Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for SWF Seeks Same by John Lutz - Available

SWF Seeks Same

by John Lutz
ebook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Read a sample Read a sample
2 of 2 copies available
When they made a movie based on John Lutz's SWF Seeks Same, they changed the title somewhat. Single White Female is the name of the now-famous 1992 film starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, but in some ways, the original title serves the story better. The novel and film both are about sameness, about one person wanting to be the same as another, encroaching upon and, at times, actually usurping the other's identity. When Allie Jones, searching for a new roommate, places the add "SWF seeks same" in the New York Times, she has no idea how apt, and how chilling, that line will come to seem. The new roommate is Hedra, a diffident, somewhat homely woman whose deferential nature Allie imagines will be an appealing quality in a new roommate. Hedra, however, begins to wreak her havoc only after she has been invited inside. Her undisguised admiration for Allie soon begins to seem something more like idolatry, and Allie is distressed when she returns home unexpectedly one day to find Hedra trying on her clothes. But this is, of course, just the beginning. Inexplicable things begin to happen in Allie's life, including a series of obscene phone calls and an odd run-in with a strange man on the street, and it doesn't take long for her to link these occurrences to the bizarre, obsessive Hedra. Encroachment is one of this novel's most dominant themes and Lutz does a splendid job of creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic paranoia. From coincidental encounters on the street and in restaurants to all manner of intrusive phone calls to Hedra's almost constant presence in the apartment, Allie's life seems boxed in, and New York City seems surprisingly small and menacing. She feels both anonymous and specifically targeted, a feeling brought about by Hedra's actions but also reinforced throughout the book by the seemingly predatory nature of many of the people who cross Allie's path. One of the best things Lutz does in this book is to keep the intentions of the male characters inscrutable; they appear to us as they appear to Allie, and the result is that even the friendly, boyish next-door neighbor arouses our suspicions, and contributes to the air of paranoia we cannot help but breathe with her.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 7, 2002

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780795310225

    • PDF ebook

      • ISBN: 9780795310225
      • File size: 578 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 29, 1990
      Mystery writer Lutz ( Time Exposure ) here offers a contemporary horror tale that few readers will be able to put down. Things begin to fall apart for computer consultant Allie Jones when she discovers that her live-in lover, investment broker Sam Rawson, has strayed. After throwing him out, she needs a new roommate to help pay the rent. A discreet newspaper advertisement brings in Hedra Carlson, a mousy young woman who quickly begins to idolize and imitate her. A quiet air of menace develops, enhanced by Lutz's simple, direct prose. Is Hedra literally stealing Allie's life? Is Sam, who pleads his way back into her affections, really faithful this time? Is the aspiring young playwright who lives upstairs as open and supportive as he seems? And who is behind the spate of obscene telephone calls from men who seem to know her by name--perhaps a sleazy client after her body as well as her computer expertise? The ensuing violence leaves Allie alone, friendless and a fugitive. Although marred by its fairly pat conclusion, this psychological thriller remains an enjoyable diversion.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • PDF ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now