjoyed this, was delighted to pick it up at the airport on my way to a holiday with no internet access in a remote house in the Costa Brava hills. With hours and hours of uninterrupted reading time, I ploughed through it. It wasn't however her best, not quite as atmospheric or with as dark characters as some of Ruth Rendell's other books, hence the three star rating. I found, for example, the Keys to the Street to have far more of a sense of place. Also, I guessed pretty early on what Tigerlily's Orchids were and would have liked to have been kept in suspense a little longer. I suppose this book didn't have quite the build up I have come to love with Ruth Rendell or the extreme character sketches (apart from one of the characters who has made a decision quite early on, to drink herself to death and was horribly drawn in the way that only Rendell knows how). That said, a so-so book by Ruth Rendell is still a thousand times better than the best books of many other writers, so I would recommend it as a pretty darn good holiday read.
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