Sarah Waters

Fingersmith

“Oliver Twist with a twist…Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.”—The New York Times Book Review The Handmaiden, a film adaptation of Fingersmith, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Kim Tae-Ri, is now available. 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 naïve 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.

i think i felt all the emotions possible while reading this.. a masterpiece oh the ending is perfect!! no wonder the handmaiden is so good, it’s inspired from this book! long live lesbians! 

ayoni

The book that inspired Park Chan-wook's astonishing film The Handmaiden. Shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves - fingersmiths - under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her 'family'. But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.

shortlisted for the Booker Prize

“She will laugh. The sound is strange, at Briar, as I imagine it must be in a prison or a church. Sometimes, she will sing. Once we talk of dancing. She rises and lifts her skirt, to show me a step. Then she pulls me to my feet, and turns and turns me; and I feel, where she presses against me, the quickening beat of her heart—I feel it pass from her to me and become mine.” / “'When I have fifty proper reasons for hating you, already; and only—' Only love you, I wanted to say.”

lovely, lyrical, and melodramatic; though a bit of a drag sometimes and had some plotlines that were not necessary. enjoyed myself anyway

shen

“She will laugh. The sound is strange, at Briar, as I imagine it must be in a prison or a church. Sometimes, she will sing. Once we talk of dancing. She rises and lifts her skirt, to show me a step. Then she pulls me to my feet, and turns and turns me; and I feel, where she presses against me, the quickening beat of her heart—I feel it pass from her to me and become mine.” / “'When I have fifty proper reasons for hating you, already; and only—' Only love you, I wanted to say.”

lovely, lyrical, and melodramatic; though a bit of a drag sometimes and had some plotlines that were not necessary. enjoyed myself anyway

Andrea Morales

don’t you just … love lesbians … (and hate men)

Kristin Green

A Penguin Book Club Pick “Oliver Twist with a twist . . . Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.”—The New York Times Book Review 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 naïve 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.

what a fun read full of twists and turns! kept me on the edge of my seat 

Carmen Malca

azliana aziz

a complete novel ---intricately plotted, rich with versatility of characters, first rate twist and my only qualm is the long pages.

lili🎐

It took me a lot of time to read it, but it was so worth it. I loved the ending so so much 🥺

Faith Ho 

Jamieson

“..this feeling haunts and inhabits me, like a sickness. it covers me, like skin.” 


I know booklovers shouldn't say it but .... I think I liked the movie more? The Handmaiden is one of my favourite movies ever. It's based on this book and though it changes some things, like plot elements and the Victorian setting to Japanese occupied Korea, I found it overall more engaging and compelling thematically than the book? Please don't come for me with your pitchforks?

Full review to come

edith w.

Briefly: loved it. I have a found a new "one of my favourites, I'm sure of it" authors.

Siya S

Great! To think that I chose this book as the very first read for my newly-established book club.. super complicated plot (like a noon time soap!), full of twists and turns and dramatic moments. I like it a lot!

Nicole Dykeman

This SURPRISED me. SEVERAL times. And that NEVER happens. Plot twist after plot twist left me totally shocked, and it was kind of brilliant. 

I loved the time period when this was set. The characters were all so well-developed, even just the minor ones. There’s a romance between two queer girls. I really can’t complain. This was truly fabulous, and I think any fans of drama/romance/suspense books would be a fan.

sarah waters writing is incredibly gripping, enthralling and atmospheric. the book was so immersive, i could hardly peel myself away from it. i have not seen 'the handmaiden' so i could also fully experience all twists and turns of the plot - truly phenomenal.

Mary Rose Luksha

I picked this up at my local English library, without knowing anything about the author. English books are slim pickins in South Korea, so I don't complain too much, I just shut up and read. So I was slightly surprised when the lesbian love scene occurred, because I definitely wasn't expecting that in a novel described as "Dickensian;" which, by the way, I have a problem with. Just because a novel is written about the same time period and includes characters of similar social status does NOT a Dickens novel make. That's like saying anything with Elves set in another magical world is "Tolkiensian" or whatever adjective you would derive from his name.

I suppose mostly I'm just peeved about reviews of the book that I read that described it as feminist Dickens. Oxymoron much? But I digress...

I enjoyed the story, there were a lot of twists and surprises, which is nice because I can guess the ending to many books, and I generally liked it. But (always one of those), I feel like the characters didn't really transform. I mean, their situations changed, and things happened to them, but I didn't feel like there was a soul-shaping moment for anyone. I was tempted to give this book 3 stars, but the fact that I made it all the way through definitely bumps it up to 4.

