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Tipping the Velvet: A Novel

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"Have you ever tasted a Whitstable oyster?" No, talented novelist Sarah Waters, I have not, but with your opening sentence in TIPPING THE VELVET you have masterfully and succesffully transported me from the barren prairies of... See more » "Have you ever tasted a Whitstable oyster?" No, talented novelist Sarah Waters, I have not, but with your opening sentence in TIPPING THE VELVET you have masterfully and succesffully transported me from the barren prairies of America to the succulent shores of 19th Century England. A love story, a coming of age story, a gender-bending head-scratching tale of lust and loss, this novel takes the reader on a heady, haughty, naughty ride through late Victorian-era England. When young Nancy Astley, a Whitstable "oyster girl," first sees the handsome Kitty Butler, dressed as a boy, entertaining at the local music hall, Nancy's life is changed forever. Realizing she has more than just a casual infatuation with the talented entertainer, Nancy abandons her family and accompanies Kitty to London, where the two of them become inseparable--in every sense of the word. But alas, Nancy has left herself incredibly vulnerable, and when the inevitable pain and sorrow of heartbreak confront her, she goes off on her own for a mind-boggling series of adventures that left me chuckling, or sucking in my breath, with each turned page. This book has been labeled as "lesbian erotica," but I found the story to be much broader than that (Waters is simply too gifted a writer). Granted, had Nancy been a "Neville," and Kitty a "Kirk," with both characters exploring their love, I would have been more than a tad bit uncomfortable, so the feminine point of view worked very well for this old bloke, I assure you. But even more remarkable than the titillating erotica was Waters' extraordinary ability to recreate--via her impressive, sweeping prose--the sights, sounds, smells of London in the "Gay Nineties." From "tom" to "tony," from "masher" to "saucy," the reader is completely and delightfully immersed in the slang, the jargon, the behaviour of the historical period. TIPPING THE VELVET is an exceptional debut novel. I give it less than five stars for two reasons: 1) the predictability of the plot; 2) the tiresome, Sinclair-istic endorsement of boring Socialism (Why, oh why, are most authors such handwringing leftists?). Despite my superficial misgivings, this is a novel to be reckoned with, by a writer to be reckoned with. Brilliantly written. --D. Mikels Comment | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) See less »

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favorite books, lesbian, sarah waters

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From the list : Books I'd Like to Own by eruditepisces

Another lovely book that begs to be added to my personal collection.

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