It’s a new year and a new decade, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate an old classic. For that reason, I’m starting the year by revisiting Tipping the Velvet, which was published in 1998 and is set in Victorian England. ‘Have you ever tasted a Whitstable oyster?’ isn’t an especially striking opening line onRead More
Megan G reviews Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Sue Trinder has been brought up to be a fingersmith – a petty thief. She lives with a baby “farmer” named Mrs. Sucksby, who has raised her as her own. One day, a man known to Sue as Gentleman arrives at Mrs. Sucksby’s house to enlist Sue’s help in a plot to gain the fortuneRead More
Rachel reviews Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
British novelist Sarah Waters is known for her historical novels, some of which take place in Victorian England and/or have lesbian protagonists. Her debut novel, Tipping the Velvet, first published in 1998, is viewed as a lesbian classic by many readers. The story opens in Whitstable England, 1888, with eighteen-year-old Nancy Astley, who helps herRead More
Holly reviews Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
When I was just 30 pages in, this is the review I was considering writing for Tipping the Velvet: This book is so sweet I can barely stand it. The end. At this point I had hoped that the entire book would be a drawn out tale of Nancy and Kitty falling in love, staying inRead More
Elinor reviews The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Set in London after the end of World War I, The Paying Guests is a gorgeous and haunting novel. It begins with Frances Wray, a single woman in her mid-twenties, and her widowed mother waiting for their new lodgers. The loss of Frances’ father and the discovery of his poor financial decisions has reduced theRead More
Elinor reviews The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Like basically every other queer lady bookworm my age, Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith matter to me. Until recently, though, I hadn’t tried Sarah Waters’ other work. I read The Night Watch on a whim, and I’m glad I did. This quiet slice-of-life novel is slow, but I fell in love with the characters. ThisRead More
Anna M. reviews The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters, having brought us classics of lesbian historical fiction like Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith, has done it again with her new release The Paying Guests, which has the blend of romance, suspense, mystery, and historical detail that you’ve been missing in your life. The year is 1922. Frances Wray is a genteel womanRead More
Danika reviews The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Sarah Waters is my favourite author, with Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith tied as my all-time favourite books. When I discovered her books, she had already published four novels, which I rapidly devoured. In 2010 she released another book, The Little Stranger, which I enjoyed, but was less eager to get my hands on because it was her firstRead More
Hannah reviews Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
I’m ashamed to say that Tipping the Velvet is my first Sarah Waters read, but pleased to report that it didn’t disappoint. Taking place in Victorian England, Tipping the Velvet is a mix of the coming-of-age and coming-out genres; its themes (if I am to reduce a twist-filled tale to such banalities) include leaving home,Read More
TB reviews Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Tipping the Velvet, published in 1998, by Sarah Waters is a historical novel set in Victorian England during the 1890s. Waters, a Welsh author, has written several historical fiction books. Tipping the Velvet was her first novel and after reading it, I have to say bravo. Not many writers settle into their craft so easily. TheRead More