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Nov. 15th, 2018 08:03 pmI saw the film version of The Little Stranger before I read the actual Sarah Waters novel, and then read the book out of curiosity to see the differences. It turns out there really aren't many huge differences plotwise -- it's all in portrayal and cinematography, of which more under spoiler-cut.
The Little Stranger is very much set up like a Gothic in reverse, Boy Meets House, from the very first line: I first saw Hundreds Hall when I was ten years old. (Compare: Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again.) So from the start we know that the House is going to be Sinister, and the people who live in it (dreamy mother, plain and sensible daughter, stressed-out war vet son) are going to be Dramatic and have Secrets, and our ordinary, lower-class doctor hero is going to be hopelessly enmeshed with all of them.
( And indeed the house very shortly becomes very sinister in a spoilery fashion! )
The Little Stranger is very much set up like a Gothic in reverse, Boy Meets House, from the very first line: I first saw Hundreds Hall when I was ten years old. (Compare: Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again.) So from the start we know that the House is going to be Sinister, and the people who live in it (dreamy mother, plain and sensible daughter, stressed-out war vet son) are going to be Dramatic and have Secrets, and our ordinary, lower-class doctor hero is going to be hopelessly enmeshed with all of them.
( And indeed the house very shortly becomes very sinister in a spoilery fashion! )
