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    Fingersmith
    Fingersmith
    Fingersmith
    Audiobook23 hours

    Fingersmith

    Written by Sarah Waters

    Narrated by Juanita McMahon

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    New York Times best-selling author of Affinity (H1551), Sarah Waters was named Author of the Year at the 2003 British Book Awards. Fingersmith was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize, and was chosen as book of the year 2002 by more organizations than any other novel. Orphaned as an infant, Susan Trinder was raised by Mrs. Sucksby, "mother" to a host of pickpockets and con artists. To pay her debt, she joins legendary thief Gentleman in swindling an innocent woman out of her inheritence. But the two women form an unanticipated bond and the events that follow will surprise every listener.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 13, 2011
    ISBN9781461812807
    Fingersmith
    Author

    Sarah Waters

    Sarah Waters nació en Gales, Gran Bretaña, en 1966. Estudió literatura inglesa en las universidades de Kent y Lancaster, y ha publicado artículos sobre género, sexualidad e historia en revistas como Feminist Review, Journal of the History of Sexuality y Science as Culture. En enero de 2003 fue seleccionada por la revista Granta en su lista decenal de los Young British Novelists.

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    Reviews for Fingersmith

    4/5

    2,512 ratings175 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It's 19th century London and "Gentleman" appears at Mrs. Suckby's boardinghouse, which is located amid the dark alleyways of a Thames River borough, to propose a con that would enlist, not her resident pickpockets, but her petted and much protected "daughter," Sue. Will Sue help "Gentleman" in his quest to steal the fortune of a young, innocent heiress? Yes, the narrative skates into Dickens territory, but Waters' yanks her characters through places and situations that Dickens likely never imagined. I zipped through this entertaining tale (though I thought a minor tightening of some scenes would've made the journey even better) and look forward to reading Water's other work. Shortlisted for the 2002 Man Booker and the Orange Prize and winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award.
    • 3/5
      Eh. Lot of hype. I didn't find it compelling. I'm also not really a romance reader- and the heart of this story is romance.
    • 5/5
      That was an unexpected surprise. Some great twists in the story. Some touches of erotic writing in there that I also wasn't expecting.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful story of lesbian romance:) the plot drives this tasteful story of love between two imperfect people .
    • 4/5
      Every "predictable" turn swiveled on its edge and had me racing to figure out how it would end. Marvelous writing. Excellent use of small details to pull the reader into the world.
    • 3/5
      While I enjoyed Sue as a character and was intrigued by the plot twists, this was ultimately too dark and full of unlikable people for my taste and I wasn’t able to finish it. Well written, but some really heavy themes.
    • 5/5
      What an incredible novel of crime, passion, deception and obsession! Sarah Waters has brought the seedy underbelly of Victorian England to life in this novel where the street savvy Sue Trinder sets out to help defraud the aristocratic Maud Lilly of her fortune. The novel employs a dual perspective, first telling the story from Sue’s viewpoint and then re-telling the story from Maud’s, and finally returning to Sue for the stunning conclusion. The depictions of life in a Victorian asylum for the insane were particularly harrowing and the final twist is both memorable and compelling. Unlike Sarah Water’s Tipping The Velvet and The Night Watch, the lesbian romance in this novel is not the central theme but it helps to bring the novel to a satisfactory conclusion.
    • 5/5
      Set in the Victorian slums of London, and subsequently the English countryside, this is a tale of twists and turns that make the heart patter. I won't go into any details on the plot as I think it would be very hard not to give any spoilers. This is, simply put, a brilliant book. The story oozes with atmosphere. It is an incredibly Dickensian tale with characters that are eccentric and deliciously evil. It turns out I had already seen the BBC dramatization so I knew some of the secrets but still I found myself reeling in amazement with each twist and turn the author dares to throw at the reader. Sarah Waters most certainly is a gutsy and brilliant storyteller. I want to run out and read every book she's written. Most definitely and highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      It's a wonderful book and a brilliant adaptation of the Victorian novel style of writing. Her grasp of Victorian prose and plot construction was spot on, and she weaves an intricate novel filled with intrigue, sexual tension and longing that ends exactly as you hope it will. I found it a tad rough to navigate some of the more in depth sections, but kept getting drawn back in by the twists and turns.
    • 5/5
      This was a great 4 star read - and I am adding a half star for the jolting twists throughout right up to the satisfying ending.The juxtaposition of Victorian England's villiany and high society makes for interesting characters and schemes. The characters all have flaws and the dark side of their humanity is exposed. However, even with her faults, the main character Susan steals your heart. Several plots are interwoven in a web of deceit. It's wonderful!Waters has a great talent and knows how to set a scene. This is the first book I've read of hers and I would recommend it to anyone who likes surprises.
    • 3/5
      It's hard to see this book as primarily a work of historical fiction when everybody considers Sarah Waters to be a lesbian writer. Have to confess, I have a tendency to turn my nose up at books that are toted as "modern feminist writing" or whatever, which is bad of me. Never judge a book by its cover, etc. But I remembered reading a few passages from it in a seminar, early in the spring semester, and wanting to see how it fit into a longer novel. Also, Sarah Waters is Welsh, which helps.

