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Available
Description
"The #1 book of 2009...Several sleepless nights are guaranteed."—Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly One postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country physician, is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. Its owners—mother, son, and daughter—are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cait86
The Little Stranger, my first novel by Waters, is another book from the Booker Longlist (and the Shortlist as well). It is the story of the upper-class but financially troubled Ayres family, and their increasingly decrepit home, Hundreds Hall. The Little Stranger has been marketed as a ghost story,
Our narrator, Dr. Faraday, is summoned to Hundreds to care for the Ayres' maid, and his life is soon linked to that of the mysterious house. As a child, Dr. Faraday cast Hundreds Hall as a symbol of all that was missing from his working-class upbringing, and it pains him to see the once great house in disrepair. Mrs. Ayres, her son Roderick, and her daughter Caroline, barely make ends meet, and the failing estate takes its toll on them all. Then, as Dr. Faraday enters the lives of Ayres, strange things begin to happen. Is the house haunted? Are the Ayreses under some sore of "taint"? Or is their way of life just one more thing made redundant in post-WWII society?
Waters is certainly a very talented author, writing with fluid, descriptive prose. The Little Stranger is compelling, and yes, a little scary. Psychologically, Waters messes with the minds of her readers, just as she does with her characters. I'm still unsure of what was really occurring at Hundreds, and I don't think I will ever make up my mind - which is probably Waters' intention.
I've read several less-than-positive reviews of The Little Stranger, so let me take the opposing view. I loved this book. It might not be the most literary entry on the Booker Longlist, but it was certainly entertaining. I flew through the 460+ pages, and was totally satisfied by the ambiguous ending. Waters tone is perfect - like the inhabitants of Hundreds, I felt the creepy, watchful eyes of the house, and never knew what was coming next (though I knew it would be bad). Beyond the basic plot, The Little Stranger is also a portrait of an altered society and a dying class struggling to stay afloat - so really, maybe it is a "ghost" story after all.
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and compared to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Personally, I feel this does the novel a disservice. Hard-core horror fans will be expecting more than they will receive, and those who avoid horror will be missing a well-written exploration of class, mental illness and psychology. Our narrator, Dr. Faraday, is summoned to Hundreds to care for the Ayres' maid, and his life is soon linked to that of the mysterious house. As a child, Dr. Faraday cast Hundreds Hall as a symbol of all that was missing from his working-class upbringing, and it pains him to see the once great house in disrepair. Mrs. Ayres, her son Roderick, and her daughter Caroline, barely make ends meet, and the failing estate takes its toll on them all. Then, as Dr. Faraday enters the lives of Ayres, strange things begin to happen. Is the house haunted? Are the Ayreses under some sore of "taint"? Or is their way of life just one more thing made redundant in post-WWII society?
Waters is certainly a very talented author, writing with fluid, descriptive prose. The Little Stranger is compelling, and yes, a little scary. Psychologically, Waters messes with the minds of her readers, just as she does with her characters. I'm still unsure of what was really occurring at Hundreds, and I don't think I will ever make up my mind - which is probably Waters' intention.
I've read several less-than-positive reviews of The Little Stranger, so let me take the opposing view. I loved this book. It might not be the most literary entry on the Booker Longlist, but it was certainly entertaining. I flew through the 460+ pages, and was totally satisfied by the ambiguous ending. Waters tone is perfect - like the inhabitants of Hundreds, I felt the creepy, watchful eyes of the house, and never knew what was coming next (though I knew it would be bad). Beyond the basic plot, The Little Stranger is also a portrait of an altered society and a dying class struggling to stay afloat - so really, maybe it is a "ghost" story after all.
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LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
The country doctor Faraday gets called to the large, imposing Hundreds Hall to investigate a case of stomach cramps in a servant girl. It turns out to be nothing more serious than a spooked, newly hired teenager who wants to go home to mum and dad. But Dr. Faraday and the Ayres, the family living
He soon finds out, however, as he grows closer and more fond of the family, that that air of old gentry is fading fast. Now the Hundreds is a crumbling house, full of defects, moist, holes and sealed off rooms. It’s inhabitants, though gentry, can hardly afford to keep it inhabitable. In fact, this whole house now only houses four people. Mrs Ayres, fragile since the death of her first child, and full of memories of times gone. Rod, now head of the estate, but injured in the war and now struggling under the task. Betty, the servant – the only resident staff the family can afford. And level-headed but stubborn Catherine, who really dreams of another sort of life, and becomes close to Faraday.
Four people in a big, old, decaying house. And perhaps something else as well. A little stranger, wicked and petty and angry.
This is a real slow-burner of a ghost story. We’re well over a hundred pages in before something even remotely odd happens. And even after that, Waters keeps her hand close, working subtly and sparsely, with really only a handful of events. The tension and horror builds ever so slowly, and our narrator, even at the end of it all, doesn’t even believe in ghosts. If you need blood-spurting action and thrills, this is not for you.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a creepy book. The pushing of the Ayres to the limit and beyond is scary at times. But the focus is more on the characters, very thoroughly and believably drawn, and their relationships to each other. And to the shifting time; Waters does a beautiful job of capturing a post-WW2 England where the old landowning gentry is rapidly losing ground, and everything is still in rations. Toss Faraday with his class itch and strange attraction to this very house (becoming a less and less reliable fellow as the book progresses) into the mix, and you have a book that would be a good read even without the ghost. But which benefits greatly from that pinch on insecurity, madness and horror.
If you need quick payoff and clear resolution, look elsewhere. Otherwise, I really recommend this.
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at Hundreds Hall, hit it off, and soon he’s a regular guest at the mansion, as well as the appointed family physician. This is a big deal to him. Coming from humble working-class beginnings, Faraday’s own mother used to serve at the Hundreds, and early childhood memories of the house and it’s glamorous inhabitants are very alive in his mind.He soon finds out, however, as he grows closer and more fond of the family, that that air of old gentry is fading fast. Now the Hundreds is a crumbling house, full of defects, moist, holes and sealed off rooms. It’s inhabitants, though gentry, can hardly afford to keep it inhabitable. In fact, this whole house now only houses four people. Mrs Ayres, fragile since the death of her first child, and full of memories of times gone. Rod, now head of the estate, but injured in the war and now struggling under the task. Betty, the servant – the only resident staff the family can afford. And level-headed but stubborn Catherine, who really dreams of another sort of life, and becomes close to Faraday.
Four people in a big, old, decaying house. And perhaps something else as well. A little stranger, wicked and petty and angry.
This is a real slow-burner of a ghost story. We’re well over a hundred pages in before something even remotely odd happens. And even after that, Waters keeps her hand close, working subtly and sparsely, with really only a handful of events. The tension and horror builds ever so slowly, and our narrator, even at the end of it all, doesn’t even believe in ghosts. If you need blood-spurting action and thrills, this is not for you.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a creepy book. The pushing of the Ayres to the limit and beyond is scary at times. But the focus is more on the characters, very thoroughly and believably drawn, and their relationships to each other. And to the shifting time; Waters does a beautiful job of capturing a post-WW2 England where the old landowning gentry is rapidly losing ground, and everything is still in rations. Toss Faraday with his class itch and strange attraction to this very house (becoming a less and less reliable fellow as the book progresses) into the mix, and you have a book that would be a good read even without the ghost. But which benefits greatly from that pinch on insecurity, madness and horror.
If you need quick payoff and clear resolution, look elsewhere. Otherwise, I really recommend this.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
The Little Stranger is a good old-fashioned gothic mystery set in the 1940s, in an old and stately English house which is just as much a character as the Ayers family who inhabits it. We first "meet" Hundreds Hall through Robert Faraday, a local doctor whose mother worked in service at Hundreds
Dr. Faraday offers to treat Roderick's war injury with an experimental procedure, free of charge. And thus he inserts himself into the life of Hundreds Hall, and gets all up in their business. He worries endlessly about Mrs. Ayers, and begins to fancy Caroline. At least that's what he tells us, because Robert is the story's narrator. He spends more and more time at Hundreds Hall. When Mrs. Ayers decides to give a party, the first in years, he finds himself on the guest list -- unusual due to their different social classes. Things begin to unravel at the party, when the family dog Gyp bites a young guest and leaves her severely disfigured. Progressively weirder things happen, with progressively greater impact on the emotional well-being of the Ayers family members. And Hundreds Hall falls into an even greater state of disrepair. It appears some sort of ghost is terrorizing the household, and it's very creepy indeed.
