Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

...has grown up as a Fingersmith (thief) and belongs to a street gang led by the imposing Mrs Sucksby and Mr Ibbs an expert locksmith and criminal fence. She has had to learn from a very early age that life is tough and that to survive you have to be prepared to live a life of crime. Despite this Sue is not totally corrupted by this world, she has also been protected from the worst excesses by Mrs Sucksby who it seems favoured her amongst the rest of ...
...her harsh upbringing Sue is still an innocent in many ways just as Maud is. The story centres around these two girls is split in three parts telling us the story from a changing perspective and surprising the reader with each turn of the page. This way of unravelling the story is both intriguing and frustrating, it is the one aspect of the book that I felt a little unsure about. In essence the story told in part one is repeated through the eyes ...

Mauri 05.07.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

Tempted by my first experience of the written work of Sarah Waters, and her book "Affinity", I bought this book with high expectations. The story is set in London, the year 1862. We are introduced to the characters that are to form the foundation of the book fairly early on, and the reader is taken from the lowly "Borough" area of London where Susan Trinder's formative years are spent in the care of a Mrs. Sucksby who takes in infants, and Mr. Ibbett, ...
...build up the texture of the story are colourful and very believeable, and the visit of "The Gentleman" is about to change the fortunes of the young Susan for ever. The writing of the story can only be described as "delicious". Many writers make the mistake of using many words to say nothing. Sarah Waters uses exquisite detail and in doing so, makes the sense and sensibility of her characters work. Taking the story from the perspectives of the characters ...

thingywhatsit 05.07.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

...with this one though – Fingersmith is relentlessly dark and emotionally gruelling, virtually from the first page. The book is a whopping 550 pages long, and is made up of three very distinct ‘parts’. In this op, I’m mainly going to talk about Part One, simply because after the end of that part, the plot then flies off on a wild roller-coaster ride with twists and turns making you gasp as each development unfolds. I can’t bear to ruin any of those ...
...weeks after I finished this, and couldn’t put their story out of my mind. I immediately embarked on a lighthearted crime caper novel, as I needed the respite. But the thing about Fingersmith is simply that once you have read it, you’ll never be able to forget it. *Unmissable*. ...

ShoppingGirl 12.03.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

There's something magical about Victorian London. Some of my favourite books (The Ruby in the Smoke) have been written about it, some brilliant films set in it (From Hell was forgettable, but anything with Johnny Depp in it is worth a mention). I'm not talking about the posh, affluent areas of London. I'm talking about the rough underbelly, the 'Borough', 'Wapping', the smoky dense soup of thieves - 'Fingersmiths' - and orphans and prostitutes. Here, ...
...at birth. Sue lives with Mrs Sucksby - now there's a gorgeous name! Say it aloud; it just rolls off your tongue - who, if anyone is, is her mother. Mrs Sucksby farms babies on Lant Street, including Sue, but, having been fond of her mother, a hanged murderess, treats Sue differently, more like a daughter. Sue is 'going to make all our fortunes' one day, she says. Sue's father figure is Mr Ibbs, a man who runs a shop to which thieves gather and ply ...

franproc 06.11.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

...most of Sarah Waters' books, Fingersmith involves Lesbian romance which is depicted tastefully although in some parts has graphic content. The feelings developing between Sue and Maud were realistic and fun to read. I found the plot twists that appeared in the novel surprising and brilliant. Fingersmith was an enjoyable read, I raced through the pages just to find out what would happen next and spent most of my nights staying up just so I could ...

Mistybrook 07.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

I absolutely love Sarah Waters. Some how she seems to strike a balance between Lesbian interest and a damn good story. Sarah Waters is an author who works lesbian love into a natural story line, without the filthy sex and scandal. It's nice to buy a book which doesnt sit under the 'gay interest' sections, because others regard her to simply be a great story teller. This means that although Water's main readers are interested in the Lesbian plot ...
...to people interested in historically set fiction. The story is set in Victorian London, and tells the story of two orphan girls, living apart, but who's pasts and futures are linked by a mother and her gentleman thief. 'Sue Trinder' grows up with her 'mother' Mrs Sucksby, and 'Maud Lilly' grows up alone taken from the madhouse she grew up in from by her Uncle. The women are bought together, seemingly by a Gentleman who seeks to make money from 'Maud' ...

Dana_Leigh 25.07.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

This was an amazing read, not quite as racy as Sarah Waters first novel "tipping the velvet" but not dissapointing. Waters paints the picture perfectly and really pulls you in to the story she has created. She cleverly lulls the reader into a false sense of security, much as the characters in the book do to each other, and then hits you with twist after twist - keeping you guessing till the very end. The only annoyance I have is that she get's you ...
...story teller changes as you want to find out what is happening but a few pages in all this is forgotton. Its a great look at Victorian moral and sexual hypocrisy. But is, above all, a great love story. A must read for any sapphist out there who wants to read a story of lesbian love without the filfth. ...

rainbowfaery 19.04.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Fingersmith - Sarah Waters