The Uninvited Guests

May 18, 2013 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3* of five

The Book Report: Emerald Torrington turns twenty today. Her shabby-genteel mama Charlotte, bratty brother Clovis, and afterthought baby sister Smudge, née Imogen, are celebrating with a dinner party, to include Emerald's old friend Insignificance, née Patience, and her brother Ernest; and a last-minute addition, rich local businessman John Buchanan. Charlotte is hoping John will marry Emerald, who Does Not Fancy him and wastes no time letting him know this; he responds by laugh...more Rating: 3* of five

The Book Report: Emerald Torrington turns twenty today. Her shabby-genteel mama Charlotte, bratty brother Clovis, and afterthought baby sister Smudge, née Imogen, are celebrating with a dinner party, to include Emerald's old friend Insignificance, née Patience, and her brother Ernest; and a last-minute addition, rich local businessman John Buchanan. Charlotte is hoping John will marry Emerald, who Does Not Fancy him and wastes no time letting him know this; he responds by laughing at her arrogance (go John!), yet he still gives her a beautiful cameo as a birthday gift, and still feels...well.

The the Railway wishes upon the family an entire carriage-load of strangers due to an accident which occurred on the branch line. Florence, the housekeeper tasked with keeping house and making a party with one maid who's time is in demand as a hairdresser-cum-lady's-maid for all the abovestairs women, fetches them tea and then the whole household, and invited guests, forget about them.

Except Charlie. Charlie, from First Class unlike the ragtag and bobtail who arrived before him, moves right on in to the birthday party, with surprising...shocking, in fact...results.

Some guests are more uninvited than others. Poor Emerald...such a decent sort trapped in that last moment of adolescent intolerability and intolerance. Well...not any more.

My Review: Three stars? Does that seem a bit mingy? It isn't. I'll tell you why.

What begins as a species of Edwardian-style Heyeresque silliness turns into The Turn of the Screw, and for no really good reason. It's nicely written, being a Sadie Jones novel, and it's plotted with some care, but the mash-up takes a lot of suspension of disbelief and it's not asked of one until too late in the game. I don't think of myself as an inattentive or oblivious reader. No adequate set-up was done for the surprise twist, and so instead of feeling excited and pleased, I felt slightly seasick at the sudden change of direction as the boat, previously making for a harbor I could see miles away, goes across the waves' direction towards a more distant island.

Surprise me, yes; do a hard one-eighty, and you risk making me feel duped instead of pleasantly surprised. And that is where The Uninvited Guests left me. Looking for clues as to why I ended up in Calais when my ticket says Southampton.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Blair rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ghostly-and-magical, historical, read-on-holiday, read-on-kindle, 2012-release

Despite the fact that the author's previous novels haven't appealed to me, The Uninvited Guests struck me as a must-read as soon as I heard about it, so I was delighted to discover it had been published in advance of the expected release date. Set in a grand old country house inhabitated by the Torrington family, the whole story takes place across the course of one night, as eldest daughter Emerald's birthday party is interrupted by the 'uninvited guests' of the title, a group of lower-class tra...more

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not too mysterious and just an odd book. None of the characters were likeable and, well, it was just too odd for me. I was not surprised by any supposed "twist" to the story and I never laughed out loud (not that that's required actually) as some did at this book either. It reads like a play, and if you read it in that context and imaging the players on stage, I suppose it is a better story. In all, it wasn't my cup of tea. My local library recommended this book based on the fact that I adore th...more

16 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2013 Tanya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tanya by: Book Page

Shelves: historical-fiction, published-2012, hive-2013_completed, 2013-in-2013

I'm not sure how to describe this novel, except to say it deserved to be read in one sitting.

Emerald Torrington is set to celebrate her 20th birthday with her family and a few close friends at a dinner at her family home, Sterne, in April 1912. The night is thrown into disarray when, as her guests arrive, so does news of a train derailment, sending dozens of passengers to Sterne for the evening to await rescue by the railway. The assembled group tries it's best to carry on with the party, but th...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