      I don't think it's the best book that was ever written. I can't speak for the quality of the research, but the settings are quite well described and vivid, and the language is lively enough to make my synaesthesia spark. It "tasted nice", as I say, but at the same time, it wasn't the best overall taste ever. There are some gorgeous passages and there are indifferent sections -- I couldn't put my finger on why, but that was my impression. It just "tasted" blander. I always wonder if maybe those points are when the writer lost focus or got bored for a moment.

      The plot is twisty and turny. I actually read spoilers in advance, which was silly, because I didn't really get the full benefit of the surprises or any moments where everything clicked into place. I think that feeling might have been nice, with this book -- but at the same time I wonder if it was probably led up to... I suppose Susan does constantly drop hints that Maud is not what she seems, in the end. Sometimes I did feel that big surprises were thrown into the readers' faces just for the shock value. I don't really mind that so much when I'm reading, but for a book that is relatively slow paced and detailed, it seems... somehow inappropriate. Then, at the same time, how else would one keep it interesting? It felt like breaking character, though... reading actual Victorian books, like Charles Dickens, the writing is as slow -- slower! -- but it still keeps me interested, and even the plot twists don't seem quite so sharp.

      The format, with the Susan POV followed by the Maud POV recounting the same events, was irritating. It was nice to get both sides of the story, on the one hand, but the intricacies of the Gentleman's plot could have come out without it, and Maud's POV didn't bring anything really new to it. The transition wasn't bad -- at least it didn't say in block capitals, "You are too stupid to understand this, but there is a POV change here"! But it wasn't great, either, it wasn't entirely necessary, and the book could have been tighter and neater without it.

      Character-wise... I don't know. I guess nobody struck me that sharply. I ended up being in it more to see exactly how the plot unfolded, rather than for the characters, which is unusual for me. I thought some of the interactions between Maud and Sue were good, and liked the ending; I had a strange fondness for Dainty throughout. But I didn't get wildly caught up in it as I would if I really, really cared about the characters.

      In conclusion: strangely ambivalent.
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written, the historical bits are handled very well, and frequently surprising. An excellent book.
    • 5/5
      Fingersmith isn't just a great novel for someone seeking a story exploring a lesbian relationship between two strong characters; it is a truly Great Novel -- a future classic -- worthy of study and consideration as an example of the best contemporary literature written in English. That is not to say it's for everyone -- I've scanned the existing reviews here. Some people do not enjoy this book one bit and feel it delivers less than it demands.

      So I will try to articulate what I like about the book; maybe you'll see something that resonates with you as a reason you'd enjoy it -- or a signal that you might be more likely to find it a waste of time.

      1) I really appreciate multi-dimensional, complex characters who are fleshed out with details of their thoughts and feeling so that they seem really human. If these elements of characterization often impact how much you enjoy a book, you would definitely find a lot to appreciate in Sarah Waters's work here.

      1a) If you furthermore have an appreciation of psychological novels where you get a really deep and nuanced understanding of how an individual character thinks and feels, you will probably really like this book. One of the primary features of this novel is that you experience the story from the perspective of each of the two main characters. These characters are tremendously interesting and incredibly well-developed. Sarah Waters really shows mastery, I think, in fascinating the reader with her depiction of her characters' consciousness -- the complexity, relatability, and strangeness of both characters is spellbinding.

      2) I agree with others who have said that if you really like Victorian novels, you're likely to enjoy this. If you never met a Victorian novel you liked and have sampled several from different authors, I'd say you are somewhat less likely to enjoy this novel.

