Summary
Sarah Waters' haunting 2009 novel The Little Stranger represents a departure for the acclaimed British author. Set in post-World War II England, this gothic tale eschews Waters' usual lesbian themes in favor of a chilling ghost story centered around a crumbling manor house. The novel earned Waters her third Man Booker Prize nomination and cemented her reputation as a master of atmospheric historical fiction.
The Little Stranger follows Dr. Faraday, a country physician, as he becomes entangled with the aristocratic Ayres family and their decaying estate, Hundreds Hall. As strange occurrences begin to plague the family, Faraday finds himself torn between rational explanations and the possibility of supernatural forces at work. Waters deftly explores themes of class, ambition, and the decline of the British gentry in this suspenseful psychological thriller.
In 2018, The Little Stranger was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Domhnall Gleeson and Ruth Wilson. The movie brought Waters' eerie vision to life on the big screen, introducing her work to an even wider audience. With its richly-drawn characters and masterful building of tension, The Little Stranger showcases Waters at the height of her storytelling powers.
Plot
In post-war rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to Hundreds Hall, the crumbling manor home of the Ayres family. He meets Caroline, the plain daughter; Roderick, her war-wounded brother; and their widowed mother. Faraday, whose mother once worked as a maid at Hundreds, becomes a regular visitor, treating Roderick's injuries and developing a friendship with Caroline. During a disastrous party, strange events begin to occur, including the vicious attack of a previously gentle dog on a young guest.
As unusual occurrences escalate, Roderick claims something sinister is haunting the house. He is soon committed to a mental hospital after a mysterious fire in his room. Caroline takes over managing the estate, selling off parts of the property. Meanwhile, Faraday realizes he has fallen in love with her. The house continues to be plagued by inexplicable events - ringing phones, tapping sounds, and strange writings on the walls. Mrs. Ayres becomes convinced the ghostly presence is her deceased daughter Susan, leading to her eventual suicide.
Faraday proposes to Caroline, who reluctantly accepts. However, she soon breaks off the engagement, announcing plans to sell Hundreds Hall and move abroad. Faraday refuses to accept her decision and attempts to change her mind. On what would have been their wedding night, Caroline falls to her death from an upper floor of the house. At the inquest, the maid Betty testifies that she heard Caroline cry out “You!” before the fall.
Three years later, Faraday's medical practice is thriving, but Hundreds Hall remains unsold. He retains the keys to the property and acts as its caretaker. The novel ends with Faraday reflecting on Caroline's death, unable to determine what she saw that fateful night, seeing only his own reflection in a cracked window pane.
Themes
Class struggle and social change in post-war Britain
Decay of the aristocracy and country estates
Ambiguity between supernatural and psychological explanations
Unreliable narration and shifting perspectives
Obsession and desire for status/belonging
Gothic horror and haunted house tropes
Loss of identity and sense of place in a changing world
Setting
The Little Stranger is set in post-World War II Britain, specifically in the summer of 1948. The story takes place in rural Warwickshire, a county in the West Midlands region of England known for its picturesque countryside and historic estates. This setting reflects the changing social landscape of Britain in the aftermath of the war, as traditional class structures began to crumble and the country embarked on a new era of socialism under a Labour government.
At the heart of the novel is Hundreds Hall, a once-grand Georgian mansion that has fallen into disrepair. This decaying estate serves as a powerful metaphor for the declining fortunes of Britain's aristocracy and the shift in social dynamics occurring across the country. The house itself becomes a character in the story, its crumbling masonry and overgrown gardens mirroring the fading glory of the Ayres family who inhabit it.
Beyond Hundreds Hall, Waters vividly portrays the surrounding rural community, including the nearby village where Dr. Faraday's medical practice is located. The contrast between the struggling aristocratic Ayreses and the rising aspirations of working-class characters like Dr. Faraday highlights the broader societal changes taking place in post-war Britain. This carefully crafted setting provides a rich backdrop for the novel's exploration of class, social upheaval, and the supernatural.
Characters
Dr. Faraday: The narrator and main character. A country doctor from a working-class background who becomes entangled with the Ayres family. He is rational and skeptical of supernatural explanations, but grows increasingly obsessed with Hundreds Hall and the Ayreses. His motivations and reliability as a narrator become questionable as the story progresses.
Caroline Ayres: The plain, practical daughter of the Ayres family. She takes over management of Hundreds Hall after Roderick's breakdown. Caroline develops a complex relationship with Dr. Faraday, wavering between returning his affections and rejecting him.
Roderick Ayres: Caroline's brother and heir to Hundreds Hall. A war veteran struggling to keep the estate afloat. He becomes increasingly paranoid and unstable, claiming the house is haunted by a malevolent presence.
Mrs. Ayres: The widowed matriarch of the Ayres family. She clings to memories of the estate's former glory and her deceased daughter Susan. Mrs. Ayres becomes convinced the house is haunted by Susan's ghost.
Betty: The young maid at Hundreds Hall. She is the first to sense something strange in the house and remains convinced of a supernatural presence throughout.
Susan Ayres: Mrs. Ayres' first daughter who died of diphtheria as a child. Though deceased before the events of the novel, her memory haunts the family.
Quick facts
It was Sarah Waters' first novel to feature a male narrator and protagonist.
The book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009, Waters' third novel to receive this honor.
Waters was inspired to write the novel after reading Josephine Tey's The Franchise Affair.
The fictional Hundreds Hall was based on Ragley Hall in Warwickshire, England.
Waters conducted extensive research on post-WWII Britain, including reading novels and diaries from the 1940s.
The novel's title refers to a possible malevolent presence in the house, described as a “little stranger."
It marked a departure from Waters' previous works which featured prominent lesbian themes and characters.
The book draws inspiration from classic gothic and horror works by authors like Henry James and Shirley Jackson.
Waters originally set out to write about class changes in post-war Britain rather than a haunted house story.
A film adaptation directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Domhnall Gleeson was released in 2018.
About the Author
Sarah Waters, born in 1966 in Wales, is an acclaimed British novelist known for her historical fiction featuring lesbian protagonists. She earned degrees in English literature, including a PhD from Queen Mary University of London. Waters' academic background heavily influences her meticulously researched novels, which often explore themes of sexuality and gender in Victorian and mid-20th century settings.
Waters burst onto the literary scene with her debut novel Tipping the Velvet in 1998. This Victorian-era tale of a young woman's journey of self-discovery was adapted into a popular BBC television series. Her subsequent works, including Affinity, Fingersmith, and The Night Watch, have garnered critical acclaim and numerous award nominations, including multiple Man Booker Prize shortlistings.
The author's writing style is characterized by its vivid historical detail, complex characters, and intricate plotting. While most of her novels feature lesbian themes, Waters has also explored other aspects of historical fiction, as seen in her ghost story The Little Stranger. Her works have been adapted for television, film, and stage, further cementing her place in contemporary British literature.
Waters' contributions to literature have been widely recognized. She was named one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 2003 and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2009. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature, underscoring her significant impact on the literary world.
