by Caroline Sumner

Created on: July 29, 2010

Another decadent and successful effort from Sarah Waters, author of the fantastic novel “Tipping the Velvet”, “Fingersmith” once again takes place in Victorian England and follows a young woman through extraordinary circumstances.

Waters demonstrates her unique ability to tap into the past without turning her books into history lessons, creating worlds that are at once foreign and familiar. “Fingersmith” is a story of passion, betrayal, and the trials and consequences of living under a mask. Told chiefly from the point of view of Susan, a poor maid with her eyes on a greedy target, the story follows Susan as she cares for and falls in love with her mistress, Maud, though she knows she must betray her. Susan is conflicted – she knows she needs her reward, but cannot bear the thought of ruining Maud’s life – but a thrilling twist of plot puts both of the girls into an extremely dangerous situation.

While an excellent, exciting, and unpredictable book, it does not quite measure up to the expectations of those who have read “Tipping the Velvet”, though to be fair, it is a very difficult act to follow. “Fingersmith” too often falls into the trap of “teasers” at the end of chapters, intended to be cliffhangers but which the novel could have done without. Despite this, it is still easy to be sucked into the book and hard to put it down.

Waters has a talent for illuminating parts of Victorian England that are not as prominent in history lessons. In “Tipping the Velvet” she covered the worlds of show business, renting, and socialism, and in “Fingersmith” she explores the horrific conditions of mental institutions, pornography, and class differences. Both books discuss lesbianism – which is not as important of a plot point in “Fingersmith” as it was in “Tipping the Velvet”, but present nonetheless – and it is an interesting topic to tackle in the time period each book is set in.  

With its fast-moving plot and a style easy to read and be lost in, Waters creates a comprehensive world in “Fingersmith” that readers are sure to be both charmed and appalled by. “Fingersmith” serves as an excellent follow-up to her debut novel, despite some minor shortcomings, and Waters proves once again that she is one of the most exciting and promising novelists of the decade. It will be interesting to see what she puts forth next, and without a doubt it will be as satisfying as her previous endeavors.  

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