This was a DNF after I got about a quarter of the way through - the characters of Emerald, Clovis and Charlotte were just not grabbing me. They wanted to be a cross between Bright Young Things (slightly down at the heels), Cold Comfort Farm and something more quotidian, but it didn't quite work. Smudge, on the other hand, had promise, as did their home, Sterne. Perhaps if the writing hadn't tried to be quite so clever and there was more a sense of why these people, why this plot, I could have re...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 03, 2013 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was highly recommended by a Goodreads friend, and I'm very glad I looked it up. Sadie Jones is a writer I know nothing about, but she is clearly in complete command of her craft. This is a tour-de-force of tone, voice, and playfully serious story-telling. It is impossible to pigeon-hole--a ghost story? A love story? An Edwardian drawing-room comedy? More like Henry James, or Alfred Hitchcock? Oscar Wilde or Edward Gorey? Certainly not Jane Austen, as a blurb on the back suggests. Alternatel...more This was highly recommended by a Goodreads friend, and I'm very glad I looked it up. Sadie Jones is a writer I know nothing about, but she is clearly in complete command of her craft. This is a tour-de-force of tone, voice, and playfully serious story-telling. It is impossible to pigeon-hole--a ghost story? A love story? An Edwardian drawing-room comedy? More like Henry James, or Alfred Hitchcock? Oscar Wilde or Edward Gorey? Certainly not Jane Austen, as a blurb on the back suggests. Alternately spooky, lovely, romantic, realistic, and ethereal. And absolutely unpredictable. Early on, 11-year-old Smudge (real name Imogen) says to her older sister, "Don't say that, Em!...You can't know what's going to happen." The author goes on, "It was then, as if in response--as if the countless mismatched wheels of incident had suddenly, briefly, locked together in faultless mechanism--that they heard the brougham..." What could be more every-day than to hear the arrival of a carriage in 1912? But the arrival is weighted with significance that will only gradually become clear, and we realize that the plot itself is a faultless mechanism. The narrator is omniscient (when was the last time you read a contemporary novel written from that standpoint?), and she often tells us exactly what every character is thinking. Sometimes even what the horses and cats are thinking. But we only very gradually learn more and more about all the characters' secrets. Nothing is what it seems, and surprises continue to the last page (you can't know what's going to happen). Smudge is a pretty eccentric little girl, the youngest in the family, and the reader sympathizes with her, laughing at her antics. I was therefore shocked near the end to hear her brother say, "Smudge is quite mad by any normal reckoning, we're just used to her." Playful and ironic? Maybe. But I was startled to realize that it might also be perfectly accurate. And I was also glad to realize that I was part of the "we" that had gotten used to her. I had been included in the family. That was not an accident. This is a very spooky story (yes, there are ghosts). It is emotionally violent and terribly cruel in some places, but it is finally radiant with love, gentleness, and generosity. A wonderful read.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. If I could sum-up my thoughts about this book with one word, it would be creeptastic. {OK....so I know that "creeptastic" is not a real world, but neither is the macabre world that Sadie Jones creates in this book. Praise Jesus.} The book reminds me of Audrey Niffenegger's books: the reader gets sucked into a good story until BAM! And the reader thinks: Eeeewwwww~~ GROSS!!! If you've read The Time Traveler's Wife and Her Fateful Symmetry, the...more This week I read The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. If I could sum-up my thoughts about this book with one word, it would be creeptastic. {OK....so I know that "creeptastic" is not a real world, but neither is the macabre world that Sadie Jones creates in this book. Praise Jesus.} The book reminds me of Audrey Niffenegger's books: the reader gets sucked into a good story until BAM! And the reader thinks: Eeeewwwww~~ GROSS!!! If you've read The Time Traveler's Wife and Her Fateful Symmetry, then you know *exactly* what I mean!

The story's setting is Sterne, an eccentric, somewhat remote country house in County Wicklow. The year is 1912, and of course the Torrington-Swifts all blame the oddness of the house on the Victorians. The exact date is Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday (April 30th) which is also the eve of Beltane (this is not mentioned in the book, but I do think the date is significant). As the family prepares for Emerald's birthday dinner and are expecting house guests for the weekend, a ragtag group of train derailment survivors descend upon Sterne disrupting the festivities. These uninvited guests seem to increase in number and needs as the night progresses. Also, ten year old Imogen Torrington, affectionately called Smudge and the youngest Torrington sibling, has determined that the distractions caused by Emerald's party will provide the perfect opportunity for her Great Undertaking. Smudge was my favorite character in the book, and I admire her guts and glory in implementing the Great Undertaking. :D

