Fingersmith

If you read a lot of book blogs, I'm sure you've come across a few reviews of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. And I bet they all have one thing in common: the reviewer laments the fact that they can't really tell you any more than the bare bones of the plot because then it would spoil the book for you. Then they go on to praise the book and tell you "Just read it. Trust me. It is that good."So who am I to attempt to do the impossible? You truly cannot write too much about Fingersmith without spoiling everything that makes Fingersmith such a dizzying, delightful read. I saw a comment by Nymeth from Things Means A Lot (who wrote one of the best reviews of this book I've come across) on another blogger's review of Fingersmith that said:The first rule of Fingersmith is that you don't talk about Fingersmith.Of course, this is a reference to Fight Club (of which I've only seen the movie and not read the book), but, when I thought about it, there are definite parallels between Fight Club and Fingersmith (aside from the need to be close-mouthed about plot points). And so I felt I must respect the code and not talk too much about this book. But here is what I can tell you.* Reading this book is like looking into a kaleidoscope. You see things fitting together in an intricate pattern but then you turn it and all the pieces align in a new pattern. And then you turn it again ...* Reading this book is like boarding those Wild Mouse rides you see at amusement parks where you get whipped around on these crazy sharp turns that make your head spin.* Reading this book is like watching Mission Impossible where the ... WAIT ... I can't continue with that one. It might give too much away.Let's just say that if Fingersmith was a food, it would be a pretzel. (Because of the twists). I think the true brilliance and fun of Fingersmith is the plot twists that leave you feeling dizzy, invigorated, duped, nodding, shaking, and wanting to leap ahead to find out where Waters is going to take you next. (But don't think the plot twists are all the book has going for it. It is also amazingly well-written; provides a brilliant sense of atmosphere; and creates memorable, indelible characters that will stay with you.)So, what else can I tell you?* The book is set in Victorian England. Now usually this is a turn-off for me. I associate "Victorian" with "dead boring." (Unfairly, I suppose, as I haven't read all that much of it.) I always think books set in the Victorian era will focus too much on virtue and being good and social niceties and the big scandal would be if someone used the wrong spoon to stir their tea. (I'm totally speaking out of my ass here, by the way. I don't know ANYTHING about Victorian novels ... just a vague sense of what I think Victorian novels are or would be like. I'm sure many of you will try to convert me now.) So, if you have an unfair prejudice against books from the Victorian era like I did, discard them. This book is ANYTHING but boring and stuffy.* Fingersmith is a term that means "petty thief," which is how one of the main characters, Sue Trinder, earns her living in London. Fingersmith might also refer to someone who has mastered a skill involving the use of his or her fingers. It could also have another connotation that makes more sense after you read the book but I'm not going to tell you about it. OK ... I will ... let's just say the book has been called "lesbian Victoriana." So now you figure it out yourself. (And that is your only "warning" that this book deals with the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name.)* The book is 582 pages but once you hit the end of the first part, you will want to read the book at every available opportunity so make sure you have the time available. Once you board the crazy ride that is Fingersmith, you won't want to get off!* You will never look at a pair of white gloves in quite the same way.Oh ... enough already. Just read it!!! Trust me!!!! You'll love it!! (Unless you really don't care for suspenseful, twist-filled, well-written, unforgettable, kick-ass, Gothic, big themed, psychologically thrilling, heart-in-your-mouth historical fiction. If that isn't your type of book, then by all means skip it.)I hereby award Fingersmith 5 stars and pretty much guarantee it is going to be one of my Top 10 reads of the year.

I enjoyed Tipping the Velvet, and so was excited to read this book, reputed to be the author's best. And Fingersmith is a fun read, with a gripping plot and well-developed characters. It's also darker than Tipping the Velvet, in a fairly lurid way (I'm not talking about the sex, of which there isn't much), and the plot doesn't really stand up to scrutiny.Fingersmith is one of those books you won't want to read too many reviews about before diving in, lest they spoil the surprises that are half the fun. It begins with a young thief, Sue, who joins a plot to swindle an heiress out of her fortune. This being a Sarah Waters book, attraction develops between Sue and the heiress and.... you'll have to read it to find out the rest! The book had me staying up much later than I'd intended to find out what happens next, which had not happened to me for awhile. Certainly a lot of fun.The plot is also the source of some problems, however. The first big twist set very high expectations, which the rest of the story failed to meet, and the rationale behind that twist doesn't make much logical sense, as it's hard to see how that course of events would benefit anyone. There are also a few other problems of the "why doesn't she just....?" variety. Meanwhile, some of the misfortunes with which Waters torments her heroines are just so absurd that I couldn't even feel bad for them (and I wanted to! I had a soft spot for these crazy girls. Especially Maud, who seriously needs a therapist). To be fair, Tipping the Velvet has its over-the-top elements as well and I suspect that for many of Waters's fans this is a feature rather than a bug; Fingersmith has been called "Dickensian," and Dickens was no stranger to melodrama (I say this as someone who mostly likes Dickens). Finally, while the slow pacing and attention to detail work well at the beginning to develop the setting and characters, later in the book this drags the plot down, leaving too few pages for the rushed resolution.All that said, the book still has a lot going for it. The writing style is fluid and Waters does a great job with atmosphere and period detail. The book explores the seamy underbelly of Victorian society, from abusive asylums where inconvenient women could be locked away for years, to the sale of pornography (yep, the Victorians were hypocrites). The character development, particularly of the two protagonists, is very good, and Waters uses the dual first person narration to great effect. You really get a sense of how the narrators think differently, in subtle ways, and revisiting some of the same events with a different set of eyes is occasionally humorous and consistently fascinating. On a couple of occasions I wanted to say "But that isn't how it happened!" only to realize.... wait a minute.... everyone is unreliable, and everyone tends to view events in the light most favorable to themselves. We can't simply assume that Sue told us absolute truths. In general I'm skeptical of authors trying to write multiple narrators, but if you want to see it done right, read this book.Overall then, a compelling and well-written story, as long as you don't mind some plot contrivances. This is really 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 4 because I had a lot of fun with it, and because the author does a great job with character and point-of-view. I would recommend this to those who their historical fiction closer to the literary end of the spectrum, but there's enough plot to satisfy those who typically avoid literary books as well.