I was constantly torn while reading this book. My literary mind wanted to believe there was a ghost because after all, this is a gothic mystery/ghost story. My rational, analytical side dismissed that as nonsense and looked for a rational, analytical cause for all these mishaps. When I finished the book, I still wasn't sure. The ending is such that Waters might have given me the rational answer, which gave the story a chilling psychological thriller angle. Or she didn't, and there was just a lot of inexplicable weird and creepy stuff going on.
If I could rewrite the ending, I know what I'd do. But I can't tell you; you'll have to read this book and form your own conclusions. I ended up docking my rating 1/2 star because it all left me rather frustrated.
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when he was young. Some thirty years later, he is called out to care for one of the maids, who has fallen ill. There he also meets Mrs. Ayers and her adult children, Roderick and Caroline. The family has come on hard times since Mrs. Ayers became a widow. Roderick is struggling to cope with the estate he inherited. Money is scarce, and the family has been faced with difficult decisions to make ends meet.Dr. Faraday offers to treat Roderick's war injury with an experimental procedure, free of charge. And thus he inserts himself into the life of Hundreds Hall, and gets all up in their business. He worries endlessly about Mrs. Ayers, and begins to fancy Caroline. At least that's what he tells us, because Robert is the story's narrator. He spends more and more time at Hundreds Hall. When Mrs. Ayers decides to give a party, the first in years, he finds himself on the guest list -- unusual due to their different social classes. Things begin to unravel at the party, when the family dog Gyp bites a young guest and leaves her severely disfigured. Progressively weirder things happen, with progressively greater impact on the emotional well-being of the Ayers family members. And Hundreds Hall falls into an even greater state of disrepair. It appears some sort of ghost is terrorizing the household, and it's very creepy indeed.
I was constantly torn while reading this book. My literary mind wanted to believe there was a ghost because after all, this is a gothic mystery/ghost story. My rational, analytical side dismissed that as nonsense and looked for a rational, analytical cause for all these mishaps. When I finished the book, I still wasn't sure. The ending is such that Waters might have given me the rational answer, which gave the story a chilling psychological thriller angle. Or she didn't, and there was just a lot of inexplicable weird and creepy stuff going on.
If I could rewrite the ending, I know what I'd do. But I can't tell you; you'll have to read this book and form your own conclusions. I ended up docking my rating 1/2 star because it all left me rather frustrated.
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LibraryThing member mrstreme
Come by The Little Stranger, and you’ll meet one heck of a creepy character. You may be surprised to learn that it’s not a person or monster. In fact, it’s a house: Hundreds Hall – a sprawling English manor that takes on a life of its own. Turning an inanimate object into a seemingly living
Inside Hundreds Hall lives the Ayres family, who is struggling to keep their farm profitable after World War II. The once-grandiose home was falling apart – and taking the family down with it. We meet the family through Dr. Faraday, a country doctor who came to Hundreds Hall on a house visit. He starts to treat Roderick Ayres for his wartime knee injury, but it became apparent that Roderick was suffering from more – a type of severe mental stress that was affecting him day by day. Roderick claims something in the house was trying to hurt his family – and this something was leaving burn marks all over his room. Roderick’s delusions and paranoia rob him of all logic, and he becomes the house’s first victim.
As Dr. Faraday helps the family with Roderick’s illness, he gets closer and closer to Mrs. Ayres and Roderick’s sister, Caroline. The weight of caring for Hundreds Hall is great, and Dr. Faraday does what he can to ease their burdens. Despite his best efforts, the house continues to affect the family – first with the haunting of poor Mrs. Ayres and then Caroline. The whole time, the family believes the house was to blame. However, many in the community chalk it up to the Ayres’ reluctance to adjust to the new order of things in England. Others claim it was a “family taint” – a mental condition that struck all of the family members. Whatever the cause, the family was on an unstoppable downward spiral.
The Little Stranger, in a word, was spine-tingling. Certain scenes left me white-knuckled and near sleepless. It was the perfect book for cool autumn nights. Many were disappointed in the book’s ending, but I thought it was somehow appropriate. Waters left it as mysterious as Hundreds Hall itself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the mysterious, the old and the creepy. The Little Stranger has it all.
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character is no small task, but left in the hands of Sarah Waters, Hundreds Hall becomes exactly that – something living, animate and downright spooky.Inside Hundreds Hall lives the Ayres family, who is struggling to keep their farm profitable after World War II. The once-grandiose home was falling apart – and taking the family down with it. We meet the family through Dr. Faraday, a country doctor who came to Hundreds Hall on a house visit. He starts to treat Roderick Ayres for his wartime knee injury, but it became apparent that Roderick was suffering from more – a type of severe mental stress that was affecting him day by day. Roderick claims something in the house was trying to hurt his family – and this something was leaving burn marks all over his room. Roderick’s delusions and paranoia rob him of all logic, and he becomes the house’s first victim.
As Dr. Faraday helps the family with Roderick’s illness, he gets closer and closer to Mrs. Ayres and Roderick’s sister, Caroline. The weight of caring for Hundreds Hall is great, and Dr. Faraday does what he can to ease their burdens. Despite his best efforts, the house continues to affect the family – first with the haunting of poor Mrs. Ayres and then Caroline. The whole time, the family believes the house was to blame. However, many in the community chalk it up to the Ayres’ reluctance to adjust to the new order of things in England. Others claim it was a “family taint” – a mental condition that struck all of the family members. Whatever the cause, the family was on an unstoppable downward spiral.
The Little Stranger, in a word, was spine-tingling. Certain scenes left me white-knuckled and near sleepless. It was the perfect book for cool autumn nights. Many were disappointed in the book’s ending, but I thought it was somehow appropriate. Waters left it as mysterious as Hundreds Hall itself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the mysterious, the old and the creepy. The Little Stranger has it all.
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LibraryThing member Cariola
This is the first novel by Waters that I've read, although I've seen dramatizations of three of them. Let me begin by saying that I listened to the audibook version; the reader was good, but maybe I would have been less disappointed if I had read it in print . . . but maybe not. It's just that I've
Although Waters give a fine picture of the post-World War II decaying aristocracy and the working of a troubled mind, and her writing is fine enough, I just wasn't blown away by [The Little Stranger]. For me, it really dragged on at several points, and I was almost getting impatient to be done with it.
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been hearing people rave about Waters, and for me, this was just another a run-of-the-mill psychological mystery with Gothic overtones. The focus of the story is The Hundreds, the Ayres family mansion, and it's narrated by Dr. Farraday, who first visited and became enthralled with the house as a young boy. Now he has become the family doctor and eventually a close family friend. The Ayreses are having difficulty keeping up the estate, and Roderick, the current owner and heir, who has suffered a severe wartime injury, seems to be losing his mind. But is there, as Roderick claims, some malevolent force within the house that is bent on destroying the family? The rest of the book explores this possibility and details strange events that our narrator rationally explains away. We're somewhat left to make the conclusion for ourselves. Although Waters give a fine picture of the post-World War II decaying aristocracy and the working of a troubled mind, and her writing is fine enough, I just wasn't blown away by [The Little Stranger]. For me, it really dragged on at several points, and I was almost getting impatient to be done with it.
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LibraryThing member carolcarter
This was a decent read. It wasn't great; I'm not even sure I would call it good. It was far too long in my opinion. The story itself is quite clever and moderately spooky but could have been told in at least 1/3 less pages.
The Little Stranger is ostensibly the story of the Ayers family and their
Dr. Faraday is called to Hundreds one day to attend to the maid, Betty, and is introduced to the family. The scion, Roderick, has suffered horrific damage in the war and is struggling to keep the remains of the estate solvent. His mother is a relic of the Edwardian era and remains genteel amid the neglect. Caroline, the daughter, is described as sturdy and plain. Over the ensuing months Faraday becomes a frequent visitor at Hundreds and is privy to the family secrets. These involve what appears to be a ghost or poltergeist who proceeds to greater and greater feats of violence.
As the Ayers struggle against encroaching ruin and insanity, Dr. Faraday is always there to insist on a rational explanation for the inexplicable and to insist that Hundreds be saved. Caroline becomes the object of his devotion and they plan to marry.
