The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters Read Along: Part 2

This week we are discussing Chapters 9 to the end of the book.

For everyone else’s thoughts, check the links at The Estella Society.

We have reached the end of the story, and I have to admit that the final scenes were a surprise to me.

Last week I mentioned that I thought that the ‘Little Stranger’ was Susan, the dead child. For a time, it seemed that she was indeed the entity haunting the house and we saw her writing appearing on walls. I am quite certain that Mrs Ayres, who was the target of that series of events, believed quite firmly that it was her dead daughter that was haunting her. However, the change in manifestations from those that plagued Roderick makes me question the identity of the intelligence behind them. It seems that it chose to appear as that thing most suited to terrifying its victim: for Rod it was fire, for Mrs Ayres it was her dead child. We do not know what form it took to torment Caroline, although it seems to have been the form of a person.

One thing is very clear: I am not sure that the Ayres family was helped in any way by Dr Faraday and his insistence that nothing supernatural was responsible for the bizarre happenings. In many ways, I feel like he was ‘The Little Stranger’. He wormed his way into the family and then tried to preserve their way of life so that it was the same as when he had had a tiny glimpse of it all those years before. He was so determined to maintain the illusion of that lifestyle that he could not see how desperately Caroline needed to leave Hundreds. I am not sure why he needed to live in this fantasy of his acceptance into their class, but it blinded him to almost all the cries for help that the family gave him. He systematically ignored their own wishes and instead fulfilled his own view of what they needed. The treatment that Roderick receives seems to have made him worse, if anything, and his lack of urgency when confronted by Mrs Ayres’ ‘delusions’ leads directly to her suicide. I am still unsure of his reasons for needing to keep everyone at Hundreds, but it certainly led to both the deaths in the book.

His treatment of Caroline shows how detached he is from reality. Her obvious disappointment at his comment about not wanting to move to London is very telling. It is so clear that she sees him as a possible way to leave Hundreds, but he is completely oblivious to this. The time after her mother’s death, when he is blithely going ahead with the wedding preparations, is possibly creepier than the actual haunting. The descriptions of her reactions to his physical contact made my skin crawl and I cannot understand why he did not notice her total ambivalence towards him and disinterest in the wedding. When she broke off their engagement I was hopeful that she would move on and have some sort of happy life. Although this did not happen, I was happy that she finally made a decision about what she wanted. If she had gone through with the wedding and been trapped in the house for the rest of her life she would have been totally miserable. 

A Challenge of Ice and Fire: Week 24

A Feast for Crows: Arya I to the end of The Kraken’s Daughter (p. 243)

My previous posts on A Feast for Crows:   week 23

6. Arya I

Arya has finally made it across the Narrow Sea to Braavos. We see a little of the city as she approaches, and it impresses her with its difference from King’s Landing. It is much bigger, built on a series of islands connected by bridges and surrounded by canals, much the same as Venice. There is a Roman-style aqueduct bringing water from the mountains to supply the city’s fountains. The Titan that stands across the harbor mouth sounds very similar to the Colossus of Rhodes, which was a bronze statue of the Greek Titan Helios, god of the Sun.

It seems that the Braavosi have a very cosmopolitan attitude to religion, with temples to all the various gods worshipped over the known world. Indeed, the Many Faced God, whose temple Arya accesses by showing her coin and saying “Valar morghulis”, includes many different sculptures. It seems that the Many Faced God is worshipped in many cultures by a variety of names and the temple accepts all these representations of him. It seems that he is Death, but rather than being a place of fear, the House of Black and White is a peaceful place where people come to die.

There is no doubt that this place is associated with Jaqen H’ghar as Arya is approached by a hooded figure who at first displays a decaying face, but then changes to look like the kindest man she has ever seen. Trust Arya to be the first person to have plucked the worm from his rotting face and attempt to eat it: she has become a little fierce of the past few months!

7. Cersei II

Oh dear, Lord Tywin’s body is very stinky: what a shame!

I am slightly confused about Tommen. He seems like such a nice, normal child that I am not sure how he can be Cersei’s offspring. I hope that he survives her machinations.

