Affinity by Sarah Waters Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Affinity
Book Review: Once again a triumph for Ms. Waters
Summary: 5 Stars
Ater finishing Affinity, I can hardly wait for her next book. Ms Waters write such a totally consuming story that it's hard to pull yourself away. I found myself sitting up way into the night and picking up the book at every opportunity just to find out what happens next. However, I didn't want to read it too fast because I knew there wasn't another yet. I hope Ms. Waters continues writing in the fashion of Affinity, Fingersmiths and Tipping The Velvet. I will definitely be first in line for her next masterpiece.Book Review: One of My Favorites
Summary: 5 Stars
I usually don't like books written in the "diary" format, but this one sucked me in and wouldn't let go. I sat down shortly after lunch to start reading, and didn't stop 'til long after bedtime. It was hard to tear myself away. It's a story that haunts you. Sarah Waters' style is lyrical, and the plot engrosses the reader almost instantly.
It's top-notch historical fiction, rich in period detail from from the dull, grim life in an English women's prison to Victorian repression, it really does come alive.
Book Review: Page turner
Summary: 5 Stars
I couldn't stop reading this and stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish it. It was really compelling. The Victorian gothic atmosphere was well done; it could have been cliched but it wasn't. I was haunted by the story afterward. I give it a high recommendation.Book Review: Pulls you in and doesn't let you go, even after the end
Summary: 5 Stars
A much different setting than "Tipping the Velvet," Affinity has still managed to capture a dark side of Victorian London. It brushes on the mysteries of "spiritualism" and indulges in a forbidden love of two women. It is suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end and then some. It is the story of a proper lady, Margaret Prior and the love affair she shares with prision inmate, Selina Dawes. The books twists and turns, taking you on an unexpected ride where the characters battle between propriety, love, spiritualism and dark secrets.
Book Review: SPIRITUALISM AND VICTORIAN GAOLS
Summary: 4 Stars
Arguably, Sarah Waters is one of the most prolific contemporary authors of Victorian fiction. She has a gift of creating realistic and three-dimensional female protagonists immersed in a Victorian London setting that comes alive. In AFFINITY Margaret, a young spinster, is battling many personal demons. Her beloved father recently passed away, her secret lover chose her brother over her, and her overbearing mother is treating her like a child. Margaret's world takes a turn when she volunteers as a Lady Visitor for Millbank, a London gaol set along the banks of the Thames. As she immerses herself into the lives of the female prisoners Margaret becomes enchanted with one particular prisoner named Selena who is incarcerated for fraud and assault during one of her spiritualist sittings. The relationship between Margaret and Selena develops into deep friendship and love containing aspects of spiritualism that threatens the well being of both women.Similar to FINGERSMITH, Sarah Waters provides enough plot twists and turns to keep the reader's attention along with an unanticipated ending. It was truly difficult for me to put this book down as I simply had to know what was going to happen next. Thinner than her two other novels, AFFINITY still packs a punch by providing an enduring plot with insightful characters. Despite my enjoyment, my main complaint centers on Waters' consistent use (or lack thereof) of quotation marks and punctuation. This aspect often interrupted my flow of reading and soon became a distraction. In addition, the narration often jumped from first to third person and it was somewhat too jolting for my comfort in many sections of the book. Despite these technical qualms I recommend AFFINITY to those who enjoyed her other books (FINGERSMITH and TIPPING THE VELVET) and by fans of Victorian fiction in general.