I’m glad I read The Little Stranger as my second Sarah Waters book: if I’d read it first I might have been a little bit hesitant to pick up her other work, and if I’d read it last I’d have been disappointed at ending my Waters journey with this one! As it is, I know she’s capable of so much more because of reading Fingersmith first, so I’m still looking forward to reading her 4 other books!
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The Little Stranger is a gothic supernatural tale which has some great spooky moments, Sarah Waters does build up a great atmosphere when she wants to, but I just thought this book could have been a good 200 pages shorter.
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I think the main reason the length bothered me was because I didn’t find the narrator, Dr Faraday, particularly engaging. I definitely prefer Waters’ lesbian protagonists to her straight white men! He was so frustrating and a bit dull. Thankfully the other main characters, Mrs Ayres and Caroline, made up for his weaknesses.
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The non-spooky side of the story was also interesting, as it was set in the 1940s and depicted the decline of the gentry in the UK, as well as the uncertainties surrounding the beginning of the NHS. I like that Waters’ books are well-fleshed out in the historic side of things!
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So I’m glad this one is out of the way, and I look forward to moving onwards and upwards on my Sarah Waters journey!