The little stranger by Sarah Waters

[Merilyn]

My attention was drawn to this as it was recently shortlisted for the Booker prize and sounded quite intriguing. It's set in country England shortly after WW2 and tells the story of the struggling Aryres family and their dilapidated mansion 'Hundreds Hall'. In its prime the Georgian house was the envy of all and the family enjoyed the comfortable status that comes with being members of the upper class. But times have changed, the world has moved on, and as the house falls down around them so does the very fabric of their existance. Our narrator is the conservative Dr Faraday who slowly befriends the Ayres and tries desperately to help solve their problems. But strange things are happening in the house, events that appear beyond any kind of human reasoning.

This is a little slow to start but I ended up really enjoying it!

[Jane B]

I have just finished this book and I too found it very enjoyable and a book that can be read on many levels. On the surface a ghost story and more deeply as a commentary on the new social order that the election of the Labour government heralded in Britian after WW2. A government that would ensure better housing, free medical services and employment for all but that also helped the slow destruction of the landed aristocracy of whom the Ayres are just an example.