Growing up as a foster child among a family of thieves, orphan Sue Trinder hopes to pay back that kindness by playing a key role in a swindle scheme devised by their leader, Gentleman, who is planning to con a fortune out of the naive Maud Lily, but Sue's growing pity for their helpless victim could destroy the plot. By the author of Tipping the Velvet. Reprint.

Fraser Simons

A young girl born and living with thieves and ne'er do wells is put forward to turn her own scheme for the family. She is to pretend to be a rich woman’s personal maid, while convincing the lady to fall for and run away with a gentlemen who has planned the scheme all along to have her for her money. 

To say there is more to it than just that is a grievous understatement, though. The voice in this is absolutely exquisite. It’s lyrical and shifting, reminiscent of gothic tales, Unafraid of including colloquialisms from Victorian times that roll off the tongue and feel intuitive in the language ecosystem of the novel. 

Even better is the plotting. Like any good trick, there’s multiple layers occurring in any given seen, but you’re privy to only a small context until you get to each new part, alternating the point-of-view. It’s twisty and probably modelled after a magic trick. The Prestige comes to mind, but I’m not sure it is as precise as that. 

My only complaint with it is that the narrative tension os deflated in the final part, in a way that makes the end almost interminable at times. It could have easily been truncated, preserving every relevant plot beat. I think it tries to shift the tension elsewhere, realizing it’s all but resolved, but it didn’t work for me. The voice makes it worth finishing regardless and the ending, when it does come, feels relatively satisfying. It feels like it wants to wrap up every small, innocuous thing, when a much more focused ending would have driven the “point” home much better.

3.5 rounded up. At points, a 5.

3.5 stars

I'm a sucker for a good love story, especially involving wlw, but this tended to drag in terms of pacing.

I don't have much else to complain about besides that, but that aspect of this book did make a difference.

I read this because I heard that it inspired Park Chan Wook's new film and I wanted to read it before I saw the Handmaiden. I'm glad I did, and this was a pretty good book anyhow. The concept of it seems cliche from the outset, but there are many twists throughout that keep it from being overly so.

Sarah Escorsa

Part I of the book and its Oh My Bloody Shrimping Twist of Flabbergastation (OMBSToF™) were pretty fishing cool. I mean, Victorian mystery + thieves and cons + lesbian heroines + um, you know, that, um, twist =



Yes, this ⤴ does mean I almost nearly enjoyed the beginning of the story.

Part II was pretty good at first, but then it all started getting somewhat sort of moderately boring after Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (not the character’s real name) did spoiler spoiler spoiler and ended up being spoilered spoilered spoilered in spoiler spoiler spoiler (I have a special talent for faithful–and not too revealing–plot recaps, I know). It wasn’t bad, just a teensy little bit, you know, not fascinating and stuff. Not exactly sleep-inducing, but definitely crank-up-the-narrator-speed-to-3x-who-cares-if-you-don’t-understand-what-the-fish-she’s-saying-prompting.



Then we got another plot twist, which wasn’t nearly as flabbergastatingly flabbergastating as the first. I do dare say it was indeed as predictable as me saying “unleash the crustaceans” at the sight of a YA Historical Paranormal Romance. Oh, what a most fitting analogy! Go me and stuff. Anyway, so the not unexpected twist ♫twisted things again♫ (view spoiler)[
  yeah, that was pretty lame, I know. But what can I say, I can’t be all brilliance, all the time, can I?
 (hide spoiler)], and that was the end of Part II and stuff.

Part III was a significant improvement on well, um, you know, part II, mostly because I like Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler better than I do Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (the characters’ names have been changed to protect their privacy). But that’s neither here spoiler spoiler spoiler nor there spoiler spoiler spoiler. I have to say I particularly enjoyed when Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler spoilered spoilered spoilered to spoiler spoiler spoiler. But then it all fell like a bloody stinking soufflé again, and most of the ending felt like the OTT pastiche of a Victorian drama. So ew ew ew and stuff.

Yes, it is revoltingly true, the story is original. But the plot, although intriguing at first, slowly fizzled out like a steamed lobster on a long summer night (view spoiler)[
  my poor baby!!!!
 (hide spoiler)]. Granted, Juanita McMahon, the narrator, does a pretty good job, but it didn’t make up for the never-ending blah blah blah, deadly repetitions of doom and one-dimensional characters. So, all in all, I’d say:



Yeah, pretty much.