Things begin to get out of hand as one of the uninvited guests begins the cruel drinking game of Hinds and Hounds. Family secrets are revealed, and hearts are broken. The game was as close to a social Darwinism experiment one could ever hope for, and I felt awkward reading it. Again, this book is not for the squeamish. It reminds me of a combination Greek tragedy complete with a Greek chorus of misfits, and an over-the-top Victorian gothic novel. However, all's well that ends well in Sadie Jones' merging of the two genres.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Nick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review is difficult to write without revealing an enormous spoiler. Suffice it to say that the spoiler is the primary reason that I didn't love the book. The description made it sound as if The Uninvited Guests was right up my alley: big old English country house at the turn of the century preparing for a birthday party. Accident nearby. Unexpected guests. Comedy of manners ensues. Well, sort of. Had I known about the spoiler, I wouldn't have bought/read the book. I suspect, by contrast, th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This must be the worst book I've ever read. I feel I was duped into buying and wasting my time reading this. The description on the back cover and the critic reviews do not accurately describe the kind of book you are in for. I bought this book because it was reviewed in a magazine as one you would love if you like Downton Abbey. This book is nothing like Downton Abbey. Not unless you can possibly imagine the Downton family being extremely rude to their houseguests and completely uncaring about...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Justine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A nifty read thematically akin to Downton Abbey - that is, if you enjoy the whole fading nobility/transition to modernity/siblings being kind of nasty to each other thing.

Premise: family about to loose a grand estate and a birthday dinner party with several uninvited guests who spill dirty secrets/throw the house into a frenzy.

When Miss Lebow told me about the premise, I thought - yay, a lighthearted book full of wit that will make a pleasant bedtime read. What I didn't realize was how emotion...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday, but things are not going well. Her stepfather is headed to London to make a last ditch attempt at saving their beloved home, Sterne; her handsome brother Clovis is sulking and refusing to cooperate with birthday arrangements; their neglected little sister Imogen ("Smudge") is ill, but not so ill that she cannot plot a Great Undertaking. Into this domestic welter comes the news that a train has derailed nearby, and the surviving passengers must seek s...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Drennan Spitzer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In The Uninvited Guests, Sadie Jones provides a lyrical feast for her readers. Set in Edwardian England, Jones tells the story of a birthday party in a country home, a party that is interrupted by group of refugees from a railway accident. Not only is the party derailed, but the lives of the family and party guests take a number of unexpected turns as they must tend to the displaced passengers. Jones's novel feels like a hybrid of lyric poetry, the Gothic novel, and the novel of manners.

The firs...more In The Uninvited Guests, Sadie Jones provides a lyrical feast for her readers. Set in Edwardian England, Jones tells the story of a birthday party in a country home, a party that is interrupted by group of refugees from a railway accident. Not only is the party derailed, but the lives of the family and party guests take a number of unexpected turns as they must tend to the displaced passengers. Jones's novel feels like a hybrid of lyric poetry, the Gothic novel, and the novel of manners.

The first thing that strikes me about this novel is the absolute beauty of Jones's writing. It truly feels like reading poetry. In fact there were certainly moments when I lost sight of the progression of the narrative, so caught up was I in the beauty of the words. This is especially the case in the passages describing domestic preparations and the party itself:

Florence and Myrtle had toiled long and hard with fantastic and imaginative results. As well as the emerald-green roses and glossy chocolate cake, on a high crystal stand, there were bowls of cream; before that gherkins, as well as various gratins and slabs of pork, formed or minced, with mace, capers, thyme. The rind of bacon soldered leaner components together. There were lemons, sharpening the edges of fat, and chervil. . .China bowls and glass vases held small collections of flowers from the garden: hyacinths, lily of the valley and narcissi. The smell of them, miraculous, with wax furniture polish and blue wood-smoke, went all through the rooms and the in the air of the halls and stairs, too.

The description here is lovely, apt, but the sounds of the words themselves, even divorced from any meaning, sing like a sonnet. Passages like these really deserve to be read aloud so that the reader-listener may savor the sounds just as the characters savor the foods and flowers here described.

Jones's plot is imaginative and fitting all that the same time. Although she pursues a number of unexpected angles, Jones's reader is left with the sense that the final outcome is the only outcome that could possibly work. That is, the fantastical elements end up feeling not as far-fetched as one might anticipate but somehow perfectly plotted.

The Uninvited Guests As much as anything else, The Uninvited Guests reads like a compelling period piece, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for a well-executed period piece. Jones gives a clear picture of of a very specific kind of social engagement, defined by very specific foods and social interactions, unique to a particular social class in a particular time period. Fantastical elements aside, we are given a snapshot into one very small by fascinating element of the lives of our characters and into the lives of their counterparts in Edwardian England. In this regard, Jones credits Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management; I think Mrs Beeton would be proud. Of course, Mrs Beeton's own biography is complicated by sexual impropriety and sexually transmitted infection in ways that are typical of the life of the middle class woman in England in the first part of the twentieth century. Likewise, Jones's characters face complications, double standards, and very particular strictures with regard to sexual relationships. Thematically, then, Mrs Beeton allows an opportunity for Jones to explore the complications inherent in the sexual mores of Edwardian England, a period quite different from our own.

