The Stranger's Child

By: Alan Hollinghurst

Narrated by: James Daniel Wilson

From the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty: a magnificent, century-spanning saga about a love triangle that spawns a myth, and a family mystery, across generations.

In the late summer of 1913, George Sawle brings his Cambridge schoolmate—a handsome, aristocratic young poet named Cecil Valance—to his family’s modest home outside London for the weekend. George is enthralled by Cecil, and soon his sixteen-year-old sister, Daphne, is equally besotted by him and the stories he tells about Corley Court, the country estate he is heir to. But what Cecil writes in Daphne’s autograph album will change their and their families’ lives forever: a poem that, after Cecil is killed in the Great War and his reputation burnished, will become a touchstone for a generation, a work recited by every schoolchild in England. Over time, a tragic love story is spun, even as other secrets lie buried—until, decades later, an ambitious biographer threatens to unearth them.

Rich with Hollinghurst's signature gifts—haunting sensuality, delicious wit and exquisite lyricism—The Stranger’s Child is a tour de force: a masterly novel about the lingering power of desire, how the heart creates its own history, and how legends are made.

©2011 Alan Hollinghurst (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

“Brilliantly written, intricate and wide-reaching . . . An almost century-long cavalcade of changing social, sexual and cultural attitudes, exhibited in sensuously imagined scenes and scrutinized with ironic wit . . . Marvelously acute in its attention to idioms and idiosyncrasies, tone and body language, psychological and emotional nuances, the book gives intensely credible life to its swarm of characters.” (Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times, London)

“Not only Alan Hollinghurst’s most ambitious novel to date, but also his funniest since The Spell . . . Hollinghurst is perhaps our most literary contemporary novelist, in the sense that his books are . . . playfully, but never merely flippantly, studded with allusions. . . . The principal theme of the workings of time and memory [is] brilliantly embodied in the book’s structure, with its bold narrative leaps forward…Beautifully written, ambitious in its scope and structure, confident in its execution, The Stranger’s Child is a masterclass in the art of the novel.”(Peter Parker, The Times Literary Supplement, UK)

“Highly entertaining and, as always with Hollinghurst, the dialogue is immaculate and the characterization first class. . . . Every Alan Hollinghurst novel is a cause for celebration, and this spacious, elegant satire is no exception.”(David Robson, Sunday Telegraph, UK)

Left me feeling sad and disappointed

I’m not a sophisticated reader, not educated in the liberal arts, and not "well read", so one should take this review with a grain of salt.

The humor referred to in "what the critics say" was completely missed by me; which; I suppose, attests to my limitations as a reader. But I do agree that it was beautifully written; and beautifully read, however it verged on the tedious. But never quite so much that I gave in to the urge to stop reading. In general it felt like very long roller coaster ride with long hauls and anticlimactic drops.

There is no "plot" just the story about a very handsome young aristocrat with "raven hair", "big hands" and "a huge..." who's family, poetry and, mostly homosexual escapades are the subject of the many family biographers, most, or all, of whom have their own homosexual escapades; with the main character or one another.

But the homosexual undercurrent of this; (Gothic novel?) is rather trite and cavalier. I mean, no one ever gets upset by being hit on, and everyone seems rather indifferent about the many "queer" characters in the book. None of whom seem a bit disturbed by how the many male characters go after one another. Very "romantic" but a bit difficult to believe, given the nature of "the crime that dares not speak it's name", and the period in which they was being committed.

Aside from that this book was a bit of a slog with a plethora of characters, coming and going; in and out, Jumping from one generation to the next and then, abruptly, without warning, ending.

It was all a bit of a tease for me, just when you got interested in a character the storyline shifted to another character entirely, often in another family or another generation.

It left me feeling rather sad and disappointed.

I Hated For It To End

What did you love best about The Stranger's Child?

I loved both its characters and the way the writer explores how and what is remembered.

What other book might you compare The Stranger's Child to and why?

I could loosely compare it to A.S. Byatt's Possession or Tennysons' "In Memoriam" (where the story got its title from.) Like Possession, we see biographers trying to unravel the mystery of what a famous poet was really like and who he was romantically involved with. Unlike Possession, the story isn't centered on "who dun' it" (although there are some surprising twists at the end), but rather who is remembered, how they are remembered, and who is forgotten. It's very poignant to see who and what is lost.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending left me with chills. I also listened to the first part of the story over and over again because it is so well crafted.

