Mystery and Horror

THE HOUSE OF STAIRS 

PROJECT 1

PROJECT 2

Dear Mr Spielberg:

Firstly, please allow me to introduce myself: my name is Peter Lloyd. Probably this name doesn’t tell you anything, but maybe the title of my last novel, The House of Stairs, does. It is within the ten best sold books of the year. The tenth edition is being printed at this moment, and I truly believe an eleventh edition will need to be printed very soon.

The reason why I’m writing this letter to you is because I know you are a successful movie productor. All the projects you have undertaken have been great successes, so I would like to ask you your support to make my novel into a film everybody wants to watch. As it is a best-seller almost everybody has read, you would take a minimum risk. This could be one of the best businesses of your career!

My novel has got a good combination of action and mystery. The plot is not very complicated, either, and there some characters whose description would result great in the film.

As the book is well-known, I think some famous film stars would be interested in playing a role. For example, I think Emily Watson would do a great Bell Sanger. For Cosette, I would like to appoint Emma Thompson, and Jennifer Lawrence for Lizzie.

As to the locations that could be used for the setting in the 1950’s, I think London would be perfect. Near London there are also countryside locations were the cottage scenes could be easily filmed.

As you can see, I feel really enthusiastic about this project. Of course, I’m ready to discuss with you any ideas and share your views about the filming, in case you are interested in it. I encourage you to take this opportunity to boost your career. I trust our mutual association will bring us a lot of success both now and in the future.

I thank you for your attention and look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Yours,

Peter Lloyd

QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRE 1

1.- Who was Douglas?

a) Elizabeth’s brother.

b) Elizabeth’s mother’s cousin and Cosette’s husband.

c) Bell’s father.

2.- What is the age difference between Cosette and Elizabeth?

a) Almost fourteen years older.

b) Almost fourty years older.

c) Almost thirty years older.

3.- What did Bell call Elizabeth?

a) Lizzie.

b) Eli.

c) Beth.

4.- How much money does Elizabeth's father inherit?
a) £ 10.000.

b) £ 20.000.

c) Anything.

5.- Where did Cosette and Mark meet for the first time?

a) In Archangel Place.

b) In the House of stairs.

c) In Notting Hill.


6.- Why did Bell go to prison?

a) Because she stole the bloodstone ring.

b) Because she killed Silas Sanger.

c) Because she killed Elsa.

QUESTIONNAIRE 2

1.How did Cosette’s husband die?

a) He died in his car

b) He suffered an inherited disease

c) He died of heart disease

2.What is Bell’s real name?

a) Elizabeth Sanger

b) Christabel Sanger

c) Bell Thornham 

3.A cottage is…

a) A house in the city

b) A country house

c) A country garden 

4. Who is Bronzino?

a) One of Cosette’s friends

b) Bell’s friend

c) Lucrezia Panciatichi’s painter


5.How did Mark die?

a) He died while playing Russian Roulette

b) His car crashed into a tree

c) He was pushed out of a window 

6. How many people has Bell killed?

a) Three

b) Two

c) She hasn’t killed anybody 

7. Mark marries…

a) Bell

b) Elsa

c) Cosette 

8. Who is Silas Sanger?

a) Cosette’s husband

b) Bell’s best friend

c) Bell’s husband 

9. How many stairs are there at the house?

a) 104

b) 106

c) 102

QUESTIONNAIRE 3

       

1. How many stairs does the house have?

a. 108

b. 106

c. 102 

2. Who is Cosette?

a. The mum of Elisabeth

b. The cousin of Mark

c. The aunt of Bell 

3. Where did Douglas Kingsley die?

a. In the bath

b. In this car

c. In the garden 

4. How old was Ivor?
a. Twenty

b. Sixty

c. Forty


5. When doesn’t Bell work?

a. On Mondays

b. On Fridays

c. On Sundays 

6. How much money did Elisabeth’s father leave?

a. $ 20’000

b. $ 50’000

c. $ 80’000

QUESTIONNAIRE 4

1.What is the most significant meaning of “be safe” in this story?

a)Count on someone who loves you.

b)Have anybody who protects you of danger.

c)Neither of the previous options.



2. What is the connection between Lucrezia Panciatichi and “The House of Stairs?
a)Her painting has a seemed with an

important girl of the story.

b)She looked like Bell, and the familiar ringalso appeared .

c)The main character hated the painting because it brought bad memories to her.



3.How many stairs has THE HOUSE OF STAIRS?

a)104 stairs.

b)106 stairs.

c)98 stairs.




4.Did Bell really love Elizabeth?
a)Yes, it was a real relationship.

b)No, she only wanted her money.

c)No, she was thinking about a way to get Elizabeth’s future money.



5.Which is the approximate age when sills that suffer from Huntingston’s die?

a)36 years.

b) 73 years.

c)40 years.



6.Are Mark and Bell actuallybrothers ?
a)No, they had been lovers.

b)No, Bell counted on him to betray Cosette and Lizzie.

c)Yes, of course, even Bel have a go to pair him with Cosette.


7.Where did Elizabeth meet for first time “Bell’s brother”?

a)At the House of Stairs.

b)At the meetings celebrated by Cosette.

c)At the theatre’s café.


8. Cosette after something important didn’t let Ivor Sitwell (her husband at that moment) entrer the house. Why?

a)She decided that the correct option had to be finishing their relationship.

b)Ivor wasn’t fatihful to Cosette, he was meeting another woman.

c)The two previous answer are both correct.



9.Did Elizabeth like the House of Stairs when she visited it for the first time?

a)Yes, she loved it.

b)No, she tought that it was dirty.

c)At the beginning she tought that it was so bad, but later on, Cosette made some changes and the house seemed like another one.