The Uninvited Guests

A Novel

By: Sadie Jones

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A grand old manor house deep in the English countryside will open its doors to reveal the story of an unexpectedly dramatic day in the life of one eccentric, rather dysfunctional, and entirely unforgettable family.

Set in the early years of the 20th century, award-winning author Sadie Jones’ The Uninvited Guests is, in the words of Jacqueline Winspear, the New York Times best-selling author of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries A Lesson in Secrets and Elegy for Eddie, “a sinister tragi-comedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion.”

©2012 Sadie Jones (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Odd and Intriguing

A very odd ghost story that was in a strange way both entertaining and weird. I think on the whole it worked but there were too many strange moments (the pony) that seemed to take me out of the story. Yet in retrospect, those moments do serve a purpose in conveying the peculiar mood of the novel.

Unexpectedly Quirky

Would you consider the audio edition of The Uninvited Guests to be better than the print version?

Loved the voiced characterizations because it added depth to each personality, so I preferred the audio version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Uninvited Guests?

The best moment in the book is the actual dinner party. Even though I was appalled by the guests behavior, it was visceral enough to be memorable.

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The character voices in the audio version are spot on, and make it particularly entertaining.

Excellent narration

The story lacked direction . The few times I thought the plot was thickening it fizzled out into another strange direction .
Excellent narration though . Almost worth listening to just for that . I also enjoyed the characters .

Quite an odd book

every time I thought I understood, something totally different occured. At the end, not a bad story but I wouldn't waste a credit on it

I usually avoid books involving the supernatural

because, as Ken Follett says, "If anything can happen, where's the suspense?" But this one caught me unawares. The writing is delicious, and the supernatural elements not only didn't ruin the plot, they were sort of an amusing sideshow. I look forward to reading much more from this most engaging British author.
Excellent narration!

Thoroughly enjoyable!

The writing is beautiful, and deliciously witty. The reader was skillfull and perfect for the book. I'm not sure that the ghost story was handled the way I would have chosen, but for the most part I loved love this audiobook, and can't wait to read the next book by Sadie Jones.

Forgettable

What would have made The Uninvited Guests better?

It seemed like the author was attempting to try something different but wasn't comfortable with the genre (it's an attempt at a ghost story that just doesn't quite come together.)
Great narration, though.

And You Think You’re Haunted By Your Past!

In many ways Uninvited Guests is a comedy of manners, particularly British in its wit and depreciating sense of humor.

The Torrington household is preparing to celebrate the 20th birthday of their eldest daughter, Emerald. At the same time, Charlotte, Em’s mother, is anxious about the state of Sterne, and whether or not she and her children will be able to stay in the house much longer. Her husband, Edward, leaves on the day of the party to negotiate a home loan in town. That’s the set up. And it’s all very dramatic comedy with some upstairs-downstairs conventions and budding romances among the young people, but things change when there’s word of an accident “on the branch line,” and Charlotte’s past, quite literally, comes knocking on the door!

The Uninvited Guests is quiet and funny and creepy all at once, and I found it to be an enjoyable listen. I have only two criticisms: first, while Kate Reading did a fabulous job for the most part, her interpretations of some of the character affectations seemed a bit off to me. Also, like some other reviewers, I felt the pony situation, though it started off being funny, went on longer than it needed.

Still, if you’re in the mood for turn of the century wit and a bit of the supernatural you could do worse than The Uninvited Guests.

Bewitchingly Peculiar Sleeper

It is very seldom that I am left without pithy opinions delivered with firm strong words,.. however, this quiet little sleeper of a book did just that.
It was a very pleasant surprise, and I was happy to have run across it.
Subtle, gently wrought,.. well worth the purchase.

Different.....

What would have made The Uninvited Guests better?

Clearer storytelling, I found the whole thing a bit fuzzy, wasn't really sure where the author was going with characters or storyline

What could Sadie Jones have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Developed her plot better, this story really jumped around, not much character development

Which scene was your favorite?

Nothing stands out, it was all a bit farfetched

What character would you cut from The Uninvited Guests?

The neighbor

Any additional comments?

Nope, this was not a very entertaining read