The ending is ambiguous enough to keep you thinking about the book for quite awhile. There are many literary echoes in the book: Shirley Jackson (both We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House) and Henry James' The Turn of the Screw are two that come to mind immediately. There were just too many boring sections and I was easily distracted from reading. That never happens with a really good book.
The Little Stranger is ostensibly the story of the Ayers family and their
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estate, Hundreds, set in the immediate post WWII period. The mansion and surrounding acreage are falling into disrepair or being sold off to support the three remaining Ayerses. But it is actually the story of Dr. Faraday, a lifelong resident of the nearby village, who becomes acquainted with the Ayers family at the beginning of the book. Faraday has adored Hundreds since visiting as a ten year old child. His mother was a nanny or children's nurse there when he was young.Dr. Faraday is called to Hundreds one day to attend to the maid, Betty, and is introduced to the family. The scion, Roderick, has suffered horrific damage in the war and is struggling to keep the remains of the estate solvent. His mother is a relic of the Edwardian era and remains genteel amid the neglect. Caroline, the daughter, is described as sturdy and plain. Over the ensuing months Faraday becomes a frequent visitor at Hundreds and is privy to the family secrets. These involve what appears to be a ghost or poltergeist who proceeds to greater and greater feats of violence.
As the Ayers struggle against encroaching ruin and insanity, Dr. Faraday is always there to insist on a rational explanation for the inexplicable and to insist that Hundreds be saved. Caroline becomes the object of his devotion and they plan to marry.
The ending is ambiguous enough to keep you thinking about the book for quite awhile. There are many literary echoes in the book: Shirley Jackson (both We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House) and Henry James' The Turn of the Screw are two that come to mind immediately. There were just too many boring sections and I was easily distracted from reading. That never happens with a really good book.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Last year I read Fingersmith and was astonished by the way the plot twisted upon itself with ever increasing complexity, with fantastically interesting characters and settings, until the giant twist near the end that turned the book on it's head. So I picked up Waters' newest, The Little Stranger,
The Little Stranger is set in post-WWII Warwickshire, in one of those stately homes that are now all owned by the National Trust. The Hundreds has fallen on hard times, with not enough money or servants to keep the decaying house up. Dr. Faraday, a struggling GP, is called out there one day and meets the last of Ayres family and gets drawn into their struggles to keep their legacy. He becomes a family friend and a witness to their downfall, as each family member becomes sure there is something malevolent working through the house...
Waters is an amazing writer, able to do pretty much anything. Here, she develops a world in which the old hierarchies are crumbling, but the old class resentments remain. She writes in the voice of a doctor whose parents had to struggle to get him his education, who is all too aware that he lacks the connections of the other doctors and has been set apart from his working class roots. The menace rises slowly, and Waters takes her time to allow it to bubble to the surface naturally. This is a quieter book than Fingersmith, but no less rewarding.
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with certain expectations, which the book both met and ignored.The Little Stranger is set in post-WWII Warwickshire, in one of those stately homes that are now all owned by the National Trust. The Hundreds has fallen on hard times, with not enough money or servants to keep the decaying house up. Dr. Faraday, a struggling GP, is called out there one day and meets the last of Ayres family and gets drawn into their struggles to keep their legacy. He becomes a family friend and a witness to their downfall, as each family member becomes sure there is something malevolent working through the house...
Waters is an amazing writer, able to do pretty much anything. Here, she develops a world in which the old hierarchies are crumbling, but the old class resentments remain. She writes in the voice of a doctor whose parents had to struggle to get him his education, who is all too aware that he lacks the connections of the other doctors and has been set apart from his working class roots. The menace rises slowly, and Waters takes her time to allow it to bubble to the surface naturally. This is a quieter book than Fingersmith, but no less rewarding.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
After having read this book, I went to look at the many reviews that have been posted. Many of them said that this was not the Sarah Waters who wrote Fingersmith or Tipping the Velvet -- but the thing is, you can't start reading this book holding on to that attitude. Different time period,
brief summary, no spoilers:
It's just after WWII, in rural Warwickshire, and a Dr. Faraday has been called to Hundreds Hall, home of the Ayres family. The Ayres had been there over two centuries. Dr. Faraday himself (the narrator of this story -- depending on how you read this, you may or may not be able to trust him) had been there before, when he was a child. His mother had even been in service there, and had once, on a fete day, brought him in through the kitchen. Since then he's held the Ayres and Hundreds Hall in high esteem, as an example of what it must be like to be upper class. Now he's there to look in on one of the servants. As he enters the Hall, he is struck with its decline and decay. He meets the family -- there's Mrs. Ayres, who even though the family's had to sell off a lot of land to make ends meet and times have moved on, still in some measure considers herself continuing to live on in her old upper class world (you could say she's living in a bit of denial); Caroline, her daughter, who is plain, goes about looking frumpy, doing much of the work that a houseful of servants used to do in Hundreds' glory days, and stays at Hundreds for her mother's sake; and finally, there's Roderick, who has come home emotionally and physically changed from the war. The weight of the family's survival is on Roderick's shoulders and he struggles with his responsibility constantly. The family cannot just chuck it all -- they're kind of stuck, in part because of the old upper class attitude and their history there, and in part because most of their money is tied up in keeping what little they have left. There is a servant girl, Betty, who lives there around the clock, and another woman who comes in as well. Faraday is a doctor in the area, dreading the coming nationalizing of health services; he feels somewhat inferior to the other doctors because of his lower-class background. After Faraday's visits, he manages to insinuate himself into the life of the Ayres family, visiting there on a regular basis.
Things begin to go amiss when Mrs. Ayres decides to have a small party for her new neighbors the Hyde-Bakers, who have bought one of the nearby estates. (I loved this scene -- you really get a feel for what's happening in postwar England social-class wise -- the old landed gentry are on the decline while the up and comers are buying up their old estates, and the social attitudes leave a huge gap between the two groups. ) But the party marks the spot in which some pretty inexplicable (?) things begin to occur, and which are taking their toll on all of the people in the house. I won't say more so as not to wreck things.
Quite gothic in tone, very chilling, and well written, The Little Stranger is a very nice piece of writing. Each character stands out, and the atmosphere is incredibly claustrophobic. I liked it, actually, quite a bit. If you're looking for a chilling psychological read, it's outstanding. If you're looking for Tipping the Velvet, you're not going to get it. So just relax, enjoy and prepare to find yourself unable to stop reading.
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different subject. brief summary, no spoilers:
It's just after WWII, in rural Warwickshire, and a Dr. Faraday has been called to Hundreds Hall, home of the Ayres family. The Ayres had been there over two centuries. Dr. Faraday himself (the narrator of this story -- depending on how you read this, you may or may not be able to trust him) had been there before, when he was a child. His mother had even been in service there, and had once, on a fete day, brought him in through the kitchen. Since then he's held the Ayres and Hundreds Hall in high esteem, as an example of what it must be like to be upper class. Now he's there to look in on one of the servants. As he enters the Hall, he is struck with its decline and decay. He meets the family -- there's Mrs. Ayres, who even though the family's had to sell off a lot of land to make ends meet and times have moved on, still in some measure considers herself continuing to live on in her old upper class world (you could say she's living in a bit of denial); Caroline, her daughter, who is plain, goes about looking frumpy, doing much of the work that a houseful of servants used to do in Hundreds' glory days, and stays at Hundreds for her mother's sake; and finally, there's Roderick, who has come home emotionally and physically changed from the war. The weight of the family's survival is on Roderick's shoulders and he struggles with his responsibility constantly. The family cannot just chuck it all -- they're kind of stuck, in part because of the old upper class attitude and their history there, and in part because most of their money is tied up in keeping what little they have left. There is a servant girl, Betty, who lives there around the clock, and another woman who comes in as well. Faraday is a doctor in the area, dreading the coming nationalizing of health services; he feels somewhat inferior to the other doctors because of his lower-class background. After Faraday's visits, he manages to insinuate himself into the life of the Ayres family, visiting there on a regular basis.
Things begin to go amiss when Mrs. Ayres decides to have a small party for her new neighbors the Hyde-Bakers, who have bought one of the nearby estates. (I loved this scene -- you really get a feel for what's happening in postwar England social-class wise -- the old landed gentry are on the decline while the up and comers are buying up their old estates, and the social attitudes leave a huge gap between the two groups. ) But the party marks the spot in which some pretty inexplicable (?) things begin to occur, and which are taking their toll on all of the people in the house. I won't say more so as not to wreck things.