I cannot say enough about how simply lovely the writing is in The Uninvited Guests. At moments, Virgina Woolf's novels come to mind as an interesting stylistic and even thematic comparison. This is my first foray into the writing of Jones, who has published two other novels, but it certainly will not be my last. It is period piece and literary fiction of the highest order.

This review originally posted a Speaking of Books, a site devoted to book reviews and discussions of literature and culture. Visit us online at www.drennanspitzer.com

NOTE: A review copy was provided by the publisher. No other compensation was received.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What else could happen on Emerald's birthday....her step-father leaves for one day to try to save their home, a friend isn't coming for her birthday, a suitor who isn't anyone she likes gives her a gift, a train accident that causes twenty or more "uninvited guests" to stay at their home, grumpy servants, and then Smudge's decision to carry out a ridiculous undertaking.

The Torrington family definitely had a situation on their hands mostly caused by the folks who have been in the morning room all...more What else could happen on Emerald's birthday....her step-father leaves for one day to try to save their home, a friend isn't coming for her birthday, a suitor who isn't anyone she likes gives her a gift, a train accident that causes twenty or more "uninvited guests" to stay at their home, grumpy servants, and then Smudge's decision to carry out a ridiculous undertaking.

The Torrington family definitely had a situation on their hands mostly caused by the folks who have been in the morning room all day from the accident site and had only been given tea. Would they be staying there for more than that evening or would the railway station drop by and take them to their original destinations? No communication from the railway station was bad enough, but if the Torringtons thought the uninvited guests were a bad situation, wait until they find out what Smudge has done...their uninvited guests may not be considered a bad situation.

This book was filled with the propriety of an English household along with things that were not. The descriptive writing style of Ms. Jones is phenomenal....you feel as though you are right on the scene and can see all the details of the surroundings and furnishings. The characters are devilish, fun, and of course proper....well proper for the most part. You will feel each character's mood whether it be fear, pleasure, anger, or irritation. Most of the characters were filled with irritation at the things going on except Smudge who was in a world of her own.

Smudge is loveable and comical, but I felt sorry for the poor neglected girl. I can see why she did the things she did. Clovis was lazy, Charlotte was helpless and whiny and had a secret that became revealed to the horror of her family, Emerald was the responsible one, and the servants worked but complained. Charlotte couldn't handle anything out of the ordinary and would hide in her room....Charlotte was the mother of Clovis, Emerald, and Smudge. The children were more able to handle things than she could.

The book took a few pages to get going, but don't put it down....it is humorous and a bit odd. I enjoyed the book because of its being a bit absurd and because the proper English household wasn't a usual proper household. You will love the characters as I mentioned above. There is one chapter that is frightening because of the behaviors of one of the uninvited guests who was allowed to associate with the family, but overall it was an amusing look into an English household. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher and TLC Tours without compensation in return for an honest review.(less)

like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Danielle McClellan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Danielle by: Book group

This novel reminded me of those ornamental, over-the-top architectural follies that you find perched in the gardens of old British manor houses. It is wildly excessive, completely frothy, and goofily amusing. It is a very quick read, but like other overly-rich confections I have gobbled down, I felt slightly nauseous before I reached the end. I am not entirely sure why others have given the novel rave reviews. It is not badly written; it is a fleeting, ominous ghost story in which nothing much a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is haunting me and I believe that is the hallmark of a great book. I did choose to read this book because of the cover. I was very curious about the title as in who would the uninvited guests be? Also, I liked the illustration. It reminded me of the "Mystery"/PBS signature art and looked like it would be a wealthy setting. The story gripped me from the start. The book does begin in the wealthy setting of a huge country home where Emerald is going to celebrate her birthday. Her stepfath...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I chose to listen to Sadie Jones's latest book - The Uninvited Guests. I was glad I did, as the book had the feel of a radio play to me.

1912. A rambling old manor in England. It is the night of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. Preparations have been made and guests invited. But a nearby railway accident results in the house and party acquiring many more guests from that crash. The family is able to stow most of them away in the morning room. But one gentleman brashly joins the family a...more I chose to listen to Sadie Jones's latest book - The Uninvited Guests. I was glad I did, as the book had the feel of a radio play to me.

1912. A rambling old manor in England. It is the night of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. Preparations have been made and guests invited. But a nearby railway accident results in the house and party acquiring many more guests from that crash. The family is able to stow most of them away in the morning room. But one gentleman brashly joins the family at their dining table. And his presence takes the night into darker territory in more ways than one....

Jones captures the "I daresay old chap" attitude and dialogue perfectly. Kate Reading was the reader. I had a bit of an issue with her voice at first as I had recently listened to her read another book that I didn't overly enjoy. I had to separate that character from this book. However, she is an excellent reader. She has a British accent, but one that is easily understood. She enunciates very clearly and has a different way of placing emphasis on certain words by either drawing them out or biting them off. She portrayed both male, female and child roles with very different (and believable) voices, matching them well to the characters.

The first three quarters of the book is character driven. Jones excels at manipulating her characters and our reactions towards them. Things change rapidly as the night goes on and so do our players. I quite enjoyed this dark interplay. However I can only describe the last quarter of the book as, well - odd. I wasn't exactly surprised at the direction the story took - there were enough allusions to guess. But what had me scratching my head were some of the things that did happen - they seemed forced into the story for I'm not sure what reason. (I know I'm being a bit obtuse but I don't want to provide spoilers) I had enjoyed the book up to this point, but felt let down with the end run Jones chose.

I still enjoyed this as a good listen, but not as much as I had hoped to.
(less)

like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Vikki VanSickle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

Sadie Jones is one of my favourite authors- each book is profoundly different in topic and tone but features her excellent prose and talent for atmosphere. This book reads a little like a Shaw play, with lots of whip-smart dialogue and incredible tension. On more than one occasion I found myself envisioning the action on stage.

The action takes place over one day and night. It is Emerald's 20th birthday party and a few select guests have gathered to celebrate, including 2 potential suitors, one...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Ryandake rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a rather odd book--a manse in danger of forced sale, a family of no accomplishments and weak ties, a train wreck, a birthday party, some indifferent invited guests, and a dark and stormy night.

this book feels rather like an account ledger that refuses to reconcile. all the necessary entries are there, but the transactions don't make sense.

and the only way to explain that is to head into spoiler territory.

(view spoiler)...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A delightfully strange little novel, "The Uninvited Guests" takes place at Sterne, an Edwardian manor, during the birthday party of the eldest daughter of the house. Just as the guests arrive, a horrifying railway accident occurs nearby, and the survivors, all of them third class passengers, are dispatched to Sterne to rest for the night. Meanwhile, the family's youngest daughter has decided to pursue an odd project to which she refers as her "Great Undertaking", wreaking a different mayhem on t...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 Grace rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What an odd book. It's sort of like Wodehouse's more bitter cousin (one more interested in class struggle) met up with a goth and hashed out a book proposal. The setup is that the Torrington family are about to lose the family home. While the stepfather goes off on a mission to save it, the rest prepare for Emerald's 20th birthday. And then a train derails and the Railway start to send passengers to the house...

Jones does a fantastic job of characterization, especially with people like Charlotte...more What an odd book. It's sort of like Wodehouse's more bitter cousin (one more interested in class struggle) met up with a goth and hashed out a book proposal. The setup is that the Torrington family are about to lose the family home. While the stepfather goes off on a mission to save it, the rest prepare for Emerald's 20th birthday. And then a train derails and the Railway start to send passengers to the house...

Jones does a fantastic job of characterization, especially with people like Charlotte. She knows just how to twist the knife, and the way those sentences settle - it's kind of deliciously grim. These are not particularly likeable people, and Jones doesn't just create an environment where the reader decides that on their own; she also insinuates that the characters not only know they're kind of awful, but not-so-secretly relish it. At times, it feels like the house is full of sociopaths. But then about three-quarters through the book, the book itself feels like it derails, and I ended up feeling like a particularly nasty treat and been taken away.

And now, the last quarter of the book:(view spoiler)

I can't say I liked this, and a lot of that is because the plot just dissolved. It reminds me of things that get praised in creative writing classes for being "innovative" and "having levels", which has always kind of translated for me into "I've made this deliberately obscure, and that means it's deep". I think this rationale is crap. So thumbs up from me on creating some truly foul and lovely characters, and thumbs down on punking out with the actual storyline.

(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The year is 1912, and the house at Sterne is preparing for Emerald Torrington's birthday party that evening, even as her step father has gone to town to find money to keep the grand house. A childhood friend is invited to dinner and her brother comes along in place of their ill mother. A neighbor is also invited to join the party.

As the crowd gets ready for dinner, the house receives a call from the railway station that there has been an accident on the train line and the house must be prepared...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Noralo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This ended up going in a completely different direction than I expected. The first time it veered, I was pleasantly surprised; the second time, disappointed. It seems to go from some charming Edward Gorey narrative (no accident I'm sure, that this is called The Uninvited Guests and seems to mimic to an extent Gorey's The Uninvited Guest) to Lord of the Flies to Edgar Allen Poe or Henry James, and the Lord of the Flies part was the most compelling to me, the idea that we don't need an island to r...more

like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Canadian Reader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is the late 1800s/early 1900s in northwest England. Edward Swift, second husband of the beautiful Charlotte Thompson, has set off for Manchester to see if he can wheedle money out of a wealthy but corrupt industrialist in order to save Sterne, the country manor house purchased by Charlotte’s first husband, Horace Torrington, who was deep in debt at the time of his death. While Edward is gone, Charlotte and her eccentric children--Clovis, 20; Emerald, 19, and Smudge (Imogen), who is much young...more It is the late 1800s/early 1900s in northwest England. Edward Swift, second husband of the beautiful Charlotte Thompson, has set off for Manchester to see if he can wheedle money out of a wealthy but corrupt industrialist in order to save Sterne, the country manor house purchased by Charlotte’s first husband, Horace Torrington, who was deep in debt at the time of his death. While Edward is gone, Charlotte and her eccentric children--Clovis, 20; Emerald, 19, and Smudge (Imogen), who is much younger--anticipate the arrival of the Suttons, the young adult children of Charlotte’s childhood friend. It is daughter Emerald’s twentieth birthday, and the house is abustle. When the Suttons are brought from the train station, they have news that an accident has occurred on the branch line. As there are no other residences nearby, the railway is asking that the family at Sterne accept the stranded passengers until proper arrangements can be made. One passenger, Charles Traversham-Beechers, is a particularly unwelcome guest. He knows Charlotte and possesses dark secrets about her past. Carrying with them the whiff of bodily corruption and decay, Traversham-Beechers and the other railway passengers cast a malevolent spell upon the household. Traversham-Beechers manages to get a seat at the table of the legitimate guests and persuades them to play a macabre game of “Hind and Hounds”, in which participants gang up on and bully each invited guest in turn. How the Swift/Torrington family, their invited guests--the Suttons, along with a wealthy upcoming mill owner, John Buchanan--and the housekeeper, Florence Trieves, cope with the uninvited ones forms the plot of the story.

[Alert: possible spoilers]
While Jones’s novel is atmospheric, her characters interesting, and her prose sparkling, the plot she has created is rather anemic. It did not seem that there was enough incident to sustain well over 200 pages of text. A short story or a novella, at most, would have made a more suitable vehicle for the limited action in Jones’s book. The stranded railway passengers (ever mysteriously increasing in number) are cooped up in a room across the way from where the householders and their invited guests congregate. The singing, chanting, and odd behaviour of these people go on much too long—especially when the reader figures out (and the reader inevitably does) who or what they actually are. Another plodding section concerns the difficult removal from the house of a skittish pony that fanciful Smudge earlier led to her upstairs bedroom so that she could trace its outline on her wall. Finally, the resolution of the story—Edward Swift’s return with news regarding the fate of Sterne—is also rather anticlimactic…just too neat and tidy.

As much as I admire Jones’s writing, I can’t recommend The Uninvited Guests. While Jones’s gifted writing was enough to encourage me to complete the novel, it failed to lift the book up into a memorable reading experience.

I thank Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance reading copy of the text for reviewing purposes.
(less)

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Anne-Marie Lacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Friends, I promised I would share my thoughts on the latest novels with you, and here is my first book review. The Uninvited Guests, by Sadie Jones, is just the type of summer read I enjoy. It is set in one of my favorite venues, the English country house, and in one of my favorite time periods, the Edwardian era. Supernatural activity, and a pony, are also added to the mix so you know it's right up my alley!

The story begins as the Torrington household is preparing for a dinner party in honor o...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 K rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, humor

English Edwardian country-house life meets a figure with a chip on his shoulder. This slightly comedic and supernatural story of class and relationships takes place over the span of 24-hours as the Torrington/Swift family and their guests face strange events that may change them forever.

Today Emerald Torrington is turning 20 but the event is anything but happy. Her mother, Charlotte Torrington/Swift has to face the fact that the family is losing their beloved manor home, Sterne. Not that it is a...more English Edwardian country-house life meets a figure with a chip on his shoulder. This slightly comedic and supernatural story of class and relationships takes place over the span of 24-hours as the Torrington/Swift family and their guests face strange events that may change them forever.

Today Emerald Torrington is turning 20 but the event is anything but happy. Her mother, Charlotte Torrington/Swift has to face the fact that the family is losing their beloved manor home, Sterne. Not that it is a family relic – it was purchased only a couple of decades ago by her first husband Horace Torrington. In that span of time he loses much of his hard-earned wealth before his death from illness. Then four years ago Charlotte married Edward Swift, the one-armed barrister from Manchester. Emerald and her siblings, 20-year old Clovis and 9-year old Imogen, fondly known as Smudge, care little for their step-father. So though it is Emerald’s birthday Edward leaves for Manchester to try to borrow enough money to save his wife’s beloved manor-home.

Charlotte, always ready to stand on propriety but not big on motherly love, plans to have a few friends for a proper but quiet birthday dinner with the help of the two remaining servants: Florence Trieves and Myrtle. Emerald’s child-hood friend Patience and her mother Camilla Sutton were invited as was local well-off farmer John Buchanan who Charlotte hopes will be a match for Emerald. But instead of Camilla it is Ernest Sutton, Patience’s medical student brother, who shows up with Patience. With their arrival comes the news of a terrible train accident nearby and that the railroad is sending the train’s third class survivors to Sterne to await rescue.

These “uninvited guests” are left to their own devices, first in the morning room and later in the study. And every time one of the family remembers to check on the survivors there seems to be a few more and they are growing restless. More strangeness ensues. Out of nowhere a gentleman appears and pounds on the front door. In comes “First Class Passenger” and train wreck survivor Charlie Traversham-Beechers. He immediately ingratiates himself into the family, especially with Clovis. There is something about him that seems menacing and what does he truly know of the family, especially Charlotte? The dinner, uninvited guests and the night in general begin to become a dark and deadly game. Add in the side story of the very odd Smudge and her fascination with animals and art and the story takes off.

I found the book very hard to put down by the half-way point. While it is light reading, especially in the beginning, it also has the effect of making you feel as if you are watching a train wreck in slow motion (not in the literal sense since that happened earlier in the book) when the dinner and night spirals out of control. I kept hoping that each of the family and invited guests would do the proper thing as dark forces played them at a game of manners and cruelty.

A story of class and gender relationships. A comedy of manners. An Edwardian ghost story. And to top it off romance is in the air. What is there to not like about The Uninvited Guests? I just hope I never have these uninvited guests showing up on my doorstep!

London based Sadie Jones’ first novel was The Outcast which won the Costa First Novel Award in Great Britain and was a finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize and Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction. She her second novel was Small Wars.

(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Was it the glowing pre-release reviews I read that made me feel so dissatisfied with this book? Or is it just that it really isn't a very good book? This is another of those cases where most of the goodreads reviews are gushing and 5 star. I was happy to see that, here and there, tucked away, there were 1, 2 and 3 stars.

First of all, the setting--we are told--is 1912. There is very little evidence in the story, however, that it is 1912. Obviously this is a way of life long-gone for all but the 1...more Was it the glowing pre-release reviews I read that made me feel so dissatisfied with this book? Or is it just that it really isn't a very good book? This is another of those cases where most of the goodreads reviews are gushing and 5 star. I was happy to see that, here and there, tucked away, there were 1, 2 and 3 stars.

First of all, the setting--we are told--is 1912. There is very little evidence in the story, however, that it is 1912. Obviously this is a way of life long-gone for all but the 1% but the time could have been 1920 or 1930 just as easily. The author ignored one of the basic lessons of a beginning creative writing class throughout the book: show, don't tell.

The family, the Torringtons, whose home is the setting are mostly continuously unpleasant people. There is a mother, stepfather (the nicest of them who the two older children loathe who is mostly absent from the story), a daughter turning 20 on this very day, a teen son and a young daughter. The mother and son soon prove to be spoiled, nasty people, people I couldn't care less about. The older daughter, not actually nasty but a thoughtless person who hasn't seen enough of the world (and hasn't been encouraged by her self-centered mother) to develop her instinctive sense of empathy, is more tolerable. In fact, she does prove to be much more caring and parental towards the young girl than the mother is.

When the family hears that there has been a horrific train accident near their very remote estate and survivors must have a place to escape from the raging storm, they are aghast at what they have been asked. The survivors, bedraggled third-class passengers, babies, slightly hurt people, older, hobbling people, many of them smelly and tattered, are all forced into a small room to await the railroad's eventual collection. There they mostly stay, hungry, thirsty, tired without adequate seating....and ignored for much of the story.

Meantime, the family's invited guests have arrived. Although a couple of them are more sympathetic characters than the Torringtons, they all have the same annoyed, impatient attitude towards the guests.

The novel takes a surprise turn after a lone first-class passenger survivor shows up. Much to the shock of the family and their invited guests, this outrageous man knows the mother and begins to inspire these people to show the very worst aspects of their character.

