The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: interview and review

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters is a haunted house story told by a man of science who doesn’t believe in ghosts. The reader is left to believe or not, based on evidence that unhinges other characters. Set in post World War II rural England, class boundaries are crumbling like the mansion’s foundation.

Dr. Faraday’s mother was once a nanny at Hundreds Hall. He had visited the grand estate as a child and had broken off a decorative acorn from the molding. Even as a boy, he wanted to possess something above him. Now a village doctor, he returns on a medical visit and finds the once stately mansion in poor repair.

The Ayres family cannot afford to maintain Hundreds Hall, although they still employ two domestic servants. The house was occupied by British forces and then left to neglect. The Ayres son was crippled as a wartime pilot; the mother is an aging widow, and the daughter, Caroline, is too plain to marry well. In desperation, they turn to lonely Dr. Farraday for emotional support.

The old aristocratic order is what is truly haunting the narrative. Caroline’s hands are ruined from helping out in the kitchen and on the farm, although she doesn’t mind. Ironically, it is Dr. Farraday who is disgusted by Caroline’s lack of upper class grace as much as he admires her strength.

Sarah Water’s attention to social class and to the subtle nuances of character bring to mind Evelyn Waugh or a dark P.G. Wodehouse. Her writing is beautiful and understated; it fits the era. If you enjoy visiting National Trust Houses or just like an old fashioned ghost story, you’ll love this multi-layered novel.

Like Dr. Farraday, you’ll fall in love with Hundreds Hall:

“I recall most vividly the house itself, which struck me as an absolute mansion. I remember its lovely ageing details: the worn red brick, the cockled window glass, the weathered sandstone edgings. They made it look blurred and slightly uncertain – like an ice, I thought, just beginning to melt in the sun.”

[ice = popsicle in American]

British book blogger dovegreyreader called The Little Stranger one of the best books of 2009. It was short listed for the Man Booker Prize. Sarah Waters blends a scholar’s knowledge of period detail with a novelist’s eye for drama. The narrative drags a bit in the middle, but keep reading. The story builds gradually and will haunt you even after you finish.

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