Angie Ellis

I have loved every Sarah Waters book so far, but this might be my favourite. The alternating timelines work brilliantly, and the voices of the two main characters are fresh and alive. It's an intricate plot, but a slow unravelling, so it draws you in quite deeply. Expect what you normally would with S.W--dark, creepy, strange, off-putting, characters you can hear, rooms you can smell, all the quiet tension you could want in a historical mystery.

Adriana Coppola

Feminist Dickensian gold. Plot twists, suspense and a rich portrait of Victorian London. Knocked a star off for the final act, which didn't land as well for me.

Samiha Tasnim

For to be brave about a thing like that, you must first be sorry. And how could I be sorry, for someone I never knew?




But tonight, all things are out of their order, all my patterns have been disturbed. My liberty beckons: gaugeless, fearful, inevitable as death.

 



But there are as many different ways of being mad, after all, as there are of being crooked. 




Some were perfect maniacs. Two or three, like Betty, were only simpletons. One liked to shout bad words. Another threw fits. The rest were only miserable: they walked, with their eyes on the floor, and sat and turned their hands in their laps, and mumbled, and sighed.

 



But you see, I'm afraid you must be mad, since you are here. There is something queer about us all. You need only look about you. You need only look at yourself.

Carolina

Tipo bien pero no súper, no sé bien qé onda.

4.5 stars, rounded up bc the tiny issues I have are negligent compared to how amazing most of it is.

OHHHHH MY GOD. This was a wild ride. Most of my review is going behind a spoiler, where both mild spoilers and super spoilers will abound:

(view spoiler)[First of all, THOSE TWISTS!!!! The last line in Part One made my jaw drop, I was SO THROWN. The second big twist also threw me, and the explanation behind it kind of made my head spin. It was just a lot to try to straighten out in my head. This book definitely does a great job of building up things you think you know about the characters, then tearing it all down. I might need to read it again though, or at least stew on the explanation of the central plot, because while reading it, it seemed a bit convoluted and I didn't totally understand Mrs Sucksby's motive in choosing her own daughter to trade places w/ Susan. I did really enjoy the twists, though. Once I hit the end of Part One, I devoured the rest of the book in 24 hours, whereas the book did take awhile to grab my interest before that.

It's honestly such a unique story, because usually characters are the hero of their own stories, yet I found myself disliking Susan during Part One and disliking Maud during Part Two (though I definitely excused her more because of her upbringing, ofc she's fucked up with that creep as her uncle!), despite those chapters being their POV chapters. It was so interesting to see that the characters were not the heroes, but the villains, of their own stories, and especially seeing how they rationalized or felt guilty over their actions. It really gave depth to both Maud and Susan. Also, FUCK Gentleman/Richard. Once again, men are the WORST.

One other thing I found really cool was how Susan was told that her mother was hanged for being a murderess, though the mother stories were switched since Susan/Maud were. However, the murderess story was made up, since Mrs Sucksby was Maud's real mother; and yet, Mrs Sucksby ended up fulfilling that story since she was hanged for being a murderess. It was just neat how it came full circle. Also, I really love how all three women were sympathetic even when they did wrong or selfish things. Susan and Maud were both used as pawns and were trying to better their situations, and Mrs Sucksby is redeemed by taking the fall for Maud.

Finally, THAT ENDING. I knew they would reunite and make up, but the image of them sitting by the fire and Maud teaching Susan how to read made me cry. It was honestly perfect. (hide spoiler)]

So basically: it was slow to start and some of the central plot was a bit convoluted on first read-through, but overall this is a fantastic book. I'm very eager to keep reading Sarah Waters' other work!!

Carine

Okay this was amazing, it felt like I was there! Absolutely love Sarah Waters and all her stories. 

We were all more or less thieves at Lant Street. But we were that kind of thief that rather eased the dodgy deed along, than did it ... We could pass anything, anything at all, at speeds which would astonish you. There was only one thing, in fact, that had come and got stuck - one thing that had somehow withstood the tremendous pull of that passage - one thing that never had a price put to it. I mean of course, Me.' Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, is born among petty thieves - fingersmiths - in London's Borough. From the moment she draws breath, her fate is linked to another orphan, growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away . . . A modern day Dickens, Sarah Waters is one of Britain's stars.

Fingersmith

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