Although lighter and more melodramatic in tone than its predecessor, affinity, this hypnotic suspense novel is awash with all manner of gloomy dickensian leitmotifs. Originally fingersmith meant anyone talented at using hisher fingers in any matter whatsoever. With everything you said, it made me reconsider reading affinity. Fingersmith is the first sarah waters book ive delved into, partly because ive been scarred by terrible victorian fiction in the past, and partly because i was afraid how her novels would treat their overtly lesbian material. Tipping the velvet 1999, affinity 2000, and now this richly woven tale of duplicity, passion, and lots of other good stuff. Although lighter and more melodramatic in tone than its predecessor, affinity.
It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. Fingersmith marks a major leap forward in this young and. Sarah waters, fingersmith i felt that thread that had come between us, tugging, tugging at my heart so hard, it hurt me. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out. A hundred times i almost rose, almost went in to her. First read the book after being smitten by tipping the velvet, followed by the bbc adaptation and a little later, the audiobook. Sue trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves fingersmiths under the rough but loving care of mrs sucksby and her family.
Discussion group chance to share opinions, events, recommendations and ideas with liked minded people. Fingersmith by sarah waters, 9781573229722, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary. It was my least favourite adaption but the book sounds a lot better. Drama set in dickensian london adapted from the novel by sarah waters. We are busy preparing for our next production, an exciting collaboration taking place later this year. Shortlisted for the orange prize and the booker prize london 1862. Oliver twist with a twistwaters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses.
With such a title as fingersmith, hands obviously featured prominently throughout the book, which disgusted aaron. Fingersmith is just dreary and long and the language is in a way just all wrong neither too sparse to make it a really quick read, nor rich enough to enjoy reading it simply for the language. Tipping the velvet, affinity, fingersmith and the night watch have been adapted for television. Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Alexius, dominic, javin, jiaqi, raj, timmy opening raj and alexius thought that the book was repetitive. Below are questions to help guide your discussions as you read the book over the next month. We are a lighthearted group who like to socialize as well as find the time for a book a month.
The story is an adaptation of sarah waters novel of the same name and follows the meeting of two very different young women and what madness ensues. In fingersmith, waters uses her depiction of lesbian love between maud and sue to challenge a variety of heteropatriarchal norms, and respond to different feminist arguments about pornography. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until the women. Because of this, there was a lack of girlongirl sex, which bored raj and jiaqi. Maud is made to wear gloves constantly to preserve the surfaces of the books she is working on, and is denied food when she tires of labouring with her uncle in his library.
She has won a betty trask award, the somerset maugham award and her books have been shortlisted for the man booker prize and the orange prize. The write channel with nicola valentine recommended for you. Join him and sarah waters for a discussion of fingersmith on june 12 at the newsroom, 60 farringdon road. Friday night with my book group is going to be full of rousing discussion and so liberating for finally being able to talk openly about characters motives, wrongdoings, and perseverance. Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a smart participant. Find discussion books, contests, and reading lists.
The worst job i ever had was in debenhams hosiery department, nottingham, 1977. Fingersmith weaves its way through victorian london and into your subconscious, a monster of a book that is genuinely difficult to put down. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. For possible questions to start discussion on specific books, check the back of the book, particularly if the title is a popular book club choice, or the publishers website. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussion everything from book discussion questions.
It was spookily faithful to the book at times, which was exciting. Fingersmith by sarah waters book club discussion questions. Mauds mother left her a fortune, but maud herself cant touch it, unless she married. When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. Directed by aisling walsh, it stars sally hawkins, imelda staunton, elaine cassidy, rupert evans and charles dance the miniseries was nominated for best drama serial at the. Each story is really different and both are great in their own way. Discussion questions for the overstory pbs newshour. Jun 26, 2012 tipping the velvet, affinity, fingersmith and the night watch have been adapted for television. Waters also states in the notes that all of the texts cited by maud in fingersmith actually existed, and lists their titles accordingly. Ive read one other book by this author and thought it was fabulous.
The only one that made me want to read the book was fingersmith. The story is difficult to distil confidently into a short summary, but it is the tale of two women, laced with issues of identity, gender, morality nature versus nurture and insanity. Or use a search including reading guide to find information on the various book group sites. There are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience. Fingersmith is a twopart bbc miniseries that was televised in 2005. Sarah waters has been named author of the year four times.
Not the op, but god knows id never say no to some fingersmith fic. Reading group choices is your resource for book recommendations, book club discussion topics, and reading group guides. Mar 27, 2005 fingersmith, sets in victorian area, is a story of suea thief who loves and lives with her family of pickpockets. Fingersmith is a twopart bbc miniseries that was televised in 2005 the story is an adaptation of sarah waters novel of the same name and follows the meeting of two very different young women and what madness ensues. Sarah waters wrote a brilliant novel called fingersmith about a man who swindles a woman.
Were a nationwide nonprofit organisation with a 46year track record. Creative writing tips, advice and lessons from bestseller stephen king duration. Bring your favorite books to share and compare, along with the monthly reading selection. Some brief thoughts on fingersmith by sarah waters. Sarah waters dusts off victorian melodrama and shows that theres life in the old props yet. If youre going to talk about how great fingersmith is, the handmaiden has nothing to do with it. We know the past most of all through its fictions, argued sarah waters during the discussion of her novel fingersmith at the meeting of the. To help you in your discussions with friends or as part of a reading group, weve compiled some questions to think about.