Quite gothic in tone, very chilling, and well written, The Little Stranger is a very nice piece of writing. Each character stands out, and the atmosphere is incredibly claustrophobic. I liked it, actually, quite a bit. If you're looking for a chilling psychological read, it's outstanding. If you're looking for Tipping the Velvet, you're not going to get it. So just relax, enjoy and prepare to find yourself unable to stop reading.
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LibraryThing member isabelx
Mrs Ayres sighed. 'How this house likes to catch us out, doesn't it? As if it knows all our weaknesses and is testing them, one by one . . . God, how dreadfully tired I am.
Were the strange and tragic events at Hundreds Hall caused by the ghost of a dead child, a poltergeist linked to the presence
Both the family and their servants realise that it is the Ayres family who are being targetted. The servants may be teased and frightened, but it is only members of the family who are harmed. 'I haven't done nothing,' she said, 'and I haven't said nothing! I don't like to think of it, anyhow. It makes me frit if I think about it when I'm downstairs on me own. It isn't my bad thing, that's what Mrs Bazeley says. If I don't go bothering him, she says, he won't come bothering me.'
I found Doctor Faraday quite creepy. He worms his way into the household, and seems not to see how much of a burden the decrepit house is to the Ayres family. Or rather, he does not want to see it, and no matter how many times they mention it, he brushes their worries aside. I noticed that it is shortly after he hears that Rod may possibly stop him from using the short-cut across the park, that Faraday started to push for Rod being committed, either voluntarily or against his will. Rod has to be got rid of because he is the one who keeps reminding his mother and sister of Faraday's social inferiority, and I don;t think he would ever have countenanced Faraday courting his sister. So I am leaning towards the trigger being the arrival of Doctor Faraday; maybe his obsessions did lead to the creation of a phantasm, but maybe he gave events the odd push himself, either consciously or not.
Although it is hard to tell Faraday's real motivation because he is the one telling the story, and no doubt twisting it to put himself in a better light, I don't think he loves Caroline at all. I think that in order to raise his social status and get his hands on Hundreds Hall, he is willing to put up with her plain looks, but only as long as she conducts herself as a member of the landed gentry should. He seems to actively hate her whenever he sees her covered in dirt doing housework like a maid, His obsession with the decaying house that is in reality a millstone round the Ayres' neck is senseless. It is not as if he is 'new money' riding to the rescue, like Caroline's ugly but extremely wealthy great-grandmother; he is a struggling doctor from working-class roots, who doesn't even own his own house. With him as head of the family and refusing obdurately to sell up, Hundreds Hall would have continued to fall apart, eating up the family's remaining capital and leaving them with nothing.
But he still got what he wanted in the end.
Were the strange and tragic events at Hundreds Hall caused by the ghost of a dead child, a poltergeist linked to the presence
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of a homesick adolescent maid, a taint of ancestral madness, the phantasm of a living person obsessed by the house (whether through wanting to possess the house, or wanting to escape from it), or by the house itself complaining of neglect? I quite like the fact that you never find out what has caused the strange events at Hundreds Hall, although the last few pages do seem to point in one direction. Both the family and their servants realise that it is the Ayres family who are being targetted. The servants may be teased and frightened, but it is only members of the family who are harmed. 'I haven't done nothing,' she said, 'and I haven't said nothing! I don't like to think of it, anyhow. It makes me frit if I think about it when I'm downstairs on me own. It isn't my bad thing, that's what Mrs Bazeley says. If I don't go bothering him, she says, he won't come bothering me.'
I found Doctor Faraday quite creepy. He worms his way into the household, and seems not to see how much of a burden the decrepit house is to the Ayres family. Or rather, he does not want to see it, and no matter how many times they mention it, he brushes their worries aside. I noticed that it is shortly after he hears that Rod may possibly stop him from using the short-cut across the park, that Faraday started to push for Rod being committed, either voluntarily or against his will. Rod has to be got rid of because he is the one who keeps reminding his mother and sister of Faraday's social inferiority, and I don;t think he would ever have countenanced Faraday courting his sister. So I am leaning towards the trigger being the arrival of Doctor Faraday; maybe his obsessions did lead to the creation of a phantasm, but maybe he gave events the odd push himself, either consciously or not.
Although it is hard to tell Faraday's real motivation because he is the one telling the story, and no doubt twisting it to put himself in a better light, I don't think he loves Caroline at all. I think that in order to raise his social status and get his hands on Hundreds Hall, he is willing to put up with her plain looks, but only as long as she conducts herself as a member of the landed gentry should. He seems to actively hate her whenever he sees her covered in dirt doing housework like a maid, His obsession with the decaying house that is in reality a millstone round the Ayres' neck is senseless. It is not as if he is 'new money' riding to the rescue, like Caroline's ugly but extremely wealthy great-grandmother; he is a struggling doctor from working-class roots, who doesn't even own his own house. With him as head of the family and refusing obdurately to sell up, Hundreds Hall would have continued to fall apart, eating up the family's remaining capital and leaving them with nothing.
But he still got what he wanted in the end.
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LibraryThing member LancasterWays
What is the purpose of the modern ghost story? Is it to terrify the reader? It mustn’t be; modern horror is populated by zombies, if the supernatural is present at all, or otherwise awash in gore; ghosts by their very nature are incapable of eviscerating the living souls they haunt, or of
The story is narrated by Dr. Faraday, a country doctor in Warwickshire, England, who relates his growing involvement with the local gentry, the Ayres family, and their ancestral home, Hundreds Hall. Faraday begins his tale appropriately enough, in the interwar war years, just after the close of World War I. The doctor recalls a celebration hosted by the Ayres’ for which the entire countryside turned out. During the festivities, he slipped into the hall to admire it and, taken with the place, pried a sculpted acorn from a wall: The first of many visits to the hall, though nearly 30 years would pass before he again set foot in the house. When Faraday does return, it is by accident--his partner, the Ayres’ usual physician, is unavailable--and set against the dreary backdrop of postwar England--of bleakness and rationing--which seem to be reflected in the steadily declining fortunes of the Ayres family and the much-transformed (and increasingly decrepit) Hundreds Hall. Thus begins Faraday’s tragic involvement with the Ayres and with Hundreds itself.
It’s from this humble acorn that a mighty oak doth grow. (Pardon the pun.) Waters cleverly settles upon first person narration, resulting in a subjective perspective of the story; the reader can never be sure what is real and what isn’t. Likewise, Faraday is a doctor, a professional man of science and an authority figure whose opinions carry weight, a fact of no little significance in a supernatural tale. After all, whom would you believe: Roderick Ayres, the stressed family scion and shell-shocked World War II vet, or the steady if bland Dr. Faraday? The choice is clear--most of the time, anyway.
Waters beautifully captures postwar England. Faraday’s voice is spot-on; if it’s not the voice of a postwar middle-aged Englishman, it’s what we in the twenty-first century imagine that voice to have been. (American readers, such as myself, will be much taken with what we perceive as quaint twentieth century Anglicisms.) But Waters’ strength is not limited only to Faraday’s voice. Waters can paint a scene, and invites the reader into the English countryside, the cheerful little homes in the village and, especially, the sprawling, decaying manse of Hundreds Hall. She is a keen observer of human nature, and the main characters are all well-drawn, though Faraday, of course, is the most complex of all.
The Little Stranger is not just a ghost story but also a commentary on the British class system. Faraday, a doctor born of a laboring family, tends to the Ayres, fading gentry, and the place they call home. The mysteries of the book involve not only the ghosts that may or may not roam Hundred’s halls, but also those that haunt postwar Britain. The reader might not be entirely surprised by the ways in which the story turns out, but he or she will be unsettled--and isn’t that point? And all accomplished with nary a zombie to be seen.
