The Little Stranger

Mrs. read Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger last month (review here) and requested that I read it as well so we could discuss. I’ll make this a quick post since Mrs. already went over the basic plot points and I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises. Like Mrs. I enjoyed the novel. I went in hoping for a good ghost story and wasn’t disappointed. The book is dark and mysterious and keeps you guessing as to what exactly is happening inside Hundreds Hall. Although it was written in 2009 it feels like a book that could have been written fifty years ago. Waters explores the theme of class in a changing world, with the Ayres family struggling to maintain their lifestyle and Dr. Faraday working to better his standing in society. Mrs. raved about the ending, and while I definitely thought it was good, I felt it was more ambiguous that Mrs. did. We have agreed to disagree on this point, but either way the book makes you think, and it got us discussing what it all meant. If nothing else we found a book that we both liked, which means there’s still hope that we might find some common ground on music and movies one day as well. Next Up: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann