The Little Stranger

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Manufacturer: Sarah Waters
Brand: Historical Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, Horror
Brew: Paperback
Steeping Time: 510 pages
Tea Service: Personal Choice
Strength:

Synopsis: 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.

There’s nothing I love more than a crumbling English manor house that comes with a haunting.

The combination of those two things made The Little Stranger an easy pick for me. The setting is perfect, not only in location, but the story takes place just after the ending of WWII, so this has me written all over it.

We begin the story alongside Dr. Faraday, our narrator. I was instantly sucked in by him. If there was ever a character that walked onto the page fully formed, it’s Dr. Faraday. I’m not saying he was a perfect character, as he had many flaws, but his authenticity blew me away. I was amazed at how pronounced his voice and presence were, and the world he lives in was so instantly brought to life. I’ve got to hand it to Sarah Waters. She dropped me straight into this little world she created, and I could see, hear, feel, and smell every inch of it within a few sentences. This was probably the most well-crafted setting I’ve read in quite some time, and I still walk through it often, days after finishing the book.

While the setting is vivid, the pace is slow.

I don’t care what pace a book flows at, as long as I’m engaged in the story, so this didn’t bother me at all. However, if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller of a story, this is not for you. Instead, we walk languidly through life alongside Dr. Faraday and the Ayres family, strolling through crumbling Hundreds Hall where things unfold at their own pace. At one point I tried to read faster, but the story didn’t allow for it. It’s meant to be taken one step at a time, and I preferred it that way.

I found all of the characters to be very fleshed out, and each of them felt genuine and solid, as if they were sitting in the next room over, waiting for me to walk out and join them. It was also fascinating to watch all of the main characters change throughout the book as things started to go south. I can’t say enough how real they all felt.

The Little Stranger wasn’t the kind of spooky I expected, but it definitely gave me goosebumps more than once.

It is the kind of ghost story that happens behind you, in the shadows. A noise that makes you turn, but then you see nothing. A whisper you swore you felt on the back of your neck. A mysterious mark that appears on the wall. A scratching on the floor above you. And then, without warning, it is upon you.

I loved the tense darkness of The Little Stranger. I never really knew what was real and what wasn’t, which is exactly what the characters are going through as well. Some parts of the book were a little predictable, but I never guessed 100% right. There was always something a little off, something unexpected. Something to keep me guessing.

Even with all of the strange goings-on and the creepy atmosphere, I still wanted more of the scary factor.

That’s the only part of The Little Stranger that fell a little short for me. Take everything about the book, exactly the way it is, and amp up the spook vibe. However, even though it may not have been as scary as I’d hoped, the story and setting have settled in my bones, and I’ve carried it around with me since finishing the last word on the final page. Well done, Sarah Waters. Well done.

After reading The Little Stranger, I sought out the film and gave it a watch.

As is common with any adaptation, not everything from the page can be crammed into two hours, so many things were missing. Overall, if I’d never read The Little Stranger, I think I might find the quick cuts of the film confusing since there are big moments that sometimes do not get a lot of explanation before moving on. I don’t think it’s a bad film by any means, but in the many changes from page to screen, I was most shocked to see that almost every single scary/creepy/spooky occurrence was missing from the movie.

*FILM SPOILERS AHEAD*

If you’ve read the book (no book spoilers here), then you’ll be sad to hear that scenes like the cuff links, the mirror on the washstand, the knocking, the discovery of the Ss, and the speaking tube to the third floor are all missing (except for the final scene with the speaking tube). The Ss are discovered, but nothing like what’s in the book. To me, these were the best parts of The Little Stranger, and I was so disappointed that they were cut.

*BACK TO SAFETY*

Film version aside, I thoroughly enjoyed The Little Stranger. And I enjoy the fact that the story has lingered with me. Like Hundreds Hall, it’s hanging on, stoically standing in the shadows, waiting to be seen.

Have you read The Little Stranger? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia