Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
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Book Reviews of Fingersmith
Book Review: I love Waters work
Summary: 5 Stars
Sue Trinder is an orphan who was raised in a den of thieves by Mrs Sucksby, a baby farmer who takes in infants and sells them. But not Sue. Sue is raised as if she were her own daughter. Peter, a man known in Mrs. Sucksby's home as "Gentleman" pays a visit with an idea for a scam. He has entrenched himself in the home of a rich man with a young, unattached niece who can not come into her inheritance until she is twenty-one or married. Gentleman proposes to instill Sue in the household as Maud's personal maid and assist him with wooing her and then running off to marry him. Once Gentleman has married Maud, he and Sue will convince doctors that she is mad and have her admitted to an asylum. Gentleman will get her money and Sue will get a large fee. Sue agrees to this but once she gets to know Maud, she falls in love with her. But she goes ahead with the plan anyway. But then- the plot twist!
That is actually one of many plot twists. This story is told in three parts. The first narrated by Sue, the second by Maud, and then the third by Sue again.
I love Sarah Waters' writing and her fantastic setting of Victorian London with characters from a Dickens' novel. Evil uncles, madhouses, prisons, pickpockets,orphans, deception, betrayal: it is all in there and Waters writes about it with perfect prose.
However, I think there was one plot twist too many that made me not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Affinity. I'm still a bit confused as it were. Also, when we get to Maud's point of view, the story back tracks and tells the first part over but through her eyes. This was a little much though necessary. But I hate re-telling of stories. It just didn't have the smooth flow of Affinity. But it was still a worthwhile read, just not a five star read.
my rating 4/5
Book Review: Elegant Plot, Intriguing Characters, Haunting Sense of Place
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read Fingersmith three or four times in the past month. Sarah Waters's plot is elegant in the way that Brian Greene says the universe is elegant. Her characters are believable and intriguing, and quite far removed from the cookie-cutter characters seen in so many novels today (especially of the mystery/suspense persuasion). While Fingersmith may not typically be billed as either mystery or suspense, it is. Waters's plot twists make it so. Indeed, the word "twist" is quite appropriate to describe the hairpin turns the plot takes at key points.
The lesbian aspect of the novel is a subtle, yet necessary force. Not as underplayed as it is in Affinity but not the singular force it is in Tipping the Velvet either. The descriptions by each narrator of the consummation of the relationship are poetic yet well within the voice of each character. Waters's talent and her ear are evident throughout the book. As lesbian novels go, there is no comparison between Fingersmith and, say, Rita Mae Brown's Alma Mater. Both tell of young women falling in love, but Fingersmith is rich, textured, surprising; Alma Mater is flat, pedestrian, predictable.
Finally, after reading Fingersmith, you might enjoy watching the BBC production on DVD starring Sally Hawkins as Sue and Elaine Cassidy as Maud. Both women are excellent in their roles as is Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). As with any dramatization of a book, it is not as faithful as one might like it (e.g., Cassidy is dark where Maud is supposedly fair) but it manages to capture the essence of the book quite well. Better, I think, than the BBC production of Tipping the Velvet did with that particular novel.
Book Review: Beautifully Written
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed Fingersmith, and I wasn't entirely sure that I would at first. I'm always a bit on guard about first person novels (although the two books I'm reading right now are in the first person, go figure) because in order to do a first person novel effectively, one needs to be mindful to not fall into the trap of having the narrator describe things she couldn't possibly know just because the reader needs to know those things. Another thing that can ruin a first person narrative is switching to third person for scenes in which the narrator isn't involved. That tactic can make the narrative disjointed and confusing.
However, Sarah Waters avoided both those traps quite effectively in Fingersmith. While the perspective does change in Part 2 (and back in part 3), the perspective doesn't change to third person. It changes to the first person of one of the other characters, giving an account of events already told from the eyes of another person. I can't really describe how this is effective without spoiling the plot twists, but I just have to say that it was.
Waters' prose was so flowing and descriptive, it truly helped me to picture the characters and the setting quite vividly. I could sympathize with most of the characters even when they did things I should hate them for. The characters had such great depth and dimension that's sometimes really lacking in a lot of modern novels. The story itself was unpredictable and it got to the point where the only thing that stopped me from reading was the fact that my eyes got tired. I would most definitely recommend this book to just about anyone.
Book Review: Enter A World Of Dastardly Deceptions
Summary: 5 Stars
Author Sarah Waters has written a crafty, at times poetic, story about the many complicating ways of feminine love. A story of two orphan girls raised in households as different as city from country, when a twist of fate brings them together as young ladies.
I came to the book Fingersmith months after seeing the movie version. And as with many books adapted to the screen, this one gives so much more of the little details that makeup its desperate characters and their dire circumstances. If ever a book quenched the thirst of a reader who'd already seen the film version, Fingersmith is that book.
Set in a time when men's truths and falsehoods determine a woman's station in society, Fingersmith touches on the restrictions of women in 1860's Victorian England as well as the hidden taboos of men. Ms. Waters convincingly writes as if she'd lived in the place and time of this story, a time of Gentlemen and Rogues, Ladies and .....Fingersmiths.
What I enjoyed most about this book, full of twists and unexpected turns, are the supporting cast of characters and the seasoning they give to each serving. The author masterly uses the supporting characters to dress the story and enlighten the reader along the way while advancing the plot that's being played out by the main characters. Yes, very tastefully done!
"His own voice is low, tremulous, complaining, like the shadow of a shivering man." (This quavering quote from Fingersmith is an eleven-year old girl's extraordinary thought as she's being evaluated by a coldly calculating gentleman)
Book Review: Brilliantly complex exploration of the darker aspects of Victorian England
Summary: 5 Stars
I love, love, love this book. I first read it soon after it came out, and revisited it recently. Waters has a gift for lyrical prose and constructing an intricate narrative of layers upon layers; each incident or character, no matter how minor at the time, assumes crucial significance later, hardly any word or phrase is superfluous, and what is not said is often more important than what is. A number of the darker aspects of the novel are merely hinted at, not spelt out. The language of the dialogue and narrative evokes the period beautifully.
I won't attempt to summarise the plot; a number of reviewers have already done so. Suffice it to say that anyone looking for a Victorian-era "romp" or "cozy" may find that this book is not for them. This is a much bleaker and more confusing world, where as soon as you think you've figured out what is going on, everything is turned on its head, and nothing - and no-one - is straightforward. The characters are well developed, distinct individuals, who at times are not particularly likeable or sympathetic, but are fundamentally human. Even Waters' most appalling characters have some redeeming qualities, and are capable of making you feel something for them; nothing is black and white. I thought the love story between Maud and Susan was really nicely done; the "romance" element is not the most important part of the story.
"Fingersmith" is a long and at times challenging read - sometimes it moves quite slowly, and it's not going to appeal to everyone - but very much a worthwhile one. Highly recommended.