Fingersmith - Sarah Waters Reviews

From beginning to end this novel is engaging. Having only read one other of hers (Tipping The Velvet) I will certainly be going on to read her others. It's easy enough to find out plot details about this so I won't go into that. What I will say is that her writing style is fantastic. I was pleased not to have known anything about the novel before ...  Read the complete review

In writing 'Fingersmith' Sarah Waters has not only written a fantastic historical thriller but she has shown her literary skill and knowledge by mimicking the Victorian mystery melodrama genre with great aplomb. The story deals with two young girls both just seventeen, one Sue Trinder an orphan and street thief brought up in Borough a ...  Read the complete review

The first of Sarah Waters books that I have both read and enjoyed, Fingersmith is a brilliant Dickensian tale of orphans, the seedy criminal underworld of 19th century London and mis-placed identity that has much in common with Oliver Twist to which there are many crafty nods throughout the course of the novel. Sue Trinder has been ...  Read the complete review

This book is set in 1862 London, and follows a young orphan being brought up by a lower class family (of thieves!). A similar orphan is being brought up in a country house nearby and their fates are entwined in ways you could never guess. This outline in no way does the book justice, because it is a page turner of the highest class. It ...  Read the complete review

Tempted by my first experience of the written work of Sarah Waters, and her book “Affinity” (Published in 2005 and therefore later than this work), I bought this book with high expectations and upon recommendation. The story is set in London, the year 1862. We are introduced to the characters that are to form the foundation of the book ...  Read the complete review

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (2002, Virago Press) was nominated for both the Man Booker prize and the Orange prize, which is no slight achievement and which is fully deserved by this gripping and complex story. The novel is set in 1862 in London and provides a treat of atmospheric urban Victorian settings. The den of thieves, the lunatic ...  Read the complete review

If I may I'd like to preface this review with a caveat or three. First of all, I'm a huge Sarah Waters fan, simply finding her to be one of the most exciting young writers working today. Secondly, I'm new to DooYoo, and delighted to be here. As far as I can find there are no restrictions about posting a comment ...  Read the complete review