Fingersmith is a historical crime novel by Sarah Waters, published in 2002. It tells the story of two women, Sue and Maud, who are involved in a complex plot to deceive and defraud each other. The novel is divided into three parts, each narrated by one of the protagonists. The first part follows Sue, a young thief who is hired by a conman named Gentleman to pose as a maid for Maud, a wealthy heiress. Sue’s role is to persuade Maud to elope with Gentleman, who plans to marry her and then send her to an asylum to claim her fortune.
However, Sue falls in love with Maud and regrets her part in the scheme. The second part reveals Maud’s perspective, and shows that she is not as innocent as she seems. She is actually working with Gentleman to trick Sue into taking her place at the asylum, where she will be subjected to horrific experiments by her uncle, who is a collector of erotic literature. Maud also develops feelings for Sue, and tries to escape from Gentleman’s clutches. The third part follows the aftermath of the switch, as Sue and Maud struggle to survive and reunite.
The novel is a gripping and twisty tale of deception, betrayal, and identity. It explores themes such as gender, sexuality, class, and power in Victorian society. It also pays homage to various genres of literature, such as Dickensian fiction, Gothic romance, and sensation novels. The novel has received critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. It has also been adapted into a TV series by the BBC1 and a film by Park Chan-wook.
About The Author
Sarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her first novel, Tipping the Velvet, as well the novels that followed, including Affinity, Fingersmith, and The Night Watch.
Waters attended university, earning degrees in English literature. Before writing novels Waters worked as an academic, earning a doctorate and teaching. Waters went directly from her doctoral thesis to her first novel. It was during the process of writing her thesis that she thought she would write a novel; she began as soon as the thesis was complete