Cersei continues her attempts at ‘diplomacy’. I am thinking particularly of her reaction to the idea of Lady Lollys’ newborn being named ‘Tywin’. I think that it is more than a little unfair of her to accuse Lollys of ‘getting herself raped’, as if the poor girl had any say in the matter, and she is from a respectable family, so Cersei should at least show them some manners. Her dismissal of Lancel and the way in which she overturned her father’s offer to make Mace Tyrell’s uncle the Master of Coin are both very poorly done and are guaranteed to come back to bite her at some point. However, Lady Olenna makes some snide remarks about the stinky corpse, so the incident has some comedy value as well.

The search for Varys continues and we also learn that one of the undergaolers is missing, although he left a golden coin minted by the Gardeners of the Reach in his cell. It seems highly likely that the man is Varys’ disguise that we saw in A Game of Thrones, because we know how Tyrion escaped, and it would be just like Varys to try to sow dissent between Cersei and the Tyrells.

Ser Kevan Lannister continues to grow in my estimation. He criticizes Cersei’s treatment of Mace in public and then refuses to accept the position of Hand unless she returns to Casterly Rock. He obviously sees what a terrible Regent she will be and is not willing to pander to her delusions of being a great leader. I get the impression that he has been quiet so far because Tywin could control her and counteract her terrible judgment. He also makes it perfectly clear that he knows that Jaime is Tommen’s father.

8. Jaime I

I can understand why Jaime feels responsible for his father’s murder, but Tywin would have been perfectly safe if he had not spent so much of his life being spiteful and cruel to Tyrion. As he said at his trial, Tyrion’s primary crime was to be born a dwarf, something that Tywin could never forgive.

It is interesting that Varys had no plan to release Tyrion, which probably explains why he had no alibi and has had to disappear. I felt that Varys regarded Tyrion as a good player of The Game and also someone working for the best interests of the realm, but it seems that he was not an essential part of The Spider’s master plan. I do wonder what exactly Varys is trying to do, all for the good of the realm, of course.

We see more evidence of Cersei’s inability to wield power. Jaime is furious that the two gaolers who were found asleep had been killed before they could be questioned. Why would you kill potential witnesses? When Jaime refuses to do what she wants she reacts with anger and petulance. She is also very cruel to poor little Tommen when he becomes ill because of the smell in the Sept and scolds him for not being as kingly as his brother. I am amazed that she actually thinks that Joffrey would have behaved any more appropriately in the same situation: I can just see him whining about the smell and making ‘funny’ comments about it. I foresee the realm falling apart if she continues as Regent for a prolonged period.

9. Brienne II

Brienne finally reaches Duskendale, and she is not the first to have sought Ser Dontos and Sansa there. However, once the maester relates the history of the place, it seems doubtful that Dontos would ever want to travel there. This leaves Brienne with no leads to follow, until she talks to a dwarf holy brother, who relates a story of a fool trying to buy passage across the Narrow Sea in Maidenpool.

Following this lead, she becomes aware of a small boy following her, who turns out to be Podrick Payne. The poor lad is distraught that Tyrion left him behind and hopes that Brienne will lead him to Sansa, and so his master. I cannot wait to see what kind of team these two improbable heroes will make.

10. Sansa I

I seem to remember that Tyrion ‘accidentally’ broke some of Marillion’s fingers, but it seems that Mord has removed several of them, as well as his eyes, during the torture needed to get his ‘confession’ of killing Lysa Arryn. Now he sings constantly in his sky cell, driving Sansa and everyone else to distraction. Littlefinger is fairly sure that Marillion will jump or fall from his cell soon enough.

Lord Petyr is making the most of his new position as widower, making a subtle bribe to Lord Nestor Royce by naming him Keeper of the Gates of the Moon, and making this a hereditary title. Petyr is interested in Sansa understanding how to play the ‘game of thrones’ and he is pleased that she sees why he made the offer to Lord Nestor in the way that he did. She is unhappy about lying, but sees that she really has no choice if she is to stay alive.

