Sarah Waters - The Little Stranger...any opinions?

Yes...could be that Faraday caused all of it to happen (or at least was involved in some way). In fact, we discussed this at our book group & everyone agreed that Faraday was spooky, an unreliable narrator, and may have had something to do with the whole thing. However, this is completely left unclear at the end isn't it... Even if it was him involved with everything, what was it that he was doing? That's the bit that's left unclear...

I read this on holiday and was spellbound! The descriptions of the house, characters were fabulous. I too loved the ending, ambiguous but left me thinking for days about it! I also read Affinity and loved this too. Haven't read the others, but might just do so now.

Was it really that obvious Becky? Do tell, I'm now intrigued, as I think the ending was completely open for anyone to interpret as they please.

I actually really loved the book. Haven't read anything else by Sarah Waters (but I do have some of her other books & am looking forward to reading them soon). I loved Waters' writing style; I also loved the subject matter of the book- particularly the class issue, the decline of a particular way of living, and the decline of the house. I thought Faraday certainly had 'something' to do with the ending (don't want to give too much away though). It was left for us to decide, at the end, what happened. In that way, I think the ending wasn't 'meh' at all, I think it was a good ending for this particular book. The book wasn't a whodunit in which case we would have liked to have a clear answer.... it was a more a spooky, psychological....well, something (wanted to say 'thriller' but it wasn't really).

As I said, I actually loved it. Highly recommend it. Do you know it's on the Booker prize shortlist this year?

SPOILER

I got to the end and had very mixed feelings. The most predominant one being that Sarah Waters is just brilliant.

So, was it a spook, was it Betty? Was it the labour government?

My feeling was that it was all about a quirk in Faraday's mental health and problems with class, ultimately. In the run up to the inquest, I thought that Faraday was going to be accused of Caroline's murder: He had a motive. Waters made a point of noting that he'd kept the Hundreds Hall keys with him, that he'd spent the night of the proposed wedding (and death of Caroline) alone, apparently in his car, and therefore with no alibi (notwithstanding a spooky dream about drifting up to her). He had a massive chip on his shoulder about his class and attempted social mobility. Part of his wanting Caroline was to possess Hundreds itself, to become part of their world 'properly'(just like he'd stolen the acorn as a child, wanting to possess part of their world). At the end, once he'd packed Rod off to the the looney bin, and Mrs. Ayres and Caroline were out of the way, he was still padding around Hundreds, looking after it, trying to possess it. Could the power that took over the house be his own jealousy and inadequacy and longing?

Also, Caroline's last word was "you!". And he could visualise her so well, in her last moments. Was it him that she saw?

Another who thought the ending was 'meh', I'm afraid. Read The Night Watch afterwards, which I enjoyed.

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Read Little Stranger a while ago. It's good, but nowhere near Fingersmith or Tipping The Velvet (her best works imo). The ending of Little Stranger is a bit em, meh
Really good spooky bits though, I was scared silly at some parts

have read fingersmith and tipping the velvet. Loved TVT, fingersmith was pretty good too. Not tried litte stranger. Is it better tahn fingersmith? Got a book token, trying to decide on suspsicions of Mr Whicher or something else...