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unloosing an apocalypse upon the world. Ghost stories are quieter, more subtle; they trade not in horror, but in discomfort and unease. Ghost stories creep, incrementally, from the impossible to the implausible to reluctant belief in that which must not be--but is. The purpose of the ghost story, then, is the revelation of uncomfortable truths--those we wouldn’t otherwise face--by the means described above. Thus it is in The Little Stranger, a grand ghost story in which Susan Waters admirably captures the claustrophobia and creeping dread of the modern supernatural tale, as well as the starkness and want of postwar England.The story is narrated by Dr. Faraday, a country doctor in Warwickshire, England, who relates his growing involvement with the local gentry, the Ayres family, and their ancestral home, Hundreds Hall. Faraday begins his tale appropriately enough, in the interwar war years, just after the close of World War I. The doctor recalls a celebration hosted by the Ayres’ for which the entire countryside turned out. During the festivities, he slipped into the hall to admire it and, taken with the place, pried a sculpted acorn from a wall: The first of many visits to the hall, though nearly 30 years would pass before he again set foot in the house. When Faraday does return, it is by accident--his partner, the Ayres’ usual physician, is unavailable--and set against the dreary backdrop of postwar England--of bleakness and rationing--which seem to be reflected in the steadily declining fortunes of the Ayres family and the much-transformed (and increasingly decrepit) Hundreds Hall. Thus begins Faraday’s tragic involvement with the Ayres and with Hundreds itself.
It’s from this humble acorn that a mighty oak doth grow. (Pardon the pun.) Waters cleverly settles upon first person narration, resulting in a subjective perspective of the story; the reader can never be sure what is real and what isn’t. Likewise, Faraday is a doctor, a professional man of science and an authority figure whose opinions carry weight, a fact of no little significance in a supernatural tale. After all, whom would you believe: Roderick Ayres, the stressed family scion and shell-shocked World War II vet, or the steady if bland Dr. Faraday? The choice is clear--most of the time, anyway.
Waters beautifully captures postwar England. Faraday’s voice is spot-on; if it’s not the voice of a postwar middle-aged Englishman, it’s what we in the twenty-first century imagine that voice to have been. (American readers, such as myself, will be much taken with what we perceive as quaint twentieth century Anglicisms.) But Waters’ strength is not limited only to Faraday’s voice. Waters can paint a scene, and invites the reader into the English countryside, the cheerful little homes in the village and, especially, the sprawling, decaying manse of Hundreds Hall. She is a keen observer of human nature, and the main characters are all well-drawn, though Faraday, of course, is the most complex of all.
The Little Stranger is not just a ghost story but also a commentary on the British class system. Faraday, a doctor born of a laboring family, tends to the Ayres, fading gentry, and the place they call home. The mysteries of the book involve not only the ghosts that may or may not roam Hundred’s halls, but also those that haunt postwar Britain. The reader might not be entirely surprised by the ways in which the story turns out, but he or she will be unsettled--and isn’t that point? And all accomplished with nary a zombie to be seen.
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LibraryThing member lkernagh
From the book backcover: In the dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to see a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayers family for over two centuries, the once-grand house is now crumbling while all around, the world is changing. The family - elegant, widowed
I picked up this book for a number of reasons but also as an introduction for me to the works of Waters as I haven't read any of her books before now.
Told from the point of view of Dr. Faraday, I loved this Gothic 'atmospheric' tale of the life, family and curiously baffling events that occur at Hundreds Hall over the course of one year. The story has a beautifully slow, suspenseful build to it and watching the events unfold through Dr. Faraday's eyes with his deeply rooted scientific-based rational mind kept me reading late into the night. Not that I agreed with Dr. Faraday and his viewpoints of the events but this was one of those times where my disagreement with his assessment motivated me to read further. I felt there was a nice balance to the story with the characters, the scenery and the plot blending perfectly. Waters maintains her control over the story - some may find the story too controlled and as such, not to their liking - but I found the slow, steady, almost ploddingly build worked really well for me as a reader and added to my overall enjoyment of the story. I am now on the hunt for similar books to this one and [The Thirteenth Tale], another favorite of mine.
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Mrs. Ayers, her war-damaged son Roderick, and daughter Caroline - are struggling to adjust. As Dr. Faraday becomes increasingly entwined in the Ayeres' lives, troubling events start to occur at Hundreds, and he begins to wonder if they may all be threatened by something more sinister than a dying way of life.I picked up this book for a number of reasons but also as an introduction for me to the works of Waters as I haven't read any of her books before now.
Told from the point of view of Dr. Faraday, I loved this Gothic 'atmospheric' tale of the life, family and curiously baffling events that occur at Hundreds Hall over the course of one year. The story has a beautifully slow, suspenseful build to it and watching the events unfold through Dr. Faraday's eyes with his deeply rooted scientific-based rational mind kept me reading late into the night. Not that I agreed with Dr. Faraday and his viewpoints of the events but this was one of those times where my disagreement with his assessment motivated me to read further. I felt there was a nice balance to the story with the characters, the scenery and the plot blending perfectly. Waters maintains her control over the story - some may find the story too controlled and as such, not to their liking - but I found the slow, steady, almost ploddingly build worked really well for me as a reader and added to my overall enjoyment of the story. I am now on the hunt for similar books to this one and [The Thirteenth Tale], another favorite of mine.
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LibraryThing member rainpebble
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: I hardly know where to start. This one took me in gently, grabbed me and held me throughout. Strangely enough, the character I cared the least about was Caroline. I simply was unable to read her and get into her. I cared about all of the other characters, even
And 'the little stranger', indeed, turned out to be what/whom I thought it to be. It made sense, it fit perfectly........but I didn't like it. Not that I didn't like it in the read. I think it had to be that way.
The story is one of a doctor who comes to the village and in his work, he falls for the sister of one of his patients. Eventually they plan to marry but things occur and continue to occur that keep putting the wedding at bay.
The house of his patient is one of the old 'great houses' and I think the good doctor falls in love with the house as well even though it is in ill repair. Things fall through in the end, literally..............and we are rather back where we began but with our head still in the story.
The entire book is rather a head-game with the characters and with the reader as well. I liked it a great deal and would have loved it if the character, Caroline, had been more believable to me. Still and all it was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.
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the minor ones. Thus, the 4 1/2 stars. Otherwise I would have easily rated this one a 5 star read.And 'the little stranger', indeed, turned out to be what/whom I thought it to be. It made sense, it fit perfectly........but I didn't like it. Not that I didn't like it in the read. I think it had to be that way.
The story is one of a doctor who comes to the village and in his work, he falls for the sister of one of his patients. Eventually they plan to marry but things occur and continue to occur that keep putting the wedding at bay.
The house of his patient is one of the old 'great houses' and I think the good doctor falls in love with the house as well even though it is in ill repair. Things fall through in the end, literally..............and we are rather back where we began but with our head still in the story.
The entire book is rather a head-game with the characters and with the reader as well. I liked it a great deal and would have loved it if the character, Caroline, had been more believable to me. Still and all it was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member lizchris
The blurb billed this book as spine-chilling, gripping, scary.
It is all these things as it charts the decline of an old country house and how the family who live there are affected.
But I thought this book was mostly about the narrator. He is the village doctor whose mother was once a maid at the
This book is a great story, well-told, a bit of history, a bit of spookiness and a fascinating character study.
One you want to read again to see what you missed first time round.
It is all these things as it charts the decline of an old country house and how the family who live there are affected.
But I thought this book was mostly about the narrator. He is the village doctor whose mother was once a maid at the
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old house. He starts off as an honest and independent observer. But as his involvement with the family grows, his story-telling becomes less reliable. There are very subtle shifts, barely noticeable but perfectly done. This book is a great story, well-told, a bit of history, a bit of spookiness and a fascinating character study.
One you want to read again to see what you missed first time round.
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LibraryThing member crazy4novels
"The Little Stranger" is set in the bucolic countryside of 1947 Warwickshire, England, and centers upon strange happenings at Hundreds Hall, a decaying manor that is consuming the pocketbook and possibly the sanity of its aristocratic occupants
The book is narrated by Dr. Farraday, a country doctor
The physical clues to the deadly mystery haunting Hundreds Hall are maddeningly ambiguous. A key thrown into the snow, smudged burn marks that slowly proliferate on the library's walls and ceiling, childlike scribbles that are discovered on woodwork and behind furniture, the sound of whistles and tinkling bells emanating from the Hall's ancient servant-summons system -- all of these can be dismissed by a bit of agile rationalization, and Dr. Farraday does his best to calm the growing fears of his upper crust clientele.