Poor little Robert is missing his mother quite badly and sees Sansa as a replacement for her. His attempts to breast-feed are somewhat disturbing, but he is such a pitiful thing that it is difficult to blame him for his shortcomings. I am only glad that he is the person crawling into Sansa’s bed, not Littlefinger.

11. The Kraken's Daughter

Yet another new POV character: this time it is Asha Greyjoy.

Asha finds that few captains have answered her summons for support as queen of the Iron Islands. However, her uncle is quick to tell her that a Kingsmoot has been called for the first time in four thousand years. He believes that she has no hope of holding the throne and that going to the Kingsmoot could actually be dangerous for her. He offers to make her his heir, but she is determined to claim the throne.

After leaving her uncle, Asha is approached by the love-struck Tristifer Botley. He and Asha were playmates years ago, and he was the first man to help her explore her newly developed body. He declares his undying love for her, but she rejects his offer of marriage and tells him to go and lose his virginity down at the local whorehouse. This seems a little harsh, and a neat inversion of the usual gender dynamics, but Asha is a woman who likes to be as manly as possible, and her unemotional attitude to sex fits well with this personality trait.

Sue's Saturday Suggestions #13

Interesting Books

(Descriptions from Goodreads)

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole, review at Parajunkee

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

I have listed these titles in earlier SSS posts: check out my SSS Books Page for links to more reviews:

The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams, reviews at Bookworm Blues & Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review

Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson, review at My Bookish Ways & Under The Covers

House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier, review at Fantasy Cafe

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster, review at Under The Covers

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, review at Fantasy Book Critic

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, reviews at Tea, Daydreams and Fairytales & The Midnight Garden

Giveaways

The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams at My Bookish Ways

Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson at My Bookish Ways

House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier at Fantasy Cafe

Bookish Tools & Things

Smash Attack Reads has posted Part 1 of a series of resource lists that should be helpful to all of us book-obsessed individuals.

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

My Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Amazon Rating: 4.40 / 5.00

Goodreads Rating: 4.37 / 5.00

This is the second book in Mr Martin’s highly acclaimed ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series. I have previously reviewed Book 1: A Game of Thrones.

Warning: this review contains numerous spoilers for A Game of Thrones: if you have not read that book I would suggest that you avoid the rest of my review.

King Robert is dead, killed by a wild boar and his own drunkenness, and the Iron Throne now belongs to the vile Joffrey. Lord Eddard Stark refused to accept Joffrey as the rightful king, after discovering that none of Cersei’s children were actually fathered by Robert. Although he does not reveal his knowledge of her incest with Jaime to the realm, she sizes the opportunity to remove him from power and he is beheaded after Joffrey refuses to allow him to take the Black. Sansa remains a hostage in King’s Landing, whilst Arya has escaped from the Red Keep and is being taken north by Yoren of the Night’s Watch.

Each of Robert’s brothers, Renly and Stannis, announce that he is the true king and begins to raise an army. In the north, Robb Stark has won a series of battles against Lannister forces and has captured the Kingslayer. Whilst at his mother’s ancestral home of Riverrun he learns of his fatehr’s death and is crowned King in the North by his bannermen. Meanwhile, the now crippled Bran Stark is trying to be the Lord of Winterfell and is developing a curious link with his wolf, Summer.

The Mighty Tyrion has been dispatched to King’s Landing to act as the Hand of the King in his father’s place. On the Wall, Jon Snow has saved Lord Mormont from a wight and is now marching with Mormont to take battle to the King Beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder. Meanwhile, in the East, Daenerys has lost her beloved husband, Khal Drogo, to treachery. However, she uses his pyre to awaken the stone dragon eggs that she received from Master Illyrio as a wedding gift. She is now the Mother of Dragons, determined to reclaim her position as the ruler of Westeros.

High above all of this, a comet trails a red tail across the sky.

