The Little Stranger Chapter Summary

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Chapter one

Faraday has a flashback to when he was a child at Hundreds Hall

Chapter one

Faraday meets the Ayreses - is shocked at state of Hundreds and shows distaste for Ayreses

2

Faraday sees Caroline when he's driving offers to take her home and also offers to treat Rod's leg.

2

Faraday receives a tour of Hundred's after treating Rod's leg and Caroline offers for him to use the Hundred's road whenever he wants

3

Faraday is invited to Ayreses party

3

Dinner party where Gyp bites Gillian

4

Faraday checks on Gillian - finds out Baker Hydes plan to sue the Ayreses if Gyp isn't put to sleep

4

Mrs Ayres talks about the war changing Rod and how he was ill the night of the dinner party

4

Gyp put down by Faraday and Betty talks about 'something peculiar' causing Gyp to bite Gillian

5

Rod tells Faraday about his episode during the dinner party

Rod tells Faraday that he doesn't want to be treated anymore as it isn't any help in retaliation to Faraday asking him what happened the night of the party

5

Caroline tells Faraday that Rod has been acting strangely - whispering things in his sleep etc...

5

Faraday tells Rod he is suffering from delayed war shock

6

Rod becomes angry when Faraday tries to rationalise his story about the mirror and when he talks to Caroline about Rod's 'condtion'

6

Caroline notices black marks in Rod's room

6

Faraday accuses Betty of moving things around to mess with Roderick

6

Faraday has dinner with the Ayreses and Roderick is rude to him again - calls him out for being lower class..

6

Roderick tells Faraday 'there'll be tricks tonight' and when Faraday again tries to rationalise this Rod tells him he's a 'no one'

6

'Whilst i lay tussling with dark and violent dreams

something terrible happened at Hundreds Hall.'

The fire

7

Mrs Ayres talks about Susan to DF

7

Roderick leaves for mental hospital - 'He had vanished and left no trace'

7

Faraday gets a key to the house

7

Faraday visits the family once Rod has gone and enjoys the 'sense of relief of that shadow's removal'

8

Caroline shows Faraday the new council house building site with Babbs the builder

8

Faraday takes Caroline to the dance

8

Faraday and Caroline kiss and Faraday over steps the boundary and ends up being kicked in the face

8

Mrs Ayres notices that something has changed between Caroline and Faraday

9

Notice the SSSSS marks for the first time and then again as Mrs Ayres notices them

9

Caroline hears a knocking in the walls which leads to the 'scribbles'

9

Betty and Mrs Ayres form close bond - Betty tries on clothes of Mrs Ayres

9

Faraday suggests marriage and Caroline does not react

9

The phones and calling bells and speaking tube begin to play up

10

Mrs Ayres goes up into the nursery where she is trapped and frightening things happen

10

Caroline mentions the poltergeist which Faraday thinks is ridiculous

11

Caroline and Faraday visit Rod again and it goes badly

11

Seeley and Faraday talk and Seeley puts the idea of a 'shadow self' perhaps haunting the Hall

11

Faraday rings up the Hall just to hear Caroline's voice as he has the idea that she is the poltergeist. Hearing her voice reassures him

11

Mrs Ayres tells Faraday that Susan is always with her. Blood pricks up from her chest and Faraday is increasingly concerned. He tells Caroline that Mrs Ayres should be taken away

12

Mrs Ayreses suicide

12

Mrs Ayreses funeral

13

people find out about DF and C's wedding

13

DF arranges the wedding but then Caroline ends it and DF throws the ring at her which shatters the window

13

Faraday tries desperately to get Caroline back but with no success. He spends a strange night out near Hundreds Hall where he and Caroline had spent the night after the dance

14

Caroline's suicide

14

Caroline's court hearing

14

Three years on: Faraday is doing well off of the NHS

he still visits the Hall