''A Pin to See the Peepshow'' is a 1934

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

F. Tennyson Jesse Fryniwyd Tennyson Jesse Harwood (born Wynifried (Winifred) Margaret Jesse; 1 March 1888 – 6 August 1958) was an English criminologist, journalist and author (she also wrote as ''Wynifried Margaret Tennyson''). Early life and marriage Fryn ...

, based on the 1922 Thompson–Bywaters murder case.

Plot

Julia Almond grows up in suburban poverty in Edwardian London. She longs for a better life, but makes an ill-advised marriage during the First World War.

Reception

Sarah Waters has praised ''A Pin to See the Peepshow'', writing "rarely, it seemed to me, had I been plunged by a piece of fiction into an emotional world so vivid, so complete, so convincingly untidy."

Adaptations

''A Pin to See the Peepshow'' was adapted into a play by Jesse and

H. M. Harwood Harold Marsh Harwood (29 March 1874 – 19 April 1959) was a British businessman, playwright, screenwriter and theatre manager. He was the son of the businessman and politician George Harwood and the husband of F. Tennyson Jesse who co-wrote some ...

in 1951. It was refused a licence by the Lord Chamberlain and so premiered at a drama club. In 1953 it showed at the Playhouse Theatre, Broadway. In 1973 it was adapted into a four-part TV series by the BBC, written by

Elaine Morgan Elaine Morgan OBE, FRSL (7 November 1920 – 12 July 2013), was a Welsh writer for television and the author of several books on evolutionary anthropology. She advocated the aquatic ape hypothesis, which she advocated as a corrective to what s ...

and starring

Francesca Annis Francesca Annis (born 14 May 1945) is an English actress. She is known for television roles in '' Reckless'' (1998), ''Wives and Daughters'' (1999), ''Deceit'' (2000), and '' Cranford'' (2007). A six-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won the 1979 ...

. In 2007 it was made into a short radio drama on BBC Radio 4 by Scott Cherry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pin to See the Peepshow 1934 British novels British crime novels Novels about murder Novels set in the 1910s Novels set in the 1920s Heinemann (publisher) books Doubleday, Doran books