Although we have lost two very powerful personalities from book one (Robert and Ned), Mr Martin fills that gap by introducing several new and interesting characters. He also gives us two new Point of View characters to expand our view of the world. The first of these is Theon Greyjoy, who was a constant presence in book one as a friend of Robb Stark. However, it soon becomes clear that Theon is not as a good a friend as he seems as he returns to his home in Pyke as an ambassador from Robb to his father Lord Balon. Rather than providing the ships that Robb asks for, Balon takes the opportunity to proclaim himself King of the Iron Islands and attack the defenseless North. Theon is browbeaten into going along with this treachery and indeed decides to take Winterfell for himself. The Ironmen are a hard, vicious people, as we see from Balon and Theon’s elder sister, Asha.

The second new POV character is one of my favorites in the series so far: Ser Davos Seaworth. He is an ex-smuggler who helped Stannis Baratheon to withstand the siege of Storm’s End by smuggling food into the castle. As reward, Stannis made Davos a knight, but also removed the ends of his fingers because of his past crimes as a smuggler. Rather than resenting this action, Davos understands why it was necessary and it totally loyal to Stannis. He is levelheaded and sensible, offering Stannis blunt, honest advice and is brave enough to never hide the truth from his master. Stannis trusts Davos implicitly and appreciates his unfailing honesty and lack of political posturing. Of course, Davos is almost universally despised by the highborn people that he must deal with.

Of the new characters, I was pleased that four of the most important are female. Melisandre is a red priestess who has thrown her support behind Stannis. She is a very scary lady who can wield some amazing, but horrifying, magic. She is very forceful and committed to her vision of Stannis as Azor Ahai, a prophesized hero who will come to defeat the Others with his sword of fire. Her introduction also reveals yet another religion in this complex world and gives us a taste of some truly terrifying magic.

We are also introduced to Brienne of Tarth, a huge and mannish woman who lives as a knight. She is in love with Renly Baratheon and asks to be made a member of his Kingsguard as a reward for her victory in a melee. Brienne is ugly and is nick-named “The Beauty” by the men that she can out-fight. She is a deeply sincere person who continually fights against prejudice and mockery to do what she wants to do.

Then there is Meera Reed, who arrives at Winterfell with her younger brother, Jojen. The Reeds are intriguing characters because they are crannogmen and children of Eddard’s great friend, Howland Reed. They are trained in all manner of woodcraft and Jojen is a Greenseer, subject to prophetic dreams. They become firm friends with Bran and will play an important role in his future.

Another important female addition is Ygritte the wildling. Whilst scouting in the wastes beyond the Wall, Jon captures Ygritte, but cannot bring himself to kill her. Later, when he is forced to infiltrate the wildling army by killing Qhorin Halfhand, she speaks up for him and advises that Mance Rayder will certainly want to question Jon before he is killed. This saves Jon’s life and also allows him to continue with his mission of gathering information. Ygritte is earthy and funny, but she also gives us a different point of view, by showing how the free people beyond the Wall feel about their lives in comparison to those of the ‘kneelers’ in the South.

Arya collects some new friends in her role as ‘Arry’ the boy riding to the Wall with Yoren. Most notable of these is Gendry, the young smith that we met in book one who was a bastard son of Robert Baratheon. He is also travelling North to escape the wrath of the Queen, although he is unaware of his ancestry. She also meets, and saves the life of, Jaqen H’ghar, something that will become very useful later in the book as she tries to get home before someone works out who she is.

As the strands of the story increase in number we are shown more of the diverse cultures and societies of both Westeros and Essos. From the Iron Isles in the North East to the wondrous city of Qarth in the east, we see that King’s Landing and Winterfell are not the only cultures that exist. We are also exposed to far more real fantasy. In King’s Landing we see wildfire, which may be more chemistry than magic, but there is most definitely magic in evidence in the House of the Undying, where the warlocks of Qarth have lips stained blue by the ‘shade of the evening’ that they drink. We also encounter a ‘warg’, who can share the consciousness of an animal, as well as mammoths and giants north of the Wall.

However, these fantastical elements are not the main reason why I love this series. Its success is totally bound up in its characters, who are beautifully written and so lifelike that they carry us forward. Some I love and some I loathe, but I want to know what happens next to each and every one of them.

Other reviews that I recommend:

Books Without Any Pictures

Fantasy Literature

Rabid Reads

The Ranting Dragon