The Servants' Quarters

A very observant and thought provoking novel of girl's (I hate using it but...) "coming of age." The story takes place post WWII in South Africa and spans two decades.The writing, plot, and all the characters are very well developed. The main character is the spunky, smart mouth, and, for now, nine-year-old girl, Cressida, whom I like very much. Freed's writing in regards to her, is exceptional. Her absurd reasoning, which oddly make sense and her mischievousness is refreshing after having been engaged with some serious charterers in my reading recently.

In Lynn Freed's The Servants' Quarters, a bittersweet saga of love - a love that, in this novel, is particularly unconventional - takes place over the span of many years, packing an epic of a romance into a little over 200 pages. Certainly the characters in the book are not immediately likeable, and thus, not for everyone: flaws and irritations in each character stick out obviously, but in a way that creates a full-blooded human story. Perfection is not Freed's goal. The story moves along rapidly, despite that fact that there are limited locales. Much of the plot takes place in either of two houses, but it is the narrative and biting insight into class that propels the story forward. If at times the prose is repetitious, it only serves show more to emphasize the circuitous nature of life, and of the lives of the book's characters. The setting was vague and offered little, but the central romance was developed well. Most exceptional about the writing is that it created imminently dislikable people and made them not only sympathetic, but understandable. By creating interesting back stories and revealing information little by little, Freed not only builds suspense, but she simultaneously makes her characters evolve in slight, subtle ways. With Southern Gothic images pervading the novel, the author takes what could have been a generic tale and infused it with charm borrowed from several different literary styles. show less

Set in post-World War II Africa (but it could as easily have been set in Shropshire or Vermont or anywhere else), The Servants' Quarters can best be described as a coming of age novel. It's three parts follow Cressida, younger daughter of a Jewish family, at the ages of nine, fifteen, and eighteen. To say that her family is dysfunctional is an understatement. Muriel, the mother, is a flirt, if not worse, and a gold digger who constantly belittles her children; the father has been totally incapacitated since he was struck in the head by a golf club in an argument with one of his wife's suspected lovers. Although they are non-practicing Jews who escaped the ravages of Hitler's Germany, Cressida and her sister Miranda are haunted by the show more photographs of concentration camp victims in two books given to their father by their neighbor, Mr. Harding. First Miranda, then later Cressida suffer from nightmares of Germans coming over the walls. And always with them is Mr. Harding, a pilot whose plane was shot down, leaving him not only a prisoner of was but horribly disfigured by the ensuing flames.

Strapped for cash, the family lives in the Servants' Quarters on Mr. Harding's estate, and Cressida resents the fact that it seems to be she who has to be responsible to repay his generosity. She is called upon to be a companion and tutor to Edgar, the odd boy Mr. Harding brings home from who-knows-where, and she soon becomes Harding's own companion for afternoon tea and piano playing sessions.

There's an element of Beauty and the Beast here, but someone else used the word "creepy," and that is most appropriate. Mr. Harding keeps talking about his "plans" for Cressida and what is or isn't good enough for her, tells her how to style her hair and what kind of clothes to wear . . . I kept waiting for the "ick-factor" to kick in, and eventually it did.

Lots of themes circulating here: sex, power, love, class, materialism, obligation, and more. Although she was a horrible person, Muriel was also the most intriguing character. The novel is generally well-written, and it's a quick read at 213 pages, but it didn't exactly bowl me over. show less

This book had three of my favorite things going for it: a "Beauty and the Beast" influenced story line, exquisite prose, and atmosphere...atmosphere...atmosphere.
I absolutely loved it. The characters were sympathetic, engaging, and beautifully drawn. The story drew me in and held me, which is impressive as its quite a small book. That's its one fault though...I only wish it had been longer. Sequel? Prequel? Please?

Good. Really liked the main character, Cressida. Loved her, in fact. And her family, the whole thing. Very well developed character. Bit creeped out by Mr. Harding. Not because of the scars or anything, but the fact that it appeared he was "grooming" her. Creepy and pervy.

That aside, it was beautifully written. And full of quirky characters. Did I mention the characters were incredibly fleshed out? Well, it's worth mentioning again. I mean, just look at Miranda. We get a feel for who she is evne though she appears only briefly.

Also loved how the narrative style changed to reflect Cressida's development as she grows up and her life changes. I mean, wow. Strongly recommend. My first Lynn Freed book, and there's that giddy euphoria I get show more at discovering a new author whose work I adore.

Normally for a book like this, I'd wish it weren't so short or some other thing. But loved it as it is. Very good. I'll definitely make sure to check out Freed's other works.

Get back to this; edit; reread; clean it up show less

The Servants’ Quarters by Lynn Freed is a little book that packs a big punch. It is an interesting exploration of the residual effects of WWII on the ‘next generation’: those kids that were babies during the war, or born just after, and were raised by those who lived through it. The story itself is set in Africa and I was looking forward to the ethnic slant that would bring. Sadly, that slant was missing. The novel read as if it could have been set anywhere. It was slightly disappointing but the story was good enough that I was able to overlook that. Slightly reminiscent of Jane Eyre, Lynn Freed none-the-less stays away from a retelling, and The Servants’ Quarters ends up being a fabulous and unique novel. Definitely worth a look.

Cressida and her family live in South Africa following World War II. Cressida is tormented by nightmares of German troops scaling the walls of her family home, visions of fear which often also include the nearby RAF pilot, George Harding, who is extremely disfigured as a result of his efforts during the war. However, when Cressida and her family are forced from their home and taken under the wing of this soldier, Cressida is forced to spend more time with the man. This is particularly true after his relative, who is about Cressida's age, also moves to the property. As Cressida advances through life, Harding moves from the background to the forefront of her story, particularly as her own family life becomes less and less stable.

Quote: show more "Suddenly I remembered that Mr. Harding was there, too, in the night. He was there with the Germans, standing around my bed, and he was the one who always told them I was only pretending to be dead."

This book was a little bit weird for me. I agree with others who have said that it's more of a coming of age story than a love story . . . mostly because I prefer my love stories without the undercurrent of creepiness. Even given that, however, I was very engrossed in the tale and finished the fairly short book in one sitting. The characters were interesting, and the strong impact World War II had on the child who, as she is reminded several times, was not even born when the events occurred, was different. This book is odd, but engaging. show less