Helpful Score: 4
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-uninvited-guests.html
The Uninvited Guests on its surface is the story of one day during the early 1900s at Sterne, the home of Emerald Torrington and her family. It is Emerald's twentieth birthday, and there is to be a fancy dinner party in her honor. The attendees include her mother, her brother Clovis, her younger sister Imogen ("Smudge"), a neighbor, and two out of town guests - Ernest and his sister Patience. Of course, there is also the household staff attempting to complete the preparations for the dinner party.
Then, the "uninvited guests" arrive. Apparently, there has been a train crash nearby, and passengers need accommodations until the railway can figure out a way to transport them to their destination. A horde of passengers arrive, and the household is turned upside down trying to accommodate them while still maintaining a separation for the invited guests and the dinner party. One of the "uninvited guests" turns out to have a connection to the past.
And, so, the story continues through the night in a most unusual manner.
This is one of the oddest books I have read in a long time. My first reaction was that the book is a little bit like Jane Austen meets Upstairs Downstairs meets The Addams Family. The book has some very interesting (odd/strange/bizarre/unexpected - take your pick of adjectives) twists and turns. Very unexpected.
In the end, however, it was a very quick and a very easy read. It was an engaging read because it kept me guessing where it was going to go. Finally, it kept me reading to see where this imaginative tale was going to end up. What on its surface appears to be like an Edwardian novel ends up being a complete flight of fancy - sometimes dark, sometimes amusing, and entertaining throughout.
The Uninvited Guests on its surface is the story of one day during the early 1900s at Sterne, the home of Emerald Torrington and her family. It is Emerald's twentieth birthday, and there is to be a fancy dinner party in her honor. The attendees include her mother, her brother Clovis, her younger sister Imogen ("Smudge"), a neighbor, and two out of town guests - Ernest and his sister Patience. Of course, there is also the household staff attempting to complete the preparations for the dinner party.
Then, the "uninvited guests" arrive. Apparently, there has been a train crash nearby, and passengers need accommodations until the railway can figure out a way to transport them to their destination. A horde of passengers arrive, and the household is turned upside down trying to accommodate them while still maintaining a separation for the invited guests and the dinner party. One of the "uninvited guests" turns out to have a connection to the past.
And, so, the story continues through the night in a most unusual manner.
This is one of the oddest books I have read in a long time. My first reaction was that the book is a little bit like Jane Austen meets Upstairs Downstairs meets The Addams Family. The book has some very interesting (odd/strange/bizarre/unexpected - take your pick of adjectives) twists and turns. Very unexpected.
In the end, however, it was a very quick and a very easy read. It was an engaging read because it kept me guessing where it was going to go. Finally, it kept me reading to see where this imaginative tale was going to end up. What on its surface appears to be like an Edwardian novel ends up being a complete flight of fancy - sometimes dark, sometimes amusing, and entertaining throughout.
Helpful Score: 3
Totally bizarre and a major disappointment. I was expecting something charming and ended up with something surreal. It was a quick read, however, and did have a couple of likeable characters.
Clumsy amalgam of ghost story, wicked look at British class-ism in the Edwardian era, and a soupÒ«on of grown-up 'Lord of the Flies', all bound up by an unlikely resolution.
A good read overall. Based on other reviews I thought it would be a bit more complex, but still enjoyed it. Quirky characters are always interesting along with some unexpected moments in the story. Definitely recommend!