The true suspense in Waters' novel is mental, in the best gothic tradition of "The Turn of the Screw." The psychological tension within and between characters is at once subtle and overpowering. Dr. Farraday, an "up-from-his-bootstraps" local success story, is simultaneously charmed with the outdated eloquence of the Ayres family and revolted at his lapdog attempts to worm his way into their gentrified circle. (In one of the book's telling passages, Farraday looks at his image in a mirror before he visits the Hall and worries whether he looks like a balding grocer.) His initial tepid appraisal of Caroline gradually grows into a physical obsession; the tiny line of sweat that always appears on her upper lip after walking the family dog slowly transforms from turnoff to turn on. Caroline's animal vitality runs hot and cold with Farraday; she alternately urges him on and pushes him away with fear and disgust. Mrs. Ayres admits to Farraday that she has always been indifferent to Roderick and Carolyn; the only child she ever loved with maternal passion was Susan. Roderick feels that the house itself is a monster that can never be given enough repair and upkeep; the burden of his family's legacy is slowly consuming him.
Is it possible that repressed sexual desires and bottled-up mental torment can ultimately call forth "a little stranger" who wreaks havoc on its victims? If so, what is the nature of this "little stranger?" Is it based in the mind, or in reality, or somewhere in between? It is Sarah Waters' artful working of the "in between" that makes her book so memorable. Waters' refusal to spell out the answer forces each reader to reach his or her own conclusion based upon their own internal stranger. Sarah Waters' novel will prompt a little tickle on the back of your neck that will refuse to go away. An evil that is never decisively identified is difficult to decisively ignore. Don't forget your night light!
The book is narrated by Dr. Farraday, a country doctor
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whose initial visit to the Ayres family at Hundreds Hall is prompted by the sudden illness of their sole maid, Betty. Dr. Farraday had visited the Hall once before as a young boy, when his working class mother managed to talk a servant into showing young Farraday the Hall's interior rooms while a busy civic event took place on the home's grounds. The older Farraday is shocked at the Hall's state of decay; the peeling wallpaper and sagging ceilings bear only a slight resemblance to the grand palace he viewed with a child's astonished eyes. The Ayres family has suffered with time, too. Mr. Ayres is deceased, his wife is now a frail and aging beauty, and the Ayres' only son, Roderick, has been mentally and physically crippled by his service in WWII. Only daughter Caroline, a thick-ankled spinster who is fond of wearing shapeless woolen shifts and sturdy shoes, seems to emit a sense of animal vitality. The Ayres's only other child, Susan, died of diphtheria when she was very young.The physical clues to the deadly mystery haunting Hundreds Hall are maddeningly ambiguous. A key thrown into the snow, smudged burn marks that slowly proliferate on the library's walls and ceiling, childlike scribbles that are discovered on woodwork and behind furniture, the sound of whistles and tinkling bells emanating from the Hall's ancient servant-summons system -- all of these can be dismissed by a bit of agile rationalization, and Dr. Farraday does his best to calm the growing fears of his upper crust clientele.
The true suspense in Waters' novel is mental, in the best gothic tradition of "The Turn of the Screw." The psychological tension within and between characters is at once subtle and overpowering. Dr. Farraday, an "up-from-his-bootstraps" local success story, is simultaneously charmed with the outdated eloquence of the Ayres family and revolted at his lapdog attempts to worm his way into their gentrified circle. (In one of the book's telling passages, Farraday looks at his image in a mirror before he visits the Hall and worries whether he looks like a balding grocer.) His initial tepid appraisal of Caroline gradually grows into a physical obsession; the tiny line of sweat that always appears on her upper lip after walking the family dog slowly transforms from turnoff to turn on. Caroline's animal vitality runs hot and cold with Farraday; she alternately urges him on and pushes him away with fear and disgust. Mrs. Ayres admits to Farraday that she has always been indifferent to Roderick and Carolyn; the only child she ever loved with maternal passion was Susan. Roderick feels that the house itself is a monster that can never be given enough repair and upkeep; the burden of his family's legacy is slowly consuming him.
Is it possible that repressed sexual desires and bottled-up mental torment can ultimately call forth "a little stranger" who wreaks havoc on its victims? If so, what is the nature of this "little stranger?" Is it based in the mind, or in reality, or somewhere in between? It is Sarah Waters' artful working of the "in between" that makes her book so memorable. Waters' refusal to spell out the answer forces each reader to reach his or her own conclusion based upon their own internal stranger. Sarah Waters' novel will prompt a little tickle on the back of your neck that will refuse to go away. An evil that is never decisively identified is difficult to decisively ignore. Don't forget your night light!
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LibraryThing member Twink
It is 1949. Britain is still feeling the effects of the war. In rural Warwickshire, Dr.Faraday is called to Hundreds Hall to check on the well being of a servant in the Ayres family home. As a child Dr. Faraday was in the house once. His mother was a nursemaid there when she was younger. He was
From that first visit, Dr. Faraday slowly becomes part of the family's life. He is called on often to treat Roddie. Something ails Roddie besides his physical injuries. The young servant girl insists there is something 'wrong' with the house. Caroline begins to wonder this as well, as more misfortune befalls the family.
" This house is playing parlour games with us, I think. We shan't pay it any mind if it starts up again."
She confides in Dr. Faraday and enlists his help.
" I don't know what's going on here, any more than you do. But I'd like to help you figure it out. I'll take my chances with the hungry house, don't worry about that."
This is a tale with a 'gothic' feel to it, a ghost story of sorts. But it doesn't involve overt frights or over the top scenarios. Instead it is all the more delicious for the subtle and insidious manner in which the story unfolds. Everyday items and occurrences suddenly take on a sinister bent.
The interplay between the characters is just as much a part of the story. Dr. Faraday is a bit of an enigma. He is from a lower social class than the Ayres. At times he is made painfully aware of this. At other times, the Ayres family seems to depend on him excessively. Is he there for himself, for personal gain or simply to be in the house again? The other main character Caroline is also a mystery. At times she is playful, other times aloof, practical yet playful. What does she really want from the good Doctor? Many of the other characters give us a glimpse into the social life and mores of the time period.
Waters is a master of building a story. The tension grows and we are left wondering if the house is indeed perpetrating these calamities or is it the residents of the house?
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captivated by the house, the family and their wealth. On this visit, he is dismayed by the decline of both house and family. Mrs Ayres lives there with her son Roddie, who was injured in the war and is struggling to keep the family home afloat. Daughter Caroline was called home to help when Roddie returned from the war and never left. The only live in servant left is a fourteen year old girl. From that first visit, Dr. Faraday slowly becomes part of the family's life. He is called on often to treat Roddie. Something ails Roddie besides his physical injuries. The young servant girl insists there is something 'wrong' with the house. Caroline begins to wonder this as well, as more misfortune befalls the family.
" This house is playing parlour games with us, I think. We shan't pay it any mind if it starts up again."
She confides in Dr. Faraday and enlists his help.
" I don't know what's going on here, any more than you do. But I'd like to help you figure it out. I'll take my chances with the hungry house, don't worry about that."
This is a tale with a 'gothic' feel to it, a ghost story of sorts. But it doesn't involve overt frights or over the top scenarios. Instead it is all the more delicious for the subtle and insidious manner in which the story unfolds. Everyday items and occurrences suddenly take on a sinister bent.
The interplay between the characters is just as much a part of the story. Dr. Faraday is a bit of an enigma. He is from a lower social class than the Ayres. At times he is made painfully aware of this. At other times, the Ayres family seems to depend on him excessively. Is he there for himself, for personal gain or simply to be in the house again? The other main character Caroline is also a mystery. At times she is playful, other times aloof, practical yet playful. What does she really want from the good Doctor? Many of the other characters give us a glimpse into the social life and mores of the time period.
Waters is a master of building a story. The tension grows and we are left wondering if the house is indeed perpetrating these calamities or is it the residents of the house?
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LibraryThing member CocoDB
I found myself wondering, and no one else I think has suggested this, whether Faraday himself is an influence on the poltergeist activity at Hundreds - if indeed we accept that something supernatural has taken place. He has links to the house through his mother, he has been interested in the house
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since childhood and he seems to have conflicting feelings towards the inhabitants of the house. The chemistry between himself and Caroline is very odd, they repel each other as much as they attract, and the supernatural activity begins with his entrance into the story. As narrator, can he be relied upon? This was a real page-turner, and I would definitely recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member ltimmel
Waters did a superb job of telling a complicated story through unreliable narrators in Fingersmith. In The Little Stranger, however, she gives us only one narrator. Though he's unreliable and obsessed, I found his flatness not intriguing but tedious, & his obsession less dangerous than pathetic
A more minor quibble: the narrator sometimes uses turns of phrase that weren't current in the 1950s. Whenever this happened, it threw me out of the story into musing on when the particular expression actually did come into usage.