I don't want to disclose much but the story changes sharply at one point, actually becoming another genre. It is not totally successful. However, this sharp turn does bring out the best in even the most unlikable characters.

Frankly, some of the praise granted this book--'scathing social criticism,' 'comedy of manners,' 'lovely period piece'--gives it much more power than it really has. Too much hype, too little delivery.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The year is 1912 and the Torrington family is in danger of losing their house, Sterne. Unless second husband and stepfather Edward Swift can secure a loan in Manchester, the family will lose the place Emerald, Clovis and Imogen (Smudge) have called home all their lives.
With Swift away on his rescue mission the rest of the household is preparing for the celebrations for Emerald’s twentieth birthday. But what should have been a quiet get-together over dinner turns into a nightmare when a train acc...more The year is 1912 and the Torrington family is in danger of losing their house, Sterne. Unless second husband and stepfather Edward Swift can secure a loan in Manchester, the family will lose the place Emerald, Clovis and Imogen (Smudge) have called home all their lives.
With Swift away on his rescue mission the rest of the household is preparing for the celebrations for Emerald’s twentieth birthday. But what should have been a quiet get-together over dinner turns into a nightmare when a train accident close by brings a group of rather sinister looking travellers to Sterne’s door looking for refuge.
Then, just before the family and their guests are due to sit down to dinner, one last train passenger shows up at the house. Unlike the earlier arrivals Charlie Traversham Beecher is obviously a first-class traveller and before anybody is quite sure what has happened he has joined the birthday party, much to Charlotte Swift’s distress. Charlie and Charlotte appear to know each other and Florence Trieves, the housekeeper, is clearly shocked to find the man in the house.
While the storm outside the house gets ever fiercer, the atmosphere in the house gets creepier as well. From the dinner that fails to appear as expected, via the ever rowdier and apparently growing group of refugees to the cruel and unusual game introduced by Charlie, Emerald’s evening is rapidly heading towards disaster. And just when it appears that things couldn’t possibly get any worse…

This is a very enjoyable story and not quite what it at first appears to be. What starts off as a comedy of errors appears to turn into a drama only to become a supernatural story with a charming happy ending.
None of the characters in this book are what they at first appear to be either. While, at the start of the book, the characters seem like rather superficial, selfish and almost stereo-typical products of the times they live in, they all end up surprising both the reader and themselves before the story has ended.
Great comic relief is provided by Smudge as she embarks on her “great undertaking”.
For some reason reading this book was not as smooth for me as I would like it to be. I found that I had to read sentences at least twice on several occasions just to make sure I understood what I was being told. It didn’t ever irritate me or make me want to put the book down, but it happened often enough for me to take notice.
Overall though, I enjoyed reading this book. The story and the way it developed and ended surprised me and put a smile on my face. And any book that does that for me is a book worth reading.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Andrew Kunka rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked up The Uninvited Guests after hearing a positive review on NPR's Fresh Air. The book started out well, feeling like Edward Gorey and Harold Pinter had somehow collaborated on an adaptation of Ian McEwan's Atonement. Its premise is promising: the Swift family, on the verge of losing their family estate due to financial problems, holds a birthday dinner for the eldest daughter, Emerald. However, a train accident happens nearby, and the railroad company demands to use the Swift's home to h...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Today was finally a nice day so I sat out on my deck and read The Uninvited Guests in one sitting. This is a period piece set in the early 1900s. Emerald Torrington is celebrating her 20th birthday on the same day that her stepfather is going into town to see if he can borrow some money to keep their country home. Emerald wanders the property counting all the things she loves about Sterne. Shortly after their first guests arrive, there is a commotion. Apparently, there has been a train wreck and...more

like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 JoAnn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll admit to being initially drawn to The Uninvited Guests by the cover. Shallow, I know, but there you have it. When positive reviews began appearing around the blogosphere, I added my name to the library hold list and reached the top in just a few weeks. At home, I was delighted to discover the novel has gorgeous endpapers, too. This is a very visually appealing book!

The Edwardian Era setting helped satisfy my Downton Abbey withdrawal syndrome, and I immediately enjoyed the author's use of la...more

like · see review

title link	preview: The Uninvited Guests
avg rating	preview: The Uninvited Guests Goodreads rating: 3.03 (3477 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13091295-the-uninvited-guests?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328221296l/13091295.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13091295-the-uninvited-guests?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones[/url]

The Uninvited Guests

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (15)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sadie Jones

Books by Sadie Jones

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Uninvited Guests