Fingersmith is a 2002 historical crime novel set in victorian era britain by sarah waters. Fingersmith tv series 20052005 the movie database tmdb. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will. The book that inspired park chanwooks astonishing film the handmaiden. Its just tedious and it makes this book a very tedious book. Im going thru the book again, really slowly as its my 3rd time around. I dont have a great deal to add yet as i am only a few pages in.
If you get to pick the book, here are some recommendations for engaging books that are likely to promote discussion. Because this is a book of twists and turns, its impossible to mention anything more about the plot without spoiling the suspense for future readers. The story is difficult to distil confidently into a short summary, but it is the tale of two women, laced with issues of identity, gender, morality nature. A treasure trove of the 20th and 21st centurys great writers discussing their work. Little did she know that her fate is linked to maud lilya somewhat shy, timid girl grows up in a mansion miles and miles away. Event may be held at alternate location on july 22.
These groups can be organized in a variety of ways. Sue trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of mrs. Lant street is in south london and dickens 18121870 lived there for a while in 1824, when his father was in debtors prison. Waters approved of the adaptation, calling it a really good quality show, and said it was very faithful to the book. Imagine a universityeducated lesbian charles dickens with a similarly keen eye for mendacity and melodrama, and youll have some idea of the pleasures lurking in waterss impudent revisionist historicals.
One was the adaptation of the book, the other was almost inspired by it. Group fiction read november 2018 fingersmith no spoilers. I did read the night watch by sarah waters but its a lot different as it was set during a different time period. This study guide consists of approximately 68 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of fingersmith. Become a member of the now read this book club by joining our facebook group. Buy fingersmith by sarah waters from waterstones today. Outside of discussions about sexuality, the struggles that maud and. Totally immersive with brilliantly drawn characters.
The main reason that the motifs of fingersmith are so familiar and enduring, i think. Shortlisted for the orange prize and the booker prizelondon 1862. Sucksby, a baby farmer, who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if sue were her. She is the author of six novels, tipping the velvet, affinity, fingersmith, the night watch and the little stranger, which have been adapted for stage, television and feature film in the uk and us. Jun 09, 2006 book club books blessed plots john mullan on the plot of fingersmith by sarah waters. Its a big big mistake to keep comparing the handmaiden with fingersmith. Fingersmith topics for discussion sarah waters this study guide consists of approximately 68 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of fingersmith. I thought id get a schedule up for our group read of fingersmith. Quick start guide book discussion groups libguides at. But reading the book first is still the best way to start the journey, id say. Outside of discussions about sexuality, the struggles that maud and sue both face as women in victorian society, and their often exploitative relationships with men are also of interest to feminist critics. Sue trinder, an orphan child of a murderess, raised in the borough of london by kindly baby farmer grace sucksby. All our plays are performed in british sign language bsl and spoken or written english and performed by deaf and hearing actors. Groups receive enough copies of their selected title to allow everyone in the group to read the same book at the same time.
Emma donoghues bestselling novel room is the perfect book club choice. Feb 04, 2002 imagine a universityeducated lesbian charles dickens with a similarly keen eye for mendacity and melodrama, and youll have some idea of the pleasures lurking in waterss impudent revisionist historicals. General book club questions for study and discussion. Wise in the ways of the streets, she has been protected from much of the harshness of that life by the loving mrs. It was then that the book and i disappeared to a cafe for several hours while the world thought i was working debenhams all over again. Fingersmith marks a major leap forward in this young and brilliant career. We know the past most of all through its fictions, argued sarah waters during the discussion of her novel fingersmith at the meeting of the guardian book club. Fingersmith ebook by sarah waters 9781101057025 rakuten kobo. Waters makes it clear, however, that though lillys sentiments on book keeping echo those of ashbee, he is in all other aspects entirely fictitious. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Feb 02, 2002 fingersmith sarah waters 416pp, virago.
These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if you have not read the book. The first part of the novel is narrated by sue, from her point of view. Read fingersmith by sarah waters available from rakuten kobo. These books are characterised by a kind of pastiche they do not try and. Fingersmith was made into a serial for bbc one in 2005, starring sally hawkins, elaine cassidy and imelda staunton. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Jun 03, 2014 with such a title as fingersmith, hands obviously featured prominently throughout the book, which disgusted aaron.
No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Apr 17, 2016 some brief thoughts on fingersmith by sarah waters. Sarah waters joins james naughtie to talk about her gothic tale fingersmith. Buy a cheap copy of fingersmith book by sarah waters. Directed by aisling walsh, it stars sally hawkins, imelda staunton, elaine cassidy, rupert evans and charles dance. Dominic looked at it as a form of penis envy, with the fingers as a phallic symbol. It is in the area known as the borough, and that is in the area better known as. I did enjoy the book quite a lot, so thanks for choosing it as a group read. Sep 29, 2015 because this is a book of twists and turns, its impossible to mention anything more about the plot without spoiling the suspense for future readers. You dont need to be a voracious reader or have read the classics to enjoy our book club. Conman richard rivers enlists the help of petty thief, sue trinder in his plot to rob a wealthy heiress. Fingersmith is the third slice of engrossing lesbian victoriana from sarah waters.