September 20, 2009 · 4:59 pm

ghost of a ghost

It’s rare that being an HE Bates obsessive born in Warwickshire is of any use in the wider world: but it enabled me to add my tuppenceworth, some months late & somewhat oblique to the point, to this excellent discussion of Sarah Waters’ Booker-shortlisted “ghost story” The Little Stranger.

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3 Responses to ghost of a ghost

  1. Mike A
    September 21, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Interesting comment – and I think it just shows the gulf between research and first-hand experience. On the other hand, experience is also subjective and limited in scope. I do admire Sarah Waters, and have ‘The Little Stranger’ on my Christmas list – so I didn’t want to read the discussion in detail.

    I had some problems with ‘The Night Watch’, feeling that the narrative tension was derived almost entirely from the contrivance of the non-chronological storytelling rather than inherent conflicts in the story. ‘Affinity’ I liked much better, not sharing Abigail’s sense of authorial cruelty (but then I have little sympathy for the gullible, especially if they’re intelligent enough to know better). I found it a gripping read that kept you guessing to the end.

  2. uzwi
    September 21, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Hi Mike. I’m in favour of both first-hand experience & authorial cruelty.

  3. Mike A
    September 21, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    I do hope it was the latter and not the former that inspired Michael Kearney. ;-)