Contemporary Author Blog #2

Sarah Waters

Historical fiction author Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Wales on July 21, 1966. An alum of the University of Kent, Lancaster University, and Queen Mary University of London, she studied English Literature throughout the entirety of her higher education (6). Waters identifies as lesbian, an aspect of her identity that has influenced her novels greatly. She and her partner Lucy Vaughan live in London, England.

Waters, photographed by Charlie Hopkinson (5)

Waters has published six novels since 1998: Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, Fingersmith, The Night Watch, The Little Stranger, and The Paying Guests. All of these novels, with the exception of The Little Stranger, are based around Waters' sexuality and often feature queer women as their central protagonists. For her contributions to the British literary scene, she was awarded the title of Office of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019 (8).

Tipping the Velvet

(9)

Tipping the Velvet, published in 1998, is the first of Waters' many period pieces. Taking place in the late 19th century in Victorian-era London, it follows the ventures of a young British woman named Nancy and her romantic interest Kitty, a drag king and performer (10). Waters heavily challenges both sexuality and gender stereotypes in her debut, setting the stage for her succeeding works, which touch on similar topics. Tipping the Velvet has since been adapted into a television miniseries by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC.)

Fingersmith

(1)

Waters' third novel, Fingersmith, is also set in Victorian-era London. The protagonist Sue, an orphaned petty thief (hence the title of the novel, which is slang for a thief) is hired by a colleague to help him secure the inheritance of a wealthy woman. She secures a job under the woman, named Maud, but eventually develops an affinity towards her and derails the plan (7). Fingersmith was used as the basis for the 2016 movie The Handmaiden, (8) though the setting and time frame were changed to early 20th-century Korea under Japanese occupation.

"Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses... This author finesses her readers as expertly as her villains finesse one another." - Tom Gilling, The New York Times (2)

"Her [Waters] ear for the crunch of language, her knowingness, and her unceasing impulse for physical honesty turn every potential cliché into something up-close and fresh." - Julie Myerson, The Guardian (4)

Initial reviews for Fingersmith were mostly positive. Fellow author Tom Gilling praised Waters' ability to write for the Victorian era, pointing out her "acute ear for dialogue." However, Gilling criticized the lack of a climax at the end of the novel, explaining that the ending instead offered a deepening of the novel's emotional complexity (2). On the other hand, author and literary critic Julie Myerson commended the novel from beginning to end, calling it "long, dark, twisted, and satisfying." While Gilling calls the last 50 pages of Fingersmith flat, Myerson calls them "sensationally tense." (4).

Fingersmith is regarded as one of Waters' most popular novels, especially considering the many adaptations it has seen since its 2002 release. This includes the previously mentioned movie The Handmaiden, as well as a 2005 television series by the BBC and a stage play written by screenwriter Alexa Junge (3). The stage play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in February of 2015. 

Reflection

Though I'd heard of Sarah Waters before this blog, I knew almost nothing about her. After learning about her life and her family, despite what little information was available about these topics, I'm even more excited to read her novels. I had only heard of Fingersmith prior to this, and now that I'm more educated in her other works, I'll be adding them to my reading list as well. I was also very surprised to see the different mediums her works have been adapted into, especially the stage, as someone who is a fan of plays and musicals. I look forward to delving deeper into these other adaptations. 

Works Cited

1. “20th Anniversary Edition of Fingersmith.” Hachette UK, 14 Dec. 2022, www.virago.co.uk/landing-page/win-a-signed-copy-of-the-20th-anniversary-edition-of-fingersmith/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

2. Gilling, Tom. “Our Mutual Attraction.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/02/24/books/our-mutual-attraction.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

3. Junge, Alexa. “Fingersmith.” Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 21 Feb. 2015, www.osfashland.org/en/productions/2015-plays/fingersmith.aspx. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

4. Myerson, Julie. “Review: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Feb. 2002, www.theguardian.com/books/2002/feb/02/fiction.sarahwaters. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

5. Robb, Peter. “Sarah Waters: The Paying Guests Provides Portrait of a Crumbling ...” Ottawa Citizen, 24 Oct. 2014, ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/books/sarah-waters-the-paying-guests-provides-portrait-of-a-crumbling-class-system. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

6. “Sarah Waters.” British Council Literature, 1 Jan. 1970, literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/sarah-waters. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

7. Waters, Sarah. Fingersmith. Virago Press, 2002.

8. Waters, Sarah. “Sarah Waters – About.” Hachette UK, 30 Apr. 2020, www.sarahwaters.com/landing-page/sarah-waters/sarah-waters-about/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

9. Waters, Sarah. “Tipping the Velvet 20th Anniversary Edition.” Hachette UK, 6 Nov. 2017, www.sarahwaters.com/sarahwaters-posts/2017/11/06/tipping-the-velvet-20th-anniversary-edition/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

10. Waters, Sarah. Tipping the Velvet. Virago, 1998.