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From Amazon
Fingersmith is the third slice of engrossing lesbian Victoriana from Sarah Waters. Although lighter and more melodramatic in tone than its predecessor, Affinity, this hypnotic suspense novel is awash with all manner of gloomy Dickensian leitmotifs: pickpockets, orphans, grim prisons, lunatic asylums, "laughing villains," and, of course, "stolen fortunes and girls made out to be mad." Divided into three parts, the tale is narrated by two orphaned girls whose lives are inextricably linked. Waters's penchant for byzantine plotting can get a bit exhausting, but even at its densest moments--and remember, this is smoggy London circa 1862--it remains mesmerizing. A damning critique of Victorian moral and sexual hypocrisy, a gripping melodrama, and a love story to boot, this book ingeniously reworks some truly classic themes. --Travis Elborough, Amazon.co.uk
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Library Journal
In Victorian London, the orphaned Sue Trinder is raised by Mrs. Sucksby, den mother to a family of thieves, or "fingersmiths." To repay Mrs. Sucksby's kindness, Sue gets involved in a scam but soon regrets it. From the award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Twists and Turns That Make the Heart Patter
Nov 16 2007
Format:Paperback
Set in the Victorian slums of London, and subsequently the English countryside, this is a tale of twists and turns that make the heart patter. I won't go into any details on the plot as I think it would be very hard not to give any spoilers. This is, simply put, a brilliant book. The story oozes with atmosphere. It is an incredibly Dickensian tale with characters that are eccentric and deliciously evil. It turns out I had already seen the BBC dramatization so I knew some of the secrets but still I found myself reeling in amazement with each twist and turn the author dares to throw at the reader. Sarah Waters most certainly is a gutsy and brilliant storyteller. I want to run out and read every book she's written. Most definitely and highly recommended!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Completely caught me off guard at how good a book it is
April 17 2005
Format:Hardcover
I decided to give this book a read after it made a critics 'top 10' list. Thus I picked up the book blind, having no idea who the author was nor what the premise of the included. Having just finished the book I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
Waters manages to capture the sights and sounds of Victorian England quite well. Details are richly rendered, and each character is developed such that the reader feels like they can almost reach out and touch them. Progressing through the book, the reader is left with a very different impression of what Victorian England might have looked like, as say compared to how Dickens's might have portrayed it.
Waters also does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on edge. Plot turns and twists ensure that this is one book the reader will not want to put down. Anyone who is interested in books centered around Victorian England, and/or who like books where the unexpected is almost the expected, should definitely give this book a read.
A genuinely sensational contemporary "sensation novel"
Nov 20 2002
Format:Paperback
Since John Fowles's THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMEN three decades ago many British novelists have tried to recapture the style and feel of the great pageturners from the novel's heyday, the Victorian era, often with mixed results. Sarah Waters, like Charles Palliser, has carved out a career for herself almost wholly in this subgenre, and succeeds even more brilliantly than Palliser. Her latest novel, FINGERSMITH, beautifully recaptures the can't-put-it-down excitement of her literary forerunner Wilkie Collins, and narrates the story of a group of thieves who engineer a cruel plot to commit an heiress to a madhouse with real aplomb and skill. But the novel is even better than that: it brings out into the open social and cultural concerns Collins or Dickens could not have spoken about quite so directly (particularly pornography and same-sex eroticism), and shows great insight into the metafictional issues involved in reworking this subgenre of the sensation novel. I recommend this extremely highly.
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Most recent customer reviews
Book into movie
I just recently started to read this book it has alot of old enlish which can be hard to follow at times but over all it seems to be a good book
Published 19 months ago by Clutzymonkey
Great page-turner
A very enjoyable read. Excellent period piece. A great plot and well-drawn characters. Lots of credible surprises along the way that leave you completely thunderstruck. Read more
Published on Oct 24 2006 by Rob Nicol
Another great novel from Sarah Waters
After reading and enjoying Sarah Waters's previous novels, I knew Fingersmith would meet my expectations. However, I had no idea! Read more
Published on Jun 10 2002 by Dianna Johnston
Breathtaking!
Sarah Waters takes her readers on an engrossing journey set in 19th century London. A tale of love and betrayal written for the heart who has known both. Read more
Published on May 26 2002
Totally Hooked!
I have become a great fan of Ms. Water's work. _Tipping the Velvet_ remains my all-time favorite, but this almost tops it -- Great fiction, no matter what your lifestyle. Read more
Published on May 23 2002 by Jennifer
Magnificent!
This book left me breathless with admiration and enjoyment. I can think of no novelist writing today so accomplished on multiple levels as is Sarah Waters. Read more
Published on May 14 2002
Excellent suspense
Sarah Waters's third offering, Fingersmith, is one of those books that manages to sustain its pacing and interest throughout, despite any number of Dickensian twists and turns in... Read more
Published on April 18 2002 by Jody M. Keene
Awesome!
This is an incredible book. She takes you through so many twist and turns that it is impossible to put the book down. Wonderful writer!
Published on April 5 2002
Innocents, villains, scoundrels and greed
Young Sue Trinder, a denizen of back-alley 1860's London, considers herself most fortunate, raised by the likes of Mrs. Read more
Published on Mar 28 2002 by Luan Gaines
BOLD AND POWERFUL
Perspicacious and powerful, English writer Sarah Water's third offering is as lavish as her bold debut, Tipping The Velvet (1999). Read more
Published on Mar 21 2002 by Gail Cooke
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