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I have now seen all four adaptations of Sarah Waters' books (that I'm aware of-Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet, Night Watch and Affinity) and gosh, so much bleakness and depression, usually followed by a happy-ish ending that actually works. Of them, I think Fingersmith is the only one I genuinely "like" (though it's also the only one I've read the book to, which might be a factor) but those are certainly incredibly involving worlds created. They also have seriously high quality female casts, particularly Anna Maxwell Martin in Night Watch and Rachael Sterling (Strirling?) in Tipping the Velvet.
Meanwhile, I just finished Affinity and am frightened to learn that it's actually LESS depressing than the book.
I may have to watch something unbelievably hopeful and cheery now.
Meanwhile, I just finished Affinity and am frightened to learn that it's actually LESS depressing than the book.
I may have to watch something unbelievably hopeful and cheery now.
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Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Sue Trinder is a Victorian con artist raised in a house of con artists. When the Gentleman, a confidence man with connections to her foster mother hires her to help him get control of the inheritance of an heiress named Maud Lilly by his marrying Maud and then getting her committed to an asylum. Unfortunately (so to speak), Sue and Maud fall in love, and then Sue’s plans are derailed by even more plots.
The book is extremely well written and well characterized, and very true to the period (even the things we’d probably rather not read about) but I didn’t love it the way I wanted to due to the fact that I couldn’t really like any of the characters, who are pretty much universally unpleasant, even when sympathetic. I found it very engrossing, though I saw most of the twists coming (but that may be because I tend to follow narrative trends more strongly than anything else when consuming fiction) and am surprised that, as dark as some of the material was, the book itself wasn’t incredibly dark. Or depressing. I’m very surprised it wasn’t depressing.
The book is extremely well written and well characterized, and very true to the period (even the things we’d probably rather not read about) but I didn’t love it the way I wanted to due to the fact that I couldn’t really like any of the characters, who are pretty much universally unpleasant, even when sympathetic. I found it very engrossing, though I saw most of the twists coming (but that may be because I tend to follow narrative trends more strongly than anything else when consuming fiction) and am surprised that, as dark as some of the material was, the book itself wasn’t incredibly dark. Or depressing. I’m very surprised it wasn’t depressing.