Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

50 reviews

mariebrunelm's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

In this lengthy historical fiction paying homage to masters of the genre, two women on opposite sides of the social scale meet, deceive and are deceived.

I’m not a big reader of classics and / or historical fiction.I was attracted to this one, recommended by Jen Campbell, for its queer rep and atmospheric prose, and it delivered. I found in there the slow pace and quiet plot of classics, its exploration of character and setting, but without the usual sexism from the authors of the time. The outrageous treatment of women in the Victorian period is absolutely at the foreground of this novel, but it is very much denounced and fought against with the characters’ means (which aren’t much). Some twists and turns awakened my interest when it was lulled to sleep by the sheer length of the novel. On the whole it’s not a favourite but I can see why it’s bound to become one for lovers of classics and historical fiction.

Rep: lesbian characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Mental illness

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Fatphobia

fran2567's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Amazingly written, sometimes a bit dark, but worth to keep reading for the incredible plot. Great plottwist and development of women characters. Shows women in the complexity of who they, plays with the ‘saint’ or ‘harlot’ stereotype that tents to be put on women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Outing, Drug use, Sexual content, Self harm, Abandonment, Violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Lesbophobia, Abortion, Self harm, Blood, Child death, Suicide, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pedophilia

If you have trauma of forced institutionalisation or sexual abuse by a family member, then I would not recommend this book. It does have a happy ending and the main characters reclaim their trauma.

zeus_strider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Murder, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Death, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Misogyny

Minor: Child death, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Blood, and Abandonment

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Grief, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Classism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Outing, Ableism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Body shaming, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Cursing, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, and Fatphobia

ranbara's review

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So facking good. What can I say.

It made me giddy. It made me blush, worse than before. It was like liquor. It made me drunk. I drew away. When her breath came now upon my mouth, it came very cold. My mouth was wet, from hers. I said, in a whisper,
'Do you feel it?'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Murder, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Misogyny, Blood, and Sexism

Minor: Child death, Alcoholism, and Racial slurs

angelacoz's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Bullying, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug abuse, Murder, Torture, Cursing, Medical content, Mental illness, Classism, Toxic friendship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

marlenealina's review

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

readheadreads's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 

A dark and twisted Dickensian lesbian thriller- What a wild ride! Full of horrible people, dastardly schemes and a great gothic atmosphere. Definitely check your content warnings. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Child abuse

kelsiepixler's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Sarah Waters is an absolute master of plot twists. My favorite thing about her books, specifically this book, is how the plot twists are unexpected but also really fit the story. Reading this book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was never quite sure what would happen next. At one point the anticipation got the best of me, and I googled the book. Despite "ruining" the ending of the book, I was still hooked because the story just continued to play out in ways I didn't expect even considering the spoilers I had read.  I am eagerly anticipating my next Sarah Waters read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence

erynlasbelin's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

There aren't enough stars for this book. The writing is gorgeous: the historical elements are well done, the atmosphere is vivid, and the two protagonists have such distinct voices. All the primary characters are complex, realistic, frustrating, sympathetic - even the villains. And the twists! I can't remember the last time a novel kept me on the edge of my seat like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Ableism, Child death, and Sexual content

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, and Homophobia