Fingersmith
Ratings88
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings88
Average rating4.1
Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.
One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naive gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.
With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.The New York Times Book Review has called Sarah Waters a writer of "startling power" and The Seattle Times has praised her work as "gripping, astute fiction that feeds the mind and the senses." Fingersmith marks a major leap forward in this young and brilliant career.
Reviews with the most likes.
I could not put this down. I literally spent all day on 12/30 just reading this. 400+ pages in one day, because I couldn't bear to part with it (thank you, Xmas/NYE vacation for giving me the slack to do it!).
This is hard to describe, and I want to avoid spoilers. I can say that it starts in a Dickensian setting, has a Gothic, crumbling mansion, a Victorian madhouse, a love story, and plenty of twists & turns. Even when I kind of knew where it was going, it was thrilling to see things play out! Sometimes it dealt with some disturbing content (child abuse, conditions in the asylum, etc.), but it was worth toughing it out!
Overall, it was an extremely satisfying read, Sarah Waters is a genius, and I can't wait to read her other stuff.
(Also, I had the lovely surprise of thinking, “Man, they need to make a movie of this,” only to find it has been adapted TWICE - a BBC miniseries and a Korean film by Park Chan-wook!)
I think I'm just maybe not that into historical fiction. Sarah Waters also has this habit (I say having only read two of her books) of making all the characters unlikeable and hard to root for. Tbh I preferred the movie, but this was compelling and entertaining and dark and had sapphics so there's always points for that.
I tore through this book. It captures the spirit and atmosphere of Victorian London (and the novels that inspired it) so well. Well, maybe I shouldn't say it captured the spirit of a time period I never lived in, but it captured what I imagine the spirit of Victorian London to be. That counts for something, right?
Anyway, this was an excellent novel that I couldn't stop reading. Great writing, characters, and a thoroughly engaging story. It's such a great feeling to be so completely wrapped up in a book, to try and guess how the characters will get out of their predicament and then be surprised by some surprising (but logical) solution. I don't think I've ever read a 500-page book so fast.
4.5! The Handmaiden is one of my absolute favorite movies, and despite knowing all the twists already (or so I thought) the book was still gripping and surprising and kept me on my toes. Drags a bit in part 3 but the ending saves it. Lesbian Charles Dickens indeed!
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2,888 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
