7.2 /10 1 Votes
Country United Kingdom Publication date 6 April 1989 ISBN 0-09-173854-7 OCLC 59049472 | 3.6/5 Goodreads Language English Pages 304 pp Originally published 6 April 1989 Adaptations The Bridesmaid (2004) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Genres Fiction, Mystery, Crime Fiction Publishers Hutchinson (UK), Mysterious Press (US), Doubleday (Canada) Similar Ruth Rendell books, Crime Fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Bridesmaid is a novel by British writer Ruth Rendell, first published in 1989. It is generally considered a fan-favourite, and was adapted into an acclaimed 2004 film by Claude Chabrol (who had previous adapted Rendell's earlier novel A Judgement in Stone, with great success).
Plot summary
The novel's protagonist is Philip Wardman, a relatively normal young man (unusually so for traditional Rendell protagonists), whose only particularly strong feeling is that he hates violence. Philip lives at home with his mother and sister, and his feminine ideal is exemplified by a beautiful statue of Flora, a nymph, in their garden. One day Philip's sister marries, and Philip meets eccentric Senta Pelham, one of her bridesmaids who looks alarmingly like the statue of Flora. The two begin a passionate affair, but Philip's world comes crashing down around him when Senta sets a test: she begs Philip that, to prove their love, they must each kill someone.