If you could take any character from The Stranger's Child out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I adored Daphne, but would probably take Cecil out to dinner just to see what kind of mischief he would get himself into.

Any additional comments?

This is a beautifully written book. The author really knows his craft. The pace is set on slow burn. The book isn't about exposing one shocking revelation after another, but rather about how things are revealed and chosen to be remembered. You know that feeling when you finish a story and wish there was more? When you can't start anything else because what you just read was so good? When the story's over, but it still hangs like a veil over your daily life? That's where I am right now, after completing The Stranger's Child. It's definitely something I will listen to again.

Uncovering Lost History

What made the experience of listening to The Stranger's Child the most enjoyable?

Alan Hollinghurst is slowly easing his way into my list of favorite authors. This is a slow but moving examination of the historical covering and uncovering of a young love between two young men right before WWI. I found everything enjoyable - the character studies, the references to literary history, the narrator's different voices and Brit accents, the descriptions of landscapes and people. You get the feeling that both the author and narrator love and intimately know England.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stranger's Child?

Two characters in particular made this memorable: horrible, jealous, overbearing Dudley and the banker-turned-biographer, Peter, who is socially inept and a bit self-absorbed but likeable too in a weird way

Have you listened to any of James Daniel Wilson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to him but I really enjoyed his narration here - his different British accents are fabulous. He did a South Country (farmer) accent especially well - my husband has that accent, and I made him listen to it. He laughed in pleasure of hearing himself! :D

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Finding love in old pages (sorry - I am not very clever sometimes)

Any additional comments?

I just want to request more Hollinghurst novels if you can get them! Very nice evening listening.

Couldn't Finish It

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed two other Allan Hollinghurst books, but I could not get into this story enough to finish it. To be fair to Mr. Hollinghurst, I don't think think it's his fault. This audiobook's performer was quite bad. He made it sound like a children's book. The performance was so distracting that I found myself focusing on it instead of the story. I gave up trying to finish it once I realized it had become a chore. I think I'll return it under Audible's new Great Listen Guarantee.

A Sorry Story from a Gift Writer

What disappointed you about The Stranger's Child?

The author goes on and on without sharing any sense of his destination.

Has The Stranger's Child turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes, the book

What does James Daniel Wilson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well read.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

If you are a militant gay, convinced that every other male is secretly gay, you might enjoy the book. If, however, you see the world as a mix of gay and straight -- you'll be frustrated by the lack of straight characters...and by the inclusion of those from the British upper class that would certainly have been part of the story if a more balanced author had been at the keyboard.

Any additional comments?

Hollinghurst's earlier work - particularly The Swimming Pool Diaries - is much more compelling. This book felt like Downton Abbey without with, pathos, or characters you cared about. (Don't even get me going about the ending...)

Dreadful

What would have made The Stranger's Child better?

I was 12 chapters into this tome and was still trying to find a reason to care or continue! Between the readers droning oration and the authors gun shy approach to this subject, ugh, I gave up and started skipping chapters just to finish it - i gave up during Daphne's insipid interviews at the end - I DIDN'T CARE anymore.

What could Alan Hollinghurst have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I wasn't expecting a torrid beach burner of a book, but his guys approach to writing about gay love was irritating to say the least. It was never written but every way implied to the point of madness.

What didn’t you like about James Daniel Wilson’s performance?

This man had the flat monotoned voice of a Penn station train announcer.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Listening to this book took my mind off the current election news - if only briefly.

Bookclubber

What would have made The Stranger's Child better?

A meandering story that was very difficult to follow.

Would you be willing to try another one of James Daniel Wilson’s performances?

The fact that no one in my book club enjoyed this book had everything to do with the author and nothing to do with the performance of the narrator, So yes.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

A few people in my book club thought The author had a gift of painting visual images of characters and scenery.

Any additional comments?

Out of six people in our book club only one person finished this entire book. This has never happened before. The other five people, including me, found the books so on unengaging and difficult to follow that we gave up and quit reading. One of the worst books I've ever read.

Long, disjointed ramble that went nowhere

This is the only novel by Hollinghurst I have not enjoyed. While he usually takes his time telling a story, he has (until now) eventually gotten there. Hollinghurst novels do as a rule change perspective and shift in time, and it usually works out. This novel's parts don't really hang together, there is little chance for story or character development as everything shifts as soon as the reader begins to figure out who the new characters and places are, and how they relate to the previous parts of the novel.