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(even as I knew it was probably both). And so I find myself wondering why Waters didn't allow the other characters turns at narration. While the novel does not lack for social and physical detail, it would certainly have had more depth if its story had been shared out among multiple (or even just two) narrators. A more minor quibble: the narrator sometimes uses turns of phrase that weren't current in the 1950s. Whenever this happened, it threw me out of the story into musing on when the particular expression actually did come into usage.
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LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: my local library.
Sarah Waters has a truly expert touch with British post-war decline, and she mixes it up with a touch of the supernatural in this slow-paced but strangely gripping novel. Dr. Faraday (his first name is never given as far as I know) watches the decline of the
An attempt to bring some new money into the family fortunes ends in a tragedy at which Faraday is present as a somewhat uncomfortable half-guest, and thereafter he’s present to witness the deterioration of the son of the house who believes he’s the victim of some kind of haunting. Roderick, the son, never comes across as a fully rounded character to me; there’s a touch of the caricature in him, the upper class war relic whose nerves are brittle and temper short, furious at the futility of it all. Waters does a much better job with his sister Caroline—awkward, ungainly, dutiful and true-hearted, achieving a kind of beauty through the eyes of a man who’s no catch himself and knows it.
Many other reviewers have said that this isn’t really a ghost story at all, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s an atmospheric painting of a story, supplying the occasional frisson but never really getting off the ground in terms of action. And yet there’s something about Waters’ writing that sucks you in and holds you tight—she has that trick of making you feel uncomfortable and worried that if you don’t continue to read the story, it’s going to do something nasty behind your back. This is the novel to read when you’re holed up in a remote cabin in the woods or on a wet weekend at the seaside in a slightly fusty but pleasant hotel, and everyone else has gone for a walk and won’t be back for hours. Swallow at one gulp with a pot of strong tea and a couple of scones with jam and clotted cream.
Sarah Waters has a truly expert touch with British post-war decline, and she mixes it up with a touch of the supernatural in this slow-paced but strangely gripping novel. Dr. Faraday (his first name is never given as far as I know) watches the decline of the
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Ayres family and their home, Hundreds Hall, as an outsider-but-almost-insider-but-nope with a sadness that holds just the teeniest, tiniest hint of schadenfreude. Through his eyes we see Hundreds in its glory while he’s just the son of a servant, guiltily chipping off a little chunk of plaster molding as a sort of trophy or memento of a life he’ll never have. Years later the balance of power has reversed itself: Faraday is a doctor and as such worthy of respect however humble his beginnings, even if the chip on his shoulder still wobbles with every step he takes, while Hundreds is a decaying mausoleum inhabited by a family making pathetic attempts to keep up the slenderest of appearances.An attempt to bring some new money into the family fortunes ends in a tragedy at which Faraday is present as a somewhat uncomfortable half-guest, and thereafter he’s present to witness the deterioration of the son of the house who believes he’s the victim of some kind of haunting. Roderick, the son, never comes across as a fully rounded character to me; there’s a touch of the caricature in him, the upper class war relic whose nerves are brittle and temper short, furious at the futility of it all. Waters does a much better job with his sister Caroline—awkward, ungainly, dutiful and true-hearted, achieving a kind of beauty through the eyes of a man who’s no catch himself and knows it.
Many other reviewers have said that this isn’t really a ghost story at all, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s an atmospheric painting of a story, supplying the occasional frisson but never really getting off the ground in terms of action. And yet there’s something about Waters’ writing that sucks you in and holds you tight—she has that trick of making you feel uncomfortable and worried that if you don’t continue to read the story, it’s going to do something nasty behind your back. This is the novel to read when you’re holed up in a remote cabin in the woods or on a wet weekend at the seaside in a slightly fusty but pleasant hotel, and everyone else has gone for a walk and won’t be back for hours. Swallow at one gulp with a pot of strong tea and a couple of scones with jam and clotted cream.
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LibraryThing member TheTwoDs
A beautifully crafted tale of an old English mansion physically decaying while Britain's class system also begins to fray following World War II. The Little Stranger presents itself as a gothic romance with all of the trappings thereof, yet the author, the more than capable Sarah Waters, has a few
Dr. Faraday is summoned to Hundreds Hall to tend to the ill housekeeper and is reminded of his previous visit, when he was all of ten years old. Through repeated interactions with the hall's residents, the Ayres family, Faraday manages to insinuate himself into their lives. Mrs. Ayres, the matriarch, and her children, 27 year old Caroline and 23 year old Roderick, live in the dilapidating estate house with their teenaged housemaid Betty. Faraday's mother had been a housekeeper in the hall years before. Mrs. Ayres' first daughter Susan died in the hall's nursery in childhood. From these elements, Waters brews an insightful, penetrating account of class tension, envy, jealousy, lovers' quarrels and, just possibly, a ghost or some other malevolent presence. The family are slowly driven mad by the hall, both mentally through the possible hauntings and physically by the shear enormity of the situation - trying to maintain an ungodly large estate on dwindling income.
The novel brilliantly evokes its time and place, give us characters to care about and places them in harm's way. The suspense is slowly, almost excruciatingly built up. The doctor remains skeptical, the family members slowly succumb to the madness the house induces. And in the end, the ghost is masterfully revealed causing the reader to reassess everything revealed previously. Creepy, lyrical and lonesome, The Little Stranger makes the perfect October's evening read.
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tricks up her sleeve.Dr. Faraday is summoned to Hundreds Hall to tend to the ill housekeeper and is reminded of his previous visit, when he was all of ten years old. Through repeated interactions with the hall's residents, the Ayres family, Faraday manages to insinuate himself into their lives. Mrs. Ayres, the matriarch, and her children, 27 year old Caroline and 23 year old Roderick, live in the dilapidating estate house with their teenaged housemaid Betty. Faraday's mother had been a housekeeper in the hall years before. Mrs. Ayres' first daughter Susan died in the hall's nursery in childhood. From these elements, Waters brews an insightful, penetrating account of class tension, envy, jealousy, lovers' quarrels and, just possibly, a ghost or some other malevolent presence. The family are slowly driven mad by the hall, both mentally through the possible hauntings and physically by the shear enormity of the situation - trying to maintain an ungodly large estate on dwindling income.
The novel brilliantly evokes its time and place, give us characters to care about and places them in harm's way. The suspense is slowly, almost excruciatingly built up. The doctor remains skeptical, the family members slowly succumb to the madness the house induces. And in the end, the ghost is masterfully revealed causing the reader to reassess everything revealed previously. Creepy, lyrical and lonesome, The Little Stranger makes the perfect October's evening read.
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LibraryThing member jolerie
Can't people do hurtful things, sometimes and not even know they're doing them? Page 215
Dr. Faraday has loved and admired the Hundreds Hall manor ever since he visited it during his childhood. Now with the war behind, and the future on the horizon, the house that he once admired from afar has
I don't know what I expected when I picked up The Little Stranger, but what I got was a page turning, chilling story of a haunted house, complete with characters whose sanity is questionable and a paranormal mystery that pushes the envelope of what logical reason dictates is possible. The house itself was a magnificent character which added to the overall effect of one walking through those abandoned halls, listening to sounds which shouldn't be heard and seeing things which shouldn't be seen. Water's writing was simple, almost curt, and in this case, I appreciated the style. It lended well to the story rather than detracting from it. I was completely drawn in and immersed into a story that continually kept my attention rapt with tensions high and revelations sprinkled throughout. Suffice to say, my first experience with Waters was a memorable and unforgettable one! Highly recommended.
