Fingersmith

Fingersmith - Incredible

This is not a book I would have ever picked up - was looking for ideas that were different and found it in 1001 Books you Should Read (?). It was unbelievable - possibly one of the best books I have read of late. Both the dialogue, descriptions (a part that I frequently skim) and plot twists were amazing. Because I read alot, it is unusual for me to be surprised in a book - at least three different times I was completely caught off guard. I actually slowed down toward the end because I didn't want to stop reading it. I have not only recommended this book to people I have actually bought it for two friends. Definitely a keeper.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

interesting twists

I decided to read the book because it was on the list of 1001 books to read before you die...and I'm very glad I did! Just when I thought I had figured out what was going to happen things twisted and surprised me. I will definitely read more by this author.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Another great one by Waters

A story with any twists and turns and worth every page of it. Period pieces are my favorites.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

well...this book was wonderfully atmospheric (or maybe i'm just partial to mid-1800s london). it is divided into three parts, and i most enjoyed the first, and its narrator, sue. although the plot became a little convoluted and often dragged, the writing more than made up for the deficiencies.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Mayhem, Murder and Madness in Victorian London

Suspense thriller and love story; fair maidens and dastardly villains; country estate and insane asylum; den of thieves and literary purists; murder and mayhem in Victorian London; Sarah Waters manages to blend it all and produce one whale of a story that had me gulping it ravenously into the night, coming up for air only when it was done. One wild caper with more twists and turns than you can imagine.

The protagonist, Susan Trinder is an orphan child whose only knowledge of her mother is the London gallows she can see from her window where, she is told, her mother was hung, not long after Susan's birth. She is being raised by Mrs. Sucksby, matriarch of a den of thieves, or fingersmiths. As a teenager, Sue agrees to help Mrs. Sucksby and her friend, the wily "Gentleman," in a scheme that will leave all three of them wealthy.

Maud Lilly lives with her uncle in the country at Briar Estate, where she spends hours assisting him in his library. She may enjoy wealth, but she lives a miserable existence.

It is the intersection of these two lives that provides the impetus that drives the narrative forward and enables the author to engage the reader in the tangled web that she so cleverly constructs. And clever may be an understatement because just when you think you know where the plot is going, bam, it twists in a completely different direction. Twists, turns, up, down, back around until you finally come to the conclusion. Throughout the process, Waters describes the life and times of Victorian London in the starkest terms possible:

"At last I wake and do not sleep again. The dark has eased a little. There has been a street-lamp burning, that has lit the threads of the bleached net scarf hung at the window; now it is put out. The light turns filthy pink. The pink gives way, in time, to a sickly yellow. It creeps, and with it creeps sound-softly at first, then rising in a staggering crescendo: crowing cocks, whistles and bells, dogs, shrieking babies, violent calling, coughing, spitting, the tramp of feet, the endless hollow beating of hooves and the grinding of wheels. Up, up, up it comes, out of the throat of London." (Page 367)

Waters puts you right there in Dickens' London. Wonderful read. Very highly recommended.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fingersmith

I enjoyed the book very, very much - although the ending was a little disappointing. I had expected it to end differently. This was her first book I read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book, lots of twists and turns

This is one of my favorite books and everyone I have recommend it to has loved it. It has so many twists and turns ... and you rarely see them coming.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I love reading about this time period. It has always fascinated

I love reading about this time period. It has always fascinated me. This book was no exception and kept me reading late into the night. I had to see what was going to happen next. I was so completely caught off-guard about 1/3 of the way into it that I literally stopped reading, shouted "Oh My!" and had to think about what I just read! I never saw it coming. I liked the author's style of writing and the descriptions of the towns, houses and people. The characters were true-to-life - they were believable. The plot twists and turns kept me very interested and there are many of them ... if you want to lose yourself in the 1800's, read this book ... London's pickpockets, madhouses, estates, girls of means and orphans and of course a "Gentlemen." It's a definite page-turner!

Could not put it down. Took me to another world. An exciting adv

Could not put it down. Took me to another world. An exciting adventure

This is the third Sarah Waters book I have read, and I cannot re

This is the third Sarah Waters book I have read, and I cannot recommend it enough.

First, the writing is exquisite. Waters does not show off, but at the same time her prose sparkles. Second, the plot is fascinating. There are various twists and turns, and I was taken by surprise more than once. Third, her characters are three dimensional, complex people, who are interesting enough to hold your interest.

My favorite book of hers is Affinity, but this is a close second!

Creepy Manses. Den of Thieves. Damsels in Distress

At first, this seemed to be Dickensian. Then the scene changed and "Aha!" I thought. Scary Lord of the house, beautiful maiden isolated from the world. Gothic. Right? Wrong. Yes there are elements of Dickens and of Gothics. It does take place in 19th century England, after all. However, don't think you can guess what happens or how it all turns out. I can usually figure out a plot in 75 pages or less, but not in Fingersmith. I even usually predict what will turn out to be false, but not in Fingersmith. Oh, Mrs. Sucksby how could you! Susan was like your daughter.

