Tipping the Velvet by Sarah WatersMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's going to be hard to sum up my first experience with Sarah Waters. I first heard of her when The Little Stranger made the Booker prize shortlist last year. It sounded great, and I made a mental note to get it at the library.
Little did I know that the blogosphere was (and is?) experiencing mass hysteria re: Sarah Waters.
The debates raged: Which book of hers was best to read first? Which one was best for reading on crowded trains, and which in solitary hotel rooms? Which was the best antidote against an overload of moderny or heteronormativity?
Anyway, I've done it, I've tested the Waters. And...
HOT. Just about sums it up.
There were a few scenes that seemed almost gratuitously sexy, but I'm not going to complain. Nan, our hero, escapes oyster-shucking drudgery to London and up-and-coming stage fame. Kitty Butler, an experienced performer, takes Nan on the emotional ride of her life.
But this is just the beginning! Nan becomes an expert at transforming herself and plays role after role -- on stage and off -- until her livelihood depends on it.
Strangely, about halfway through the book I started to dislike Nan. She ends up in an emotionless relationship and lives as a 'kept' woman. I don't hold this against her, but when she finally escaped her gilded cage, she was so soft and spoiled that she almost couldn't bear to live an ordinary life. Annoying!
But she bucks up and eventually we learn the lesson: TRUE LOVE IS THE SEXIEST OF ALL. Victorian lesbian style.
I loved this and look forward to my next Sarah Waters. Which one, which one. All so tempting.
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I read this for the GLBT Reading Challenge.
I liked TIPPING THE VELVET very much. And I also liked THE NIGHTWATCH (= London during the Blitz).
ReplyDeleteFingersmith. Pick it up next, before anyone spoils you for it.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first Waters book I read too. I loved it! I am now on my third, The Little Stranger, and am a little disappointed that it is not set in Victorian London!
ReplyDeleteHaha, HOT. I agree. Waters writes a great sex scene.
ReplyDeleteI hope this doesn't come off as snobbish because I know that MANY people claim Fingersmith as their favorite Waters, but I think she's grown tremendously as a writer with her last two books (The Night Watch and The Little Stranger) - the depth of characterization, the tightness of the writing, the subtlety of the plotting and the relationships all improve by leaps and bounds (in my opinion). It's exciting because her most recent novel is always my favorite, so I can't wait to read what she publishes next! :-)
Frl. Irene, I've heard good things about The Night Watch, though I admit maybe wartime isn't my favorite fictional setting... but I should give it a try.
ReplyDeleteClare, Yes, I think you're right.
Reviewsbylola, I take it that The Little Stranger is a bit different from her other books, but I think the idea of the ghost story in an old family mansion sounds wonderful!
Emily, I would suspect that you're right and Waters keeps getting better and better, which supports the whole 'read them chronologically' argument. It does add excitement to the idea of a new release!
Totally agree with Emily there. Fingersmith was great and had a brilliant plot but the writing in The Little Stranger was far more superior.
ReplyDeleteId say read Fingersmith though and dont whatever you do read any spoilers.
It seems as though Fingersmith is most people's favourite but mine is The Night Watch. I love Waters' writing style, it's just so beautiful and clever.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jessica, I can't wait to read those. Luckily I think most people who've posted about Fingersmith have been careful not to leave spoilers.
ReplyDeleteHi Chasingbawa, everyone has their favorite of hers so obviously I need to read them all! :)