Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kfrench1008's review
2.0
I was reading that La Bern did not like the Anthony Shaffer screenplay for the Hitchcock film. Funny, since Shaffer did a much better job with this story than its original author. The book is redundant (we hear how Babs was killed three times: when it happens, when the prosecutor tells it, and when the judge addresses the jury); quite a lot for such a short book. The movie also dispenses with a superfluous trip to Paris. And finally, the ending of the movie is much more satisfying. Add Frenzy to the small number of movies that are better than the books they are based on.
billd's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Do you believe in coincidences? Well, as I was enjoying reading Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy by Arthut La Bern (1966), one of our movie channels decided to show it. So I've got a nice look at both and can compare. Of course, not that that really matters because this is a book review. But hey ho.
Frenzy is the story of Dick Blamey who flew bombers during WWII and is now a divorced, angry man who has just been fired as a bar tender in a local in Covent Garden, London. The owner saw him taking a drink and accused him of stealing product, even though Dick tells him that he had planned to pay it into the till. Dick has also just learned that one of his crewmates from the War, has just committed suicide while in prison. Dick is depressed and relatively penniless.
He goes to visit his ex-wife, Brenda, who runs a marriage agency nearby where she helps couples find each other and then get married. Dick has an argument with Brenda. She sends away her secretary and then she invites Dick to dinner at her club. After they part ways, Dick spends the night in a Salvation Army hostel but discovers that Brenda has left him some money, sliding it into his pocket. He gets himself a hotel room in a fancy local hotel, calls the barmaid, Barbara, where he had worked and asks her to bring him his belongings. (Dick had lived above the bar). He and Barbara have a nice time together. But poor Brenda isn't so lucky. The next day she is attacked, raped and strangled by a client in her office.
And that's where the story takes off. The police look for the murderer, considering Dick a person of interest. Dick, believing they will arrest him, can't cope with the idea of going to prison, gets help from an old friend and heads off to Paris to hide out. The real murderer continues to murder. As you can imagine, Dick is arrested, there is a trial and I'll let you read it (or watch the movie) to see how it all wraps up.
As a murder mystery, it's very well-written. It's short, succinct and gives you a nice insight into the characters and ends up being a tense crime novel. I think that maybe they spent too much time on the trial itself, especially the judge's summation of the case. The movie spent more time on the investigation, which I prefer. There are subtle differences in the story as opposed to the movie, especially the characterization of Hetty, the newly wed wife of Dick's old mate. And as I said, the trial is more of a focus.
Still, an enjoyable murder mystery that moves along at a good pace and keeps you involved. (3.5 stars)
Frenzy is the story of Dick Blamey who flew bombers during WWII and is now a divorced, angry man who has just been fired as a bar tender in a local in Covent Garden, London. The owner saw him taking a drink and accused him of stealing product, even though Dick tells him that he had planned to pay it into the till. Dick has also just learned that one of his crewmates from the War, has just committed suicide while in prison. Dick is depressed and relatively penniless.
He goes to visit his ex-wife, Brenda, who runs a marriage agency nearby where she helps couples find each other and then get married. Dick has an argument with Brenda. She sends away her secretary and then she invites Dick to dinner at her club. After they part ways, Dick spends the night in a Salvation Army hostel but discovers that Brenda has left him some money, sliding it into his pocket. He gets himself a hotel room in a fancy local hotel, calls the barmaid, Barbara, where he had worked and asks her to bring him his belongings. (Dick had lived above the bar). He and Barbara have a nice time together. But poor Brenda isn't so lucky. The next day she is attacked, raped and strangled by a client in her office.
And that's where the story takes off. The police look for the murderer, considering Dick a person of interest. Dick, believing they will arrest him, can't cope with the idea of going to prison, gets help from an old friend and heads off to Paris to hide out. The real murderer continues to murder. As you can imagine, Dick is arrested, there is a trial and I'll let you read it (or watch the movie) to see how it all wraps up.
As a murder mystery, it's very well-written. It's short, succinct and gives you a nice insight into the characters and ends up being a tense crime novel. I think that maybe they spent too much time on the trial itself, especially the judge's summation of the case. The movie spent more time on the investigation, which I prefer. There are subtle differences in the story as opposed to the movie, especially the characterization of Hetty, the newly wed wife of Dick's old mate. And as I said, the trial is more of a focus.
Still, an enjoyable murder mystery that moves along at a good pace and keeps you involved. (3.5 stars)