An extraordinarily skillful book. There's so much to respect about and draw from this book and the way it's written, but my single favourite thing is that the entire 'plot' hangs on one sentence, when Mrs Benn/Miss Kenton and Stevens are waiting for Miss K's bus.

I found myself wishing frequently that I hadn't seen the film, as I could picture the protagonists only as they were portrayed by Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson; I wondered what else I might have drawn from the written portrayal of the characters if they'd been a blank slate in my mind.

The book is constructed so well. It has to be one of the best-written books I've ever read. I've given it four stars which I think is unprecedented for me!