      2a) But it's no Victorian novel; I know people who read nothing but mass market fiction and are not "literary" types who LOVED this book and couldn't put it down.

      3)I found the plot really, really delivered! There were many more unexpected twists and satisfyingly shocking, dramatic events in this book than in the lion's share of books I read. There will be moments that you won't want to put it down, I can pretty much guarantee. I didn't think it was ever slow moving in plot, but that's all relative. I don't know what feels too fast or slow for you. It's definitely a lot more action-packed and fast-moving than anything by Victorian novelists Eliot, Gaskell or Trollope, for example. Dickens is sometimes very fast moving with his plots so I can't really make the same comparison.

      In sum, I'd say this book:
      --has a fascinating and original plot and narrative technique (the perspective switching, for example);
      --does an outstanding job of depicting textured, complex and palpably human characters and relationships;
      --is written as intricately and rigorously and beautifully to merit multiple close readings (if you're into that sort of thing ;).

      I hope this is helpful for at least some of you -- happy reading!
    • 5/5
      Re-read this after seeing the movie The Handmaiden, which is loosely based on it but dispenses with half the plot in favour of more girl on girl action and some gratuitous digital amputation. The film is OK but the book is a fantastic read.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Twice.

      1/28/20 - Another listen to the fantastic Juanita McMahon read this great book to me.
    • 5/5
      Sara Waters has the most amazing plot twists. You absolutely do not see them coming and then its like WHAM!
    • 5/5
      A Dickensian heist crossed with a romance. Intrigue, suspense, and an underlying love story, set in Victorian England. The characters were intriguing, the plot was engrossing, and all the well-drawn details of the various settings (a London slum, a country manor, a madhouse) brought the story to life. The audiobook narrator, Juanita McMahon, did an excellent job as well. It was a real page-turner, if I can use that term to describe an audio book.
    • 4/5
      If Dickens and VC Andrews wrote a book together, this would be it.
    • 2/5
      One of the very few books I did not finish. Started off okay then got bogged down and found the story and the writing style uninteresting. Admittedly, I'm also not a Dickens fan.
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to like this one: Victorian setting, characters of various classes, connections to Holywell Street. The beginning and ending were weak, and the "twist" left unexplained. None of the characters were likable, and the POV shifted in the middle, which was somewhat of a relief since I'd tired of the POV of the first character. The love relationship was sidelined for much of the book, and forgotten completely during the madhouse portion. And it was unnecessarily long-winded -- the tale could have been told in a much shorter book.
    • 4/5
      The two narrating characters--Susan and Maud--are inextricably linked in ways that become increasingly clear and complex. Written with attention to all the right details, involving every sense, using rich language, and with a gripping plot, I can't wait to read more of Sarah Waters' work. I studied the first half, looking for guidance on how she created such effective scenes. And then, I completely forgot to do so, simply caught up in the turns of events. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Loaned to me by the partner after my walk in the Black Mountains. Glad I read it after the awful Lady of Hay. Thought it was an ok Gothic melodrama of a book until the end of Book 1 when my appreciation of it shot up. It's a twisty turny plot, which is its best feature, so there was a big question for me as I ended Book 1, which was 'why did it need Susan?'. That's resolved right at the end when, like Jarndyce's will in Bleak House, a long-concealed letter is found. Keeping track of who's who, who knows what, and what the main character's surname is now - not to mention where they sit on the morality scale - keeps you on your toes, and makes for a fun puzzle. Similarly, keeping in mind everybody's main motivations makes you try and bring your memory up to speed before each sitting.The characters themselves are pretty well-drawn, and the places - maybe only weakening in the mental institution. It's a very visual book, and I see it was made into a 3-part BBC drama (though I'm not sure I'd have cast Charles Dance as the uncle or Imelda Staunton as Mrs Sucksby, but what do I know?The less Dickensian reading matter at Briar House seemed a cheap shot to me, but even that has its place in the plot - it's actually a pretty good choice, and gives the final scene a nice edge to what could otherwise be just plain soppy.After 'The Little Stranger' my first (and I believed then, only) Walters, this was a really pleasant surprise. I can't even remember what I hated about 'The Little Stranger', because I just wanted it out of my life - I think I just felt I was wasting my time on trash. This isn't un-trashy, in a way, but I had a lot of respect for this - there's a justification for all the trash (and it's pretty minimal).
    • 3/5
      Raised an orphan in a crowded house in London, Sue is a fingersmith, or thief. She is asked to help Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers in a plan to get a wealthy heiress to elope and marry him. Sue travels to the home where Maud is living under the care of her uncle. Like Sue she is an orphan, after her mother died in an asylum, and she has never known her father. At this secluded country home, she is to pose as a maid and start to gain the trust of Maud.

