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The Power House
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Plot Summary of The Power House
"Edward Leithen is a young British lawyer who learns that one of his Oxford contemporaries, Charles Pitt-Heron, has just disappeared. Leithen learns from Pitt-Heron's wife that he has been forced to flee. By a series of fortuitous accidents, Leithen links the mystery to a retired East India merchant Julius Pavia, the latter's sinister butler Tuke, and to Lumley, an art collector, bibliophile and Establishment figure.

Lumley is also the head of an international organisation known as 'The Power-House' whose objective is to bring an end to civilization. Pitt-Heron, at first enthralled by the philosophy of this organisation, had to leave London in a hurry when he wanted to quit Lumley and his sinister objectives. When Lumley notices that Edward Leithen takes an interest in Pitt-Heron's disappearance, he threatens the lawyer and, later, tries to eliminate him by all possible means."

Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Power House
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - 1900-1920's
Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Who's the terrorist enemy here? - evil corporation/billionaire

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - wealthy
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - power
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - London - dangerous

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to The Power House
Son of Holmes by John Lescroart
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers
The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters
The Big Four by Agatha Christie
Death in Hyde Park by Robin Paige


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John Buchan Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Daniel Staebler  

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