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Paul Bryant's Reviews > Fingersmith
Fingersmith
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This totally wonderful novel does exactly what the title says, it fingers your myth, it steals up on your soul and breathes down its neck and a shudder of pleasure is felt to the ends of all your extremities, your brain will wobble, your hair will vibrate strongly, and your eyebrows will be thrust up and down like energetic trampolining children as the intricate-clockmaker plot fastens your eyes ravenously to every page - draw the curtains, do not charge the mobile phone, tell your friends you have gone to Tibet for three weeks, or Saskatchewan if that's less likely to make them worry. If there's an earthquake or a revolution you won't notice. In that way this book is close kin to The Quincunx and The Crimson Petal and the White. I want to be buried with all these three novels. So, you may know it's a Modern Victorian novel, which is a mini-genre I love & want more of, and you may also have heard that in this particular Modern Victorian lesbians are somehow involved. It is true, but what is more to the point is that a completely enthralling love story is portrayed, which happens to be between two women.
Five stars each the size of Sirius.
Five stars each the size of Sirius.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
September 28, 2007
– Shelved
September 28, 2007
– Shelved as:
modernvictorian
December 14, 2007
– Shelved as:
novels
April 27, 2021
– Shelved as:
bookers
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rated it 2 stars
Nov 21, 2008 02:52PM
I'm interested as to why you gave this five stars. I found it disappointing and unsatisfying.
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My goodness me, how long have you got? As you may or may not know, I'm a fan of what I describe as Modern Victorian, like The Crimson Petal and the White and The Quincunx, and Fingersmith was right there. The two intertwined stories, the totally unreasonable actions by the one heroine seen from the other's point of view, then the reversal - what a feat - how are you going to explain THAT - and then she (the author) does exactly that, and in a way which keeps all our sympathy... and even a happy ending of sorts. It was magnificent, in my 'umble opinion. Also recommended : the BBC dramatisation of Tipping the Velvet. Lesbian chic schmic, it's a corker.
Hmm, thanks. I see where you're coming from.
Thanks Paul. Your enthusiasm makes me want to revisit this.
hmm, that one is in my category and I see the ratings from my friends are all over the place, from 4s down to a 1 from Jessica .... looks a bit contrived, i.e. serial killer in Victorian times, when we know such a thing was started by J Ripper & so something like the subject of the book did not happen, even slightly... maybe. You should add a review!
Your review really captures the sort of tactile sensuality that made me love the book. Thanks.
well, thank you too! I wonder if you've read Tipping the Velvet? whether you have or not, I recommend madly the BBC dramatisation of it - as wonderful a slice of period drama as you'll ever get.
I saw the BBC Tipping the Velvet a few years ago and absolutely adored it and then learned it was a book and read it this year. I loved it (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) and so I read Fingersmith and loved it even more. I've got The Little Stranger sitting on my shelf, too, but I haven't read it yet.
YES. Fantastic book.
Ah, I loved The Crimson Petal, but had wondered if this was too niche (not that I have anything against gay or lesbian storylines), but one to add to the TBR pile, by the sound of it.
no, NOTTTTTTT niche, I am a man!! I loved it.
This is the second time I've had it recommended to me in as many days! Sounds like Fate is trying to get my attention...
I've picked this one up and put it down a couple of times - could never really get into it for some reason which is strange because I've read most of Waters stuff now and generally it has been ok. Maybe your outpouring of love will inspire me to return to it.
"ok" doesn't sound especially inspiring though... I wouldn't recommend an author who was "ok". With Sarah Waters I have read one novel, this one, which is FAB and seen one tv adaptation, Tipping the Velvet, which is also completely FAB and I have avoided everything else by her as inevitablle disappointments.
Maybe I understated - tipping the velvet was good and i also enjoyed The Little Stranger too. Not read Affinity yet so can pass no comment there!
Affinity is fantastic, though very dark; read the first page or two and see if that doesn't inspire you to read the rest. Tipping the Velvet is very good, and if you like the miniseries you will certainly like the book. Only Night Watch was disappointing. (I haven't read her latest.)
Yup I was not enthralled by night watch either. Readable but not as engaging as the others.
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Maybe I understated - tipping the velvet was good and i also enjoyed The Little Stranger too. Not read Affinity yet so can pass no comment there!"You liked Little Stranger too! My God, nearly everyone else I knew HATED it, which made me sad.
I second Rachel, I think you'll really like Tipping the Velvet. Maybe Affinity too. But Night Watch....yeah, that book is mainly notable for a really gruesome realistic presentation of an illegal abortion gone wrong. Rarely have I been so grateful that I was living post-Roe.
I liked it because it was different from her other stuff and therefore a pleasant surprise, glad you like it too. ps like your red shoe avatar.
I adored Fingersmith. It really was wonderful. Imagine my disappointment when I tried to read Tipping the Velvet and I just couldn't get into it. I do have copies of some of her other books though and this review reminded me of how much I loved Fingersmith so I'll bump them up my TBR pile.
I'm rereading your review of this and re-liking it, too, even though there's no button for that. My appreciation for your comments is greater now that I know how right you were about Crimson Petal.
You see, everybody - I was right then, I'm right now and I'll be right forever, Ha ha ha hahhhh!! Glllrp what? No, I'm fine. Fine, I tell you.
Now I've actually read the book, I appreciate your review more. It really did finger your myth, didn't it? I see you gave 4* to the classic whose plot it closely follows, which is interesting. I think that familiarity is part of what lessened my enjoyment of this. Ho hum.
Wow! Never read her and I was intrigued by her latest novel but the mixed reviews held me off getting it - now this review sounds pretty convincing. I might have to try this one instead. Thanks Paul.
Great review! I adored this book. I actually cried at the end. Such a beautiful love story. Waters is such an incredible writer, you can practically SMELL London. I'm off to get Tipping the Velvet now.
thanks Alex - I think you're guaranteed to like that one too. And The Paying Guests.
Well! A very rare 5-star review from PB! That much nicer since it's for a novel that is easily in my Top 10 Faves! ;)
yes, some people seem to give out five stars like they own a couple of constellations. Round where I live, we have to ration our stars.
I give them if I feel the quality of the work merits it. So I never feel generous; I do feel there are plenty of writers out there who are genuinely applying themselves and have the talent to back that up. Of course, there could always be more.
well what about The Gospel According to Matthew, where the dead guy comes back to life ? I wasn't expecting that.
I am already from Saskatchewan though and with the travel restrictions I can’t say Tibet😳😂
it fingers your mythtf??? XD ROFL
Saskatchewan references always sneak in. I’m from sask 😂
