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schiarafaggio's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
5.0
Pa used to say that any piece of history might be made into a tale: it was only a question of deciding where the tale began, and where it ended. That, he said, was all his skill. And perhaps, after all, the histories he dealt with were rather easy to sift like that, to divide up and classify - the great lives, the great works, each one of them neat and gleaming and complete, like metal letters in a box of type.
I read Sarah Water's Affinity in the Italian translation by Fabrizio Ascari. It's a compelling, mysterious love story between two women set in 1870s London. It's another of those books that leaves me in awe - one that I'm almost afraid to review, because there's no way I'm ging to make the book justice without giving too much away. I'll try anyway.
After her father's death, Margaret Prior has been suffering from a nervous breakdown that leaves her fragile and exhausted. In order to do something useful with herself, she decides to visit the women imprisoned at Millibank, who live and work in complete silence, to comfort them with her presence and moral example. There, she finds a person who makes her visits a passion: Selina Dowes, disgraced spiritualist, at Millibank for fraud and assault. Margaret is drawn to this young woman with apparent spiritual powers, and magic events start to take place: flowers appear and disappear, a locket vanishes, and Selina knows everything about her. As the story draws to a climax, you'll desperatsly want to believe in Selina's magic.
The title refers to the similarity between Selina and Margaret - both imprisoned, one in the physical constraints of the Millibank walls, the other in the spiritual ties of what her family expect of her. Selina's courage in defying the rules at Millibank is opposed to Margaret's inability to stand up for herself and let herself live.
Affinity deals with a desire to be connected and alive, to be part of a bigger whole. Highly recommended.
Favourite quote:
Now you know why you are drawn to me — why your flesh comes creeping to mine, and what it comes for. Let it creep.
I read Sarah Water's Affinity in the Italian translation by Fabrizio Ascari. It's a compelling, mysterious love story between two women set in 1870s London. It's another of those books that leaves me in awe - one that I'm almost afraid to review, because there's no way I'm ging to make the book justice without giving too much away. I'll try anyway.
After her father's death, Margaret Prior has been suffering from a nervous breakdown that leaves her fragile and exhausted. In order to do something useful with herself, she decides to visit the women imprisoned at Millibank, who live and work in complete silence, to comfort them with her presence and moral example. There, she finds a person who makes her visits a passion: Selina Dowes, disgraced spiritualist, at Millibank for fraud and assault. Margaret is drawn to this young woman with apparent spiritual powers, and magic events start to take place: flowers appear and disappear, a locket vanishes, and Selina knows everything about her. As the story draws to a climax, you'll desperatsly want to believe in Selina's magic.
The title refers to the similarity between Selina and Margaret - both imprisoned, one in the physical constraints of the Millibank walls, the other in the spiritual ties of what her family expect of her. Selina's courage in defying the rules at Millibank is opposed to Margaret's inability to stand up for herself and let herself live.
Affinity deals with a desire to be connected and alive, to be part of a bigger whole. Highly recommended.
Favourite quote:
Now you know why you are drawn to me — why your flesh comes creeping to mine, and what it comes for. Let it creep.
grayshuff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Suicide, Mental illness, Confinement, and Abandonment
halieghkai's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Affinity by Sarah Waters left me completely gutted—like I've walked into my kitchen for a meal, only to realize my fridge was missing... Consider this a compliment on Sarah Waters's literary skills to invoke such a visceral feeling.
Affinity by Sarah Waters left me completely gutted—like I've walked into my kitchen for a meal, only to realize my fridge was missing... Consider this a compliment on Sarah Waters's literary skills to invoke such a visceral feeling.
wollstonecrafty's review against another edition
why would you ever read anything else when you could be reading sarah waters
patiolinguist's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant! Waters paints such a vivid picture of Victorian London - it's so dreary and depressing, and yet incredibly thrilling, it immediately draws you into the story. I read Affinity in two days; I couldn't wait to get through it, but was very sorry to finish it. And although I was hoping for a different ending, I'm glad it turned out the way it did - in fact I think I like the book all the more for it.
stineym's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
totheliteraturelighthouse's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
novabird's review against another edition
4.0
Waters created great tension balanced by the sensual and intellectual both between characters and in atmosphere. It had a didn't see it coming ending. An enjoyable read.