21st Century Literature discussion

This thread is for discussing Part One of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Please do not share any spoilers beyond Part One but any and all spoilers for Part One are fair game. If you haven't reached the end of Part One yet, consider yourself warned! Threads for Part Two and the whole book should be posted within the next couple of days.

Quick Summary: We've met Sue, an orphan and daughter of a murderess, who's been raised among a Dickensian set of thieves and scoundrels. Mrs. Sucksby, the head of the household, takes a special shine to Sue and looks after her. Sue joins up with the Gentleman, alias Richard Rivers, for a scheme to marry and then lock up a young lady, Maud Lilly, for her fortune. We then meet Maud and her strange uncle. Sue feels herself torn by her role in the plot. At first, she's sad to be so far from London, then she becomes close to Maud, but she also feels obligated to go through with the scheme so she may repay Mrs. Sucksby for all her kindness. At the end of the section, we learn that the Gentleman has not revealed the full extent of his plot to Sue.

What do you think of the book so far? Do you like Sue and Waters' choice to have Sue narrate events to us? What are your impressions - of Sue, the Gentleman, Mrs. Sucksby, Maud, the staff at Briar House, and Mr. Lilly? What do you think of Sue's changing feelings towards Maud and how this is introduced?

I'm definitely enjoying the book so far. The first 100 pages were a bit slow - not boring or bad, but there was a lot detail and build up - but the remainder of Part One moved quickly for me. I like Sue and the choice to have her narrate from some time in the future. There is a decent amount of foreshadowing without major hints dropped here and there about what is to come. Since I've started Part Two, I'm hesitant to reveal any of my thoughts about the other characters, but am curious to hear the impressions of those who haven't read any further yet. I imagine the rest of the book will flow pretty quickly.

I'm really enjoying this book so far (I'm a chapter into Part Two). Knowing that there is going to be a twist does make one look out for foreshadowing a bit though, so the "twist" at the end of part one wasn't as much of a shock to the reader as it was to poor Sue!

I did feel that Maud was a little wet and insipid, but that is how Waters wants us to perceive her, to make Gentleman's plan seem credible. The only time she seems to step out of character is when she goes off alone with Mr Rivers while Sue is napping. One thing I wonder about her is just why does she dislike eggs so much?!

I didn't find the beginning too slow. I think it is probably a feature of Waters' writing to use a lot of detail and embellishment that maybe makes it slow-going in terms of plot but does do a wonderful job of building up the reader's impression of the characters and setting. I certainly feel that she knows her history, and I enjoy all the detail.

I am finding this hard to put down (so my family have had to put up with me not hearing anything they say for days, as I am "plugged in" to my audiobook :-))

The twist really surprised me--I knew there'd be one, but did not expect it to be such a shocking deception. I am completely hooked.

I came to like Sue a lot, and felt for the version of Maud that she knew and narrated. Setting up the story this way, I think, was incredibly effective because now we want the twist justified and explained.

The detail in this historical fiction impresses me greatly as well. I can't imagine the level of work Ms. Waters mush have put into this! Do you think there really were thieves who sewed dog skins over stray dogs to make them seem more expensive breeds? How could that possibly work? Just one random detail that really surprised and stuck with me.

Nastasya, I'm not sure about the dog skins - I'll have to look that up! I agree that this method of storytelling is effective. I have more to say but will leave it in the Part Two thread.

I started this yesterday and read the first two chapters. The dog skin thing struck me as pretty implausible, but the way Waters sets up the atmosphere is impressive.

Definite page turner so far, arrived at the end of Part 1, and agree with a lot of you about sensing a foreshadowing of a twist coming, simply by Sue's narrative. The finale of part 1, in that respect, is not that shocking, being that there are some subtle kinds.

I was sort of mixed about Sue, but then came to feel for her as she is so conflicted internally with going through with "the plot", especially as she sees Maud becoming more and more agitated and nervous as the wedding day approaches. She seems to have a genuine pity for Maud, knowing full well the knowledge of Gentleman's plans.

And Gentleman, what a shyster. such duplicity. Couldn't stand him...lol.

...And then, we are hit with the twist.

I have just finished part one - didn't guess exactly what the twist would be but can't say I was entirely surprised. An enjoyable book so far and a bit of a page turner...

Well, even if I knew there was a twist, that is not at all what I imagined. I was quite surprised, and then immediately continued reading because I had to know what the justification can possibly be. What is there to gain from putting Sue away? She has nothing.
I fell for Maud's character not because I thought she was slow, as Gentleman tells us, but because she just seemed so lonely and isolated in that house. I am also curious, as Viv asked above, what is with eggs?
This is my third Waters and I do read her because of the way she portrays the atmosphere - I don't buy the dog skins thing (although it is such a weird detail that it must have some basis in truth?), but as Hugh commented above, it does set up the tone of the times really well.

I'm trying to remember how much the plot borrows from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, including what he might have written today. But it has been long enough that I'll have to see what the reviews suggest.

I haven't read The Woman in White so can't speak to what influences appear directly in Fingersmith. I am curious to check it out. I haven't read much Victorian literature, other than a couple of Dickens' works.

Yes, I do see some similarities from The Woman in White so far....there are some aspects to the plot and some devices that are similar. I am a Collins fan, and loved this novel.

I was completely taken aback by the ending to Part 1. Had no idea until a few pages before its end. I am now reassessing everything that has happened because some or all may have double meaning. The pace and prose is so different from The Paying Guests', that I wonder if both were really authored by the same person. :-) Because of the impression they've had on me, I've highlighted many passages, but none in the Paying Guests. Maybe I'm just a Dickens fan.

Xan Shadowflutter wrote: "...Maybe I'm just a Dickens fan...."

Meaning? Or implying?

I forgot about the dog skins! How bizarre! The way it's described, it's like they are literally sewn INTO the skin of the "new" dog? How horrible, the poor things!

I was just saying in another group that I just re-read The Woman in White right before this, and it keeps popping into my mind the more I get into this one. I can't help but wonder if this is supposed to be a sort of re-telling of the story, but from side of the "bad guy" instead of the "good guy?" and with just enough extra twists to make it different. You've got the rich young niece, the fastidious and quirky uncle, the drawing master coming to fix the drawings with the master of the house, and wooing the young heiress, then the heiress marrying someone to escape the clutches of her uncle, the asylum setup, the switch.... too similar to be coincidence, I think. It will be interesting to see how it continues, since we have a bit of a twist in the relationship of the women at this point.

I agree, I don't quite understand what both Gentleman and Maud have to gain by putting Sue away. Or any of it, really. Was it just a ploy for them to have a way to easily run off and get married? Seems like a lot of effort for that, I'm sure they would have found another way! Gentleman, obviously, is in it for money (and to keep Sue from giving the game up and from having to pay her) but Maud? Just to get out from her uncle's thumb? And what does Gentleman think is going to happen once all Sue's people get wind of what happened? If the saying is true, about honor among thieves, he is worse than a dead man... they will utterly DESTROY him.

I have a feeling there's more to Maud then meets the eye. I get the impression that Gentleman is playing both of them for his own ends, and that somehow in the end, they are going to end up working together to bring him down. But maybe that's too cliche and easy of an ending.

I also get a bit of a feel of Jane Eyre, in the stiflingly dark, cold house, the odd servants, etc. The gothic Victorian feel is fitting for this colder wintry season, I'm quite enjoying it. :)