Awesome book! I happened upon it unexpectedly, and only knew that there was another title by the same author I had on my WL and so read this one. It is a gripping story, told from the point of view of an unexpected character--a London small-time thief in Victorian times. The plot turns are unexpected each time and the story draws you in and makes you feel you are truly living it along with the story's two main female characters. It is a great example of historical fiction, and a great mystery tale as well. Definitely a must read.

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i love this author,she is genuine in her research and it shows in her books. But this book should have been about 100 pages shorter.
the story is hard to describe as it is one con after the other.you never know who to believe and who is conning who. a delicious read due to the detail to the historical dress,places and times.

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Best book I've ever read in my life.

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The best novel I've read in a while. It's a story worthy of Dickens with so many plot twists and long buried secrets that just when you think you know what's going to happen, everything changes. This one kept me up biting my fingernails through the last few chapters.

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A young woman raised to be a thief in Victorian London is involved in a plot to defraud a country heiress. Marvelous characters, rich in historical details, enjoyable from start to finish.

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This was a really good read, with lots of plot twists, and double-dealing aplenty. And I liked the ending, too

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If you like the gothic atmosphere and gasp-inducing plot of Victorian classics like Jane Eyre, then FINGERSMITH is right up your alley. FINGERSMITH is a perfect combination of the Victorian gothic setting and the more contemporary delight of plot twists so unexpected you'll scream in shock. Sarah Waters' writing style will appeal to fans of the classics, yet it will not put off readers of more recent fiction. The plot may be ingenious, but it is truly the characters who provide the strength of the novel. Sue and Maud are morally complex girls who you'll want to cheer for despite the terrible plot they're both involved in. At times I found the pacing a little slow for my taste, especially when we get a recounting of events from Maud's point of view, but overall this is an enjoyable novel that you will want to talk about long after you have read it.

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Again, Sarah Waters shows us how a movie can be vividly playing in your mind as you read her work. Every last detail is written to come alive; and it does.

This is not a book to kill time. This is a book that will draw you in, rise you up and let you fall, let you love then hate then perhaps love the character again, and finally you will stop guessing what may be coming around on the next pages because the book will always prevail... and the only way to know what actually happens in the keep reading.

This book is nothing short of phenomenal. The characters, settings, plot, and feeling of the era are in effect around you from the moment you open the cover.

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This is a great read. This story has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. It takes place in Victorian times and is so vivid that you feel you have been there. The writing just grabs your attention and won't let you put the book down. If you like a suspenseful book then you will like "Fingersmith".

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Sarah Waters writes extremely well. Her descriptions and historical detail are fantastic. I have absolutely no complaints about her writing. Even the length of the book seems fine, given that it is in the tradition of the Victorian novel. I cannot give the book a purely positive rating because the story is so grim and every single character is distinctly unlikeable, with the possible exception of a single supporting character who plays a role only in the last quarter of the book. The protagonists are dreadful people, even taking into account the histories that molded them, and even Waters's wonderful skill in bringing them to life cannot redeem them. I finished the book because it was so well written, but really, I didn't much care what happened to either of the two main characters. I came to dread the next twist or turn in the plot because I knew it would reveal yet another example of how badly people can treat each other. The fact that I stuck around to the end is testament to how very talented I found the writer. I will certainly read another of her works in the hope that it will display her skill without being so terribly depressing and misanthropic.

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Excellent book on how the other half survivies in London. A must read book.

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Interesting and different!

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