Dr. Faraday has loved and admired the Hundreds Hall manor ever since he visited it during his childhood. Now with the war behind, and the future on the horizon, the house that he once admired from afar has
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slowly deteriorated and decayed beyond the point of recognition. All that remains of the once great house is a family at its wits end, futilely trying to maintain a glorious life and home that time has both neglected and devoured.I don't know what I expected when I picked up The Little Stranger, but what I got was a page turning, chilling story of a haunted house, complete with characters whose sanity is questionable and a paranormal mystery that pushes the envelope of what logical reason dictates is possible. The house itself was a magnificent character which added to the overall effect of one walking through those abandoned halls, listening to sounds which shouldn't be heard and seeing things which shouldn't be seen. Water's writing was simple, almost curt, and in this case, I appreciated the style. It lended well to the story rather than detracting from it. I was completely drawn in and immersed into a story that continually kept my attention rapt with tensions high and revelations sprinkled throughout. Suffice to say, my first experience with Waters was a memorable and unforgettable one! Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member kmoellering
Sarah Waters third novel is set in Britain after World War II. The main characters include the Ayres family and their family physician, Dr. Faraday. Dr. Faraday is called in for an innocent visit with the family's new maid, Betty, who lets slip during their interview that she has a strange feeling
The Little Stranger reminded me very much of Shirley Jackson's fiction. Full of psychological suspense and tension, the novel will make you wonder - is the Ayres' family's residence, Hundreds Hall, haunted or not? Is there a taint on the Ayres family as some in the village suggest? Are they all mad? Dr. Faraday does not seem quite sure, and neither will you, dear reader! Once you start reading this book, you will not be able to put it down. However, sleep with a night light on - you'll need it! If you liked previous Gothic summer hits such as The Thirteenth Tale or The Historian, then check out this title!
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about the house. The good doctor passes this off as her naivete - she is young and not used to such a grand residence, nor in being away from her family. But, soon, the reader begins to see the cracks in the surface. Roderick, the heir to Hundreds Hall and the hope for the survival of the family's existence in the small village, begins to experince bouts of anxiety, depression, and something more. Soon the family hears noises in the hall, finds scratches in the woodwork, andThe Little Stranger reminded me very much of Shirley Jackson's fiction. Full of psychological suspense and tension, the novel will make you wonder - is the Ayres' family's residence, Hundreds Hall, haunted or not? Is there a taint on the Ayres family as some in the village suggest? Are they all mad? Dr. Faraday does not seem quite sure, and neither will you, dear reader! Once you start reading this book, you will not be able to put it down. However, sleep with a night light on - you'll need it! If you liked previous Gothic summer hits such as The Thirteenth Tale or The Historian, then check out this title!
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LibraryThing member Joycepa
I bought The Little Stranger because I think Sarah Waters is an accomplished writer, not because I knew anything about the story. Particularly after reading The Night Watch, I felt that anything she wrote was well worth reading.
Waters is a mature writer, a master of language, and someone who uses
I have nothing but praise for her writing. Now to turn to the other aspect I always evaluate with any work of fiction, the story telling.
Again, I think that she is skillful in her ability to use language to tell her story. The problem I have--and it is a severe one--is that I dislike the genre she’s chosen this time.
There are certain genres I avoid--romance (predictable and boring), fantasy (predictable and boring), chick-lit, (REALLY boring), and ghost stories/horror (predictable and boring). I don’t like them. Unfortunately, The Little Stranger falls into the last category, the ghost story.
I found the plot predictable and boring, almost totally uninteresting. What kept me going was the writing. I have to say that I thought the epilogue was extremely well done and is a perfect example of the way Waters writes to make her characters far more than they appear to be within the plot.
I loved Affinity, which I thought was interesting from beginning to end, although I understand it’s classified as “gothic”. OK, bring me more Sarah Waters gothic. But I will avoid any more books of hers (or anyone else’s) that is in the ghost story category, because I think her talents are wasted in that genre.
I don’t know what to say--perhaps highly recommended for those who like ghost stories or who are interested in seeing how Waters is maturing as a writer.
Waters is a mature writer, a master of language, and someone who uses
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detail superbly in creating a mood. She has been compared to Dickens in this respect; actually, I think she’s better because Dickens, after all, was paid by the word, modern writers are not, and Waters achieves her effects with an economy of words. She also does a splendid job with her characters, creating believable and interesting characters. This is especially true in The Little Stranger. i thought her handling of the narrator, Dr. David Faraday, was masterful. A dull man, Waters made him interesting by means of his dullness, no mean feat in my opinion.I have nothing but praise for her writing. Now to turn to the other aspect I always evaluate with any work of fiction, the story telling.
Again, I think that she is skillful in her ability to use language to tell her story. The problem I have--and it is a severe one--is that I dislike the genre she’s chosen this time.
There are certain genres I avoid--romance (predictable and boring), fantasy (predictable and boring), chick-lit, (REALLY boring), and ghost stories/horror (predictable and boring). I don’t like them. Unfortunately, The Little Stranger falls into the last category, the ghost story.
I found the plot predictable and boring, almost totally uninteresting. What kept me going was the writing. I have to say that I thought the epilogue was extremely well done and is a perfect example of the way Waters writes to make her characters far more than they appear to be within the plot.
I loved Affinity, which I thought was interesting from beginning to end, although I understand it’s classified as “gothic”. OK, bring me more Sarah Waters gothic. But I will avoid any more books of hers (or anyone else’s) that is in the ghost story category, because I think her talents are wasted in that genre.
I don’t know what to say--perhaps highly recommended for those who like ghost stories or who are interested in seeing how Waters is maturing as a writer.
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LibraryThing member ChristineEllei
This book was almost a Victorian gothic. An old dilapidated house (called The Hundreds) that has been in the Ayres family for generations. Enter the local Dr. Faraday and things begin to get interesting. Is the family suffering mental illness brought on by the stress of looking after the house
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during wartime rationing or are they truly haunted. I found myself trudging through some parts of the book, but the ending was definitely worth the perseverance. Show Less
LibraryThing member bkwurm
My first Sarah Waters ever. An excellently subtle psychological horror/thriller story reminiscent of Shirley Jackson. Dr. Faraday grew up in the shadow of "Hundreds", the Big House belonging to the local noble family: visiting the grounds during village celebrations, hearing stories of the family,
At once a story of love (of sorts), post-war recovery, the fall of the British gentry, horror, and psychological uncertainty, Sarah Waters has her hands full! She navigates the fictional minefield beautifully, however, and The Little Stranger was a book I couldn't put down. The horror in this story is subtle, brilliantly woven among the threads of loss, disappointment, hope, and love. Every character was well-developed and compelling, from the two main characters, to the ancillary servants and family members, to the mysterious house itself. I highly recommend this book to fans of Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and other masters of suspense.
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and listening to the tales of his mother who used to be a maid in the house. But the war takes its toll on everybody, regardless of station, and Dr. Faraday finds himself visiting Hundreds in his capacity as local physician, and eventually becoming intimately involved with the house and its unlucky owners.At once a story of love (of sorts), post-war recovery, the fall of the British gentry, horror, and psychological uncertainty, Sarah Waters has her hands full! She navigates the fictional minefield beautifully, however, and The Little Stranger was a book I couldn't put down. The horror in this story is subtle, brilliantly woven among the threads of loss, disappointment, hope, and love. Every character was well-developed and compelling, from the two main characters, to the ancillary servants and family members, to the mysterious house itself. I highly recommend this book to fans of Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and other masters of suspense.
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LibraryThing member jacquilaurence
(I'm not outlining the plot here, but I speculate about the who-dunnit element, so don't read this if you haven't read the book yet.)
Just finished: I'm full of ambivalent feelings. Most of the time i was complaining that the pace and tone are stiff and plodding, that the characterisation two
Now, as I look back on my concentrated read (started it yesterday morning) I feel that the pace and tone were just right, and that I can forgive the clunky way of including great evocative description , because of how thought provoking and memorable the whole book has been.
Just finished: I'm full of ambivalent feelings. Most of the time i was complaining that the pace and tone are stiff and plodding, that the characterisation two
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dimensional and that the descriptive, poetic bits, although lovely, are self conscious and don't fit the character who's supposedly making the observation. Also the scenes supposedly described to the narrator are not likely to have been described in as much descriptive detail as he re-tells. But I couldn't stop reading, and suspect that Sarah is working better magic than I'm conscious of.; which fits really, as I think that the poltergeist is a manifestation of the doctor's own subconscious obsession with the house and the upper class life.Now, as I look back on my concentrated read (started it yesterday morning) I feel that the pace and tone were just right, and that I can forgive the clunky way of including great evocative description , because of how thought provoking and memorable the whole book has been.
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Awards
Booker Prize (Longlist — 2009)
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2010)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2011)
Shirley Jackson Award (Nominee — Novel — 2009)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Horror — 2010)
Salon Book Award (Fiction — 2009)
Black Quill Award (Nominee — 2009)
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Fiction — 2009)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction & Poetry — 2009)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Thriller)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#7 — 2011)