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I finally read a book by Sarah Waters and, even though this book had its faults, I’m so glad I did!
What I thought was going to be a pretty standard classic ghost story actually turned out to be more of a study of post-war Britain that really delves into the complexities of the downfall of a whole class system (oh, and yeah, there’s a ghost). It’s brilliantly written and very, very atmospheric, but it’s also just way too long. Many parts are overly descriptive and it felt quite repetitive on a plot level (there's so much tea drinking and sitting around talking), which isn’t always a bad thing, but felt rather counterproductive in building up suspense and mystery. If it had been cut by 100-150 pages (shortening some of the dialogue and descriptions), this would’ve easily been a a 5 star read for me, because despite its lengths I pretty much enjoyed everything else about it. The characters were complex and interesting, the writing was amazing and the mystery at the centre of it all (the eponymous Little Stranger) was especially intriguing. It’s one of those books I’d love to discuss with someone or read an academic paper about, because there’s so much to take away and interpret there and I loved how ambivalent and rich with meaning everything was kept throughout. If you’re in the mood for a lengthy read, I’d definitely recommend this, and I can’t wait to watch the movie adaptation.