The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I borrowed this book from my Sister. Both she and my Father had read it, and they both had enjoyed it. We tend to share the same taste in literature, and so I trust their judgement when it comes to books. I had never read anything by Ms. Waters, but when I read the line ‘An elegantly written, chill-inducing novel of psychological suspense…’ I was sold. I love a good mystery, especially when it is laden with psychological undertones.

The book itself could be classified as a tome, weighing in at 463 pages. This is not a book to be read in one sitting. With that being said, there is nothing languid about the pacing of this book. Like any good mystery, there is that gradual progression of suspense being instilled with every turn of the page. As the story unfolds, you realize the plot is driven in equal parts by the atmospheric backdrop of the Ayres decaying estate, as well as the disenfranchised characters that dwell within the narrative. As the reader, you are being drawn slowly and carefully into the damaged lives of the Ayres family, and are granted a birds eye view of their dismantled and war torn lives.

As the story progresses, the author begins to reveal startling insights into the psyche of each and every character. Like a psychological case study, we begin to uncover the most unsettling aspects of human nature, and the disturbing effects that war and desolation can conjure. Each character is battling their own demons; succumbing to a merciless past that refuses to set them free. Plagued by their unrelenting past, and facing their unforgiving futures, the family gives way to sheer madness. What makes the narrative all the more sinister is the fact that in the minds of the characters, the decrepit walls and ceilings that surround them, have taken on a life force of their own: A dark, and menacing force, that results in the onset of a series of horrific and troubling ‘accidents’.

As tragedy strikes repeatedly, and the family members suffering escalates, the characters believe themselves to have fallen prey to a vindictive force that they are ill equipped to battle. But is this the case? Was this force lying dormant for years, and after a long slumber found itself awoken by the tortured souls that walked its corridors? Or were the Ayres’ minds already so far gone, that they created this ‘little stranger’ in a means of conceding to their dying way of life. I do not want to give anything away, and so I advise you to read this book, and decide for yourself.

There are no comfortable solutions or conclusions to this book. Although it is a quiet drama,  its effects are as haunting as they are long lasting. From start to finish, the writing is completely absorbing, replete with the mournful and angry sentiment that pervades works like du Maurier’s Rebecca, and Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. It truly is a modern day gothic masterpiece.