Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Little Stranger (2009)

The Little Stranger The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Slogging through this tome of a book, I declared it had better not be a shaggy dog story, but, in fact, that is what it turned out to be. I tend to handle unresolved endings pretty well if there is a point. I LIKE Henry James, for goodness sake.

The good news is that the story is well written and plotted. Sarah Waters spins a decent tale.

Reviews draw a parallel between the decline of the aristocratic families in Great Britain after World War II and the disintegration of the grand house and its family in the story. The problem lies with unsympathetic characters and repetition of dialogue and arguments. Add an unfulfilling ending and leave the reader uncertain about what they should feel.

Stephen King pronounced this his favorite book of 2009. Previous recommendations like "Memory of Running" and Kate Atkinson's "Case Histories" have given credibility to his choices. Read it if you like ghost stories but I am not recommending it.

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