The Servants' Quarters is a story told in three parts. The first begins with Cressida, the narrator and protagonist of the story. She is only ten years old, and she is terrified of the Germans. Although she was born after WWII, her family has felt the effects of it; her sister Miranda suffers from nightmares as well and her father's paralysis is a constant burden on the family. To make matters worse, George Harding, the wealthy owner of a brilliant house on the hill, was scarred during the war, and his disfigurements are an abhorrent sight to young Cressida. Her stubbornness causes her to take the opposite stance of her mother when the family has to move into Mr. Harding's servants' quarters because of financial reasons. The second part of the story shows Cressida as a teenager of fifteen, still at odds with her family, but now taken under Mr. Harding's wing. Rumors circulate that she is an illegitimate child of Mr. Harding's brother, but she doesn't feel that his kindness to her stems from guilt. The third section shows Cressida at eighteen, and now the reason for Mr. Harding's interest has become clear.The best part of Freed's story is the central character. Cressida is interesting enough to carry the story, although in spite of her "wild child" personality, she can be somewhat predictable. The Servants' Quarters is not without faults. The story tends to jump around frequently, leaving the reader without a sense of the causes and effects of the actions. Some of the episodes feel unfinished, like Freed has given us an outline that she needs to fill in. Many of the events remain unexplained with an occasional offhanded and unsatisfying half-explanation. What could have been a better novel exists instead as a haphazardly put-together draft. I chose this book because I needed South Africa for an Around the World reading challenge. That, plus the fact that it was an extremely short book enabled me to finish it. It wasn't that the writing was poor - it wasn't at all, and I would read Lynn Freed again. My issue with this book was the characters - they were some of the nastiest and most manipulative creatures I have have ever read about. I found myself rejoicing that that they were only fictional creations, and not real people that I would ever encounter. I guess I am just one of those readers who really needs somebody to identify with and sympathize with in order to enjoy a book, and I didn't find anybody in this story appealing.
What do You think about Servants' Quarters (2010)?
Liked the voice that this was written in, but didn't especially care for the story itself.
—muffin
interesting enough but the writing felt forced at times.
—blackAngel
Recommended in the book, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.
—Zac
Quick read - a window into another time and place
—charu