      Until now Maud had been stuck in the house and working with her uncle as he sets about compiling a dictionary. The maid and mistress get on well, and become close friends. As this friendship deepens, Sue realises that she is starting to become attracted to Maud and is now having second thoughts about the plot to deceive her. She carries out the scheme though; Maud and Rivers slip away in the night and are married at midnight by a bribed minister. Installed in a cottage they claim to be making arrangements for her to go to London, whilst making arrangements for her to be committed to an asylum allowing them to share the proceeds.

      In part two of the novel, we hear about Maud’s upbringing in the mental institution where her mother was interred. Her uncle took her at the age of eleven to his house where he intended her to become his secretary. It is a loveless relationship as he treats her harshly. After a few years suffering at her uncle’s place; a gentleman visits who claims to have a plan that will help her escape visits her. She grabs at the chance, and a few weeks later it is set in motion.

      So the final act is set; and Waters delivers a fine plot as it writhes and twists around, before reaching its dramatic conclusion. Whilst it is set in Victorian England, and has Dickensian echoes all the way though, I felt that it lacked the atmosphere that I was expecting, in particular the London scenes which never seemed squalid enough. The two main characters were pretty good, but the others felt quite two dimensional, just there to fill in the gaps really. Overall good plot, just felt overwritten in the end.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Waters has many good novels to her name. This one was the first that was shortlisted for the Booker Prize but two subsequent novels have also been on the Booker Prize shortlist. None of them won the Booker Prize but to make the shortlist shows the calibre of her writing. Is this her best to date? I'm not sure but I did find it very engrossing.Sue Trinder is a fingersmith i.e. a pickpocket. Very like Oliver Twist's experience with Fagin Sue has been raised to acquire this skill by Mrs. Sucksby, a woman who looks after babies and who took on raising Sue after her mother was hanged. However, when the book starts off Richard Rivers (who is called Gentleman by Sue and Mrs. Sucksby and others) has another game that he needs Sue's help with. He wants Sue to become a lady's maid to an heiress that he hopes to marry, thus acquiring her fortune. Maud Lilly has been living in her uncle's house where Gentleman came to know her. However, her beginning years were spent in an insane asylum where her mother gave birth to her after being put there for conceiving a child out of wedlock. Gentleman's plan is that he will convince Maud to elope with him, they will marry and then he will put her into an insane asylum thus getting access to her fortune. Sue will persuade Maud to acquiesce to Gentleman's suit and she will get three thousand pounds from the fortune for her efforts. Although Sue has no experience as a lady's maid Genteman manufactures a false reference for her and gives her some rudimentary instruction. Sue is clever enough to pull it off and it looks like she will convince Maud. Then she begins to have doubts because she is starting to care for Maud. In fact, she and Maud have a lesbian encounter one night and they both appear to have quite strong feelings for one another. However, things are not quite as Sue imagines them to be. Many twists and turns await the reader.
    • 1/5
      DNF 70% into this book. It was just so boring the only interesting part was the first little twist, after that I could not bring myself to care. I’ve been sitting on this book
      for months but every time I look at it I just think ‘meh’ and go do literally anything else .
    • 4/5
      Book began to drag near end of the second part.

      Loved the ending
    • 3/5
      20 discs! Good twist in the middle.
    • 5/5
      I'm not sure I have the right category for this book. It is a historical fiction, but written in a much more modern style, it's surprisingly easy to read, despite how large the book is.I was surprised to find that the story is in three acts, and what begins as a plan of deceit, and theivery turns into...man, I'm not sure I can explain it without spoiling it.Sufficed to say, I was surprised three times by the storyline, and the weaving of stories together, and if you like mystery and unusual characters, I think you'll enjoy this, even if you're intimidated by books over 500 pages.
    • 3/5
      I found the whole tone of the book quite dark. The plot twists were good but looking back at them seem unbelievable. Dull at times and page turning at others, might not be to everyone's taste.
    • 3/5
      An interesting book but slightly long. The characters were interesting and the situations unusual