The twists and turns of the plot will keep you engrossed, but Water's writing is excellent too. It is good enough to merit the label "literary fiction." She actually researched thoroughly what she's writing about so you get to know how life was lived then, what it was like to be a woman controlled by men

Terrific Suspense

Great suspense from Sarah Waters. It is well-written, with smart, insightful and often funny dialog. It has a clever plot, with twists that in one instance stretches believability but one easily forgives this. The larger story is well worth it. This is my first Sarah Waters book and I'm now a big fan!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of my fav sarah water books

I could not put this book down at all i read whole book in only one day!

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Let me begin by saying that Fingersmith is the first novel in recent memory to incorporate a plot twist so unexpected and surprising that I actually exclaimed out loud ("I think I said "Holy Crap!" or something equally insightful. Don't judge me. it was a shocking twist.) I love that. For better or worse, I am a very difficult reader to surprise. Fingersmith actually surprised me twice. Set in my very favorite literary time and place, Victorian England, Fingersmith is a tale of intrigue full of memorable characters, an intricate and surprising plot and vivid period detail. It is truly a remarkable book. The novel is divided into three parts: the first tells the story from Sue Trinder's perspective, the second tells the story from Maud Lilly''s perspective and the third finishes out the tale, moving forward from where their stories merge. or diverge, as the case may be.

Part One is arguably the best storytelling work I've read in recent memory. It is spell-binding and I couldn't put the book down. Part Two is interesting because it is essentially a retelling of Part One from a completely different perspective with the addition of lots of great (and also unexpected) background information on Maud Lilly. Part Three brings the story to fruition. but Part Three is also the reason I dropped the plot rating from 5 to 4.5. once the stories rejoin and the plot moves forward to its conclusion, the novel loses a lot of momentum. Fingersmith is like a thoroughbred. really fast and vastly superior for short distances, but lacking a bit in endurance. Part Three contained a twist or two of its own, but was essentially a waiting game with little by way of new action or intrigue. Or maybe I'm just holding it to the impossibly high standard set forth in Part One.

Waters does a brilliant job of portraying life in Victorian England - both rural and city life. I'm a bit of a snob about this period. it has to be perfect. And Fingersmith's setting really was perfect. The characters are equally well-developed with a wide variety of personas, all in keeping with Victorian standards and yet each with their own idiosyncrasies and often startling secrets. The premise of the novel is absolutely fresh and thoroughly unique. I can certainly see why Fingersmith put Sarah Waters on the map, so to speak. There is no arguing the talent of an author who writes a book like Fingersmith.

The Bottom Line: An engrossing and intricately detailed historical novel full of intrigue and unexpected plot twists. A must-read for fans of the genre.

It doesn't get much better than this

This is perhaps one of the best suspense novels I've read in a long time, and to think I almost put it back on the shelf. I was at first intrigued by the title and book cover, but when I glanced at the jacket and saw that the story was set in 1800's London, I almost put it back. I'm not generally into period pieces as the language can sometimes be stiff and make a story difficult to follow. That is not at all the case with this novel and I was immediately swept up with the intriguing characters (all of them!) and the plot's several layers of deception, which Waters masterfully allows to unfold. This is the first novel I've read by this author, and I will definitely be looking for other books she's written.

Excellent!

This is a remarkable book with lots of twists and turns to the plot. A very unique story with well developed characters. I highly recommend it to anyone that appreciates good historical fiction.

Do Not Buy this Book if.....

You have an ounce of intelligence. I was expecting a thrilling mystery that would keep me on the edge of my seat. This didnt cut it. The plot was silly as was the characters. Do yourself a favor and snuggle up with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes, leave this book on the shelf where it belongs.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

My take on Fingersmith

This book was very interesting.What I liked about it was that the author was able to bring about a story of two young women that fall in love in the mid 1800's Victorian England.She was able to bring me as a reader to believe in the time frame that the book was written in,the characters,the plot and the story of it.To me it was very well written and it is an excelent read.

Couldn't put it down!!

Excellent- my first Sarah Waters read. I couldn't put it down. Twist after twist will keep you glued to the pages!

i am in love with the book and its creator!

it was a complete pleasure to read this book. For four days, i was completely obsessed with 'fingersmith' and its characters ( sue and maude). Ms. Waters' wrting was so eloquent and beautiful...it literally takes my breathe away and at certain times gave me a sort of yearning for sue and maude to really fall in love.i can go on and on...i adore this book and the authur...i cannot wait to read more of Ms. Waters' work