• The Uninvited Guests

  • A Novel
  • By: Sadie Jones
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
  • 3.4 out of 5 stars (101 ratings)

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The Uninvited Guests  By  cover art

The Uninvited Guests

By: Sadie Jones
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Publisher's summary

A grand old manor house deep in the English countryside will open its doors to reveal the story of an unexpectedly dramatic day in the life of one eccentric, rather dysfunctional, and entirely unforgettable family.

Set in the early years of the 20th century, award-winning author Sadie Jones’ The Uninvited Guests is, in the words of Jacqueline Winspear, the New York Times best-selling author of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries A Lesson in Secrets and Elegy for Eddie, “a sinister tragi-comedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion.”

©2012 Sadie Jones (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

What listeners say about The Uninvited Guests

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

And You Think You’re Haunted By Your Past!

In many ways Uninvited Guests is a comedy of manners, particularly British in its wit and depreciating sense of humor.

The Torrington household is preparing to celebrate the 20th birthday of their eldest daughter, Emerald. At the same time, Charlotte, Em’s mother, is anxious about the state of Sterne, and whether or not she and her children will be able to stay in the house much longer. Her husband, Edward, leaves on the day of the party to negotiate a home loan in town. That’s the set up. And it’s all very dramatic comedy with some upstairs-downstairs conventions and budding romances among the young people, but things change when there’s word of an accident “on the branch line,” and Charlotte’s past, quite literally, comes knocking on the door!

The Uninvited Guests is quiet and funny and creepy all at once, and I found it to be an enjoyable listen. I have only two criticisms: first, while Kate Reading did a fabulous job for the most part, her interpretations of some of the character affectations seemed a bit off to me. Also, like some other reviewers, I felt the pony situation, though it started off being funny, went on longer than it needed.

Still, if you’re in the mood for turn of the century wit and a bit of the supernatural you could do worse than The Uninvited Guests.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I can't believe I listened to this whole book!!

What disappointed you about The Uninvited Guests?

There were really three books in this one book....and none of them had any real effect on the other. There was the 'romance' part, there was the 'ghost part, and there was the little girl with the pony part. And they flipped back and forth so it was hard to hold a thought.

The writing was ponderous and at times pretentious and rather than move the plot along, it slogged, and slogged. The use of similies became overpowering and useless....again, dragging the plot down. I think I kept reading it hoping it would turn out better, but it never did and at the end it was so bad, it was almost good in its badness.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I'm looking forward to Beautiful Ruins

Would you be willing to try another one of Kate Reading’s performances?

Possibly

What character would you cut from The Uninvited Guests?

Oh dear.....which ones? The pony perhaps? None of the characters were at all likeable, but not so unlikeable that they were interesting

Any additional comments?

I think I've said it all.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I usually avoid books involving the supernatural

because, as Ken Follett says, "If anything can happen, where's the suspense?" But this one caught me unawares. The writing is delicious, and the supernatural elements not only didn't ruin the plot, they were sort of an amusing sideshow. I look forward to reading much more from this most engaging British author.
Excellent narration!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An engaging, tightly written story.

Where does The Uninvited Guests rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top and that's saying something. I listen to many classics.

What did you like best about this story?

Sadie Jones writes about family here--how big it is. Who is in? How do people get left out--or maybe ejected? What happens that might enlarge our idea of family boundaries? The characters are distinctive and their attributes drive the story, as should it should be. I love the funny, dark aspect of the railway accident "blasted survivors" who are somewhere in the big old house as the family dynamic plays itself out. I kept thinking how I'd like to see this story on stage, or well-produced, on screen.

Which scene was your favorite?

The coaxing of the pony down the stairs by all the family and the travelers, too.

Who was the most memorable character of The Uninvited Guests and why?

Who can say Charlotte is more memorable than her neglected daughter Smudge? They are a memorable pair.

Any additional comments?

I will certainly look for other works by this writer. She doesn't skimp on character, but goes deep and real, so the story touches the reader in lasting ways.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Forgettable

What would have made The Uninvited Guests better?

It seemed like the author was attempting to try something different but wasn't comfortable with the genre (it's an attempt at a ghost story that just doesn't quite come together.)
Great narration, though.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Quite an odd book

every time I thought I understood, something totally different occured. At the end, not a bad story but I wouldn't waste a credit on it

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration

The story lacked direction . The few times I thought the plot was thickening it fizzled out into another strange direction .
Excellent narration though . Almost worth listening to just for that . I also enjoyed the characters .

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Odd and Intriguing

A very odd ghost story that was in a strange way both entertaining and weird. I think on the whole it worked but there were too many strange moments (the pony) that seemed to take me out of the story. Yet in retrospect, those moments do serve a purpose in conveying the peculiar mood of the novel.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bewitchingly Peculiar Sleeper

It is very seldom that I am left without pithy opinions delivered with firm strong words,.. however, this quiet little sleeper of a book did just that.
It was a very pleasant surprise, and I was happy to have run across it.
Subtle, gently wrought,.. well worth the purchase.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Narration, good. Story, dribble.

This was too much time spent with horrendous people with an uncompelling story. They did not deserve their ending.

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