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Tatiana's Reviews > Affinity
Affinity
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As seen on The Readventurer
It is almost impossible to say anything about the plot of Affinity without spoiling something, so I'll refrain from recapping. A wealthy, depressed old maid starts visiting a women's prison and quickly finds herself taken by an inmate, a young spiritualist - that's all you need to know.
Let's talk about feelings instead. This sense of emptiness and despair I am left with is so overwhelming right now, that it leads me to believe I might have liked Affinity even more than Fingersmith. I would go as far as to say what I feel now is pretty close to what I felt after finishing The Blind Assassin.
This novel is very strong as a horror-laden/supernatural mystery - the level of suspense and foreboding is very high, but what it conveys even better is the suffocating atmosphere of oppression, repressed sexuality and thinly veiled eroticism and longing for the forbidden. As a woman of the now I have never experienced such a feeling of being completely powerless first hand, but Sarah Waters made me feel all of this for her Victorian heroines.
Not many contemporary writers can portray this very time- and class-specific environment. It's hard to top Edith Wharton. But Waters accomplishes it marvelously.
It is almost impossible to say anything about the plot of Affinity without spoiling something, so I'll refrain from recapping. A wealthy, depressed old maid starts visiting a women's prison and quickly finds herself taken by an inmate, a young spiritualist - that's all you need to know.
Let's talk about feelings instead. This sense of emptiness and despair I am left with is so overwhelming right now, that it leads me to believe I might have liked Affinity even more than Fingersmith. I would go as far as to say what I feel now is pretty close to what I felt after finishing The Blind Assassin.
This novel is very strong as a horror-laden/supernatural mystery - the level of suspense and foreboding is very high, but what it conveys even better is the suffocating atmosphere of oppression, repressed sexuality and thinly veiled eroticism and longing for the forbidden. As a woman of the now I have never experienced such a feeling of being completely powerless first hand, but Sarah Waters made me feel all of this for her Victorian heroines.
Not many contemporary writers can portray this very time- and class-specific environment. It's hard to top Edith Wharton. But Waters accomplishes it marvelously.
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Reading Progress
October 11, 2011
– Shelved
October 17, 2011
–
Started Reading
October 22, 2011
– Shelved as:
2011
October 22, 2011
– Shelved as:
mysteries-thrillers-horror
October 22, 2011
– Shelved as:
historical
October 22, 2011
–
Finished Reading
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I'm so glad you loved this, Tatiana! We should start a SW fan club, hah.
Exactly! (view spoiler) What a debut, though. She's the master at luring you into thinking one thing and then pulling the rug out from under you when you least expect it.
Hah hah, and now I have Marvin Gaye going through my head, Tatiana. :D (view spoiler)Also--weren't the wax parts creepy? :-( I had to put the book away for the night when I got to the scene in the prison when she...remembers them.
You're made of stronger stuff than I am, then. ;)
Your review makes me want to read this right now. I haven't yet read Waters -- is this a good one to start with?
Your review expressed my feelings exactly!
*** WARNING *** MASSIVE SPOILER ***Call me dense, but this is killing me. Mrs Brinks walks in on Selena Dawes, "Peter Quick" & the young girl Madeleine, and what she sees kills her.
(1) Before she dies, she says: "Not her, too?" Question: To whom/what specifically is she referring?
(2) Selena is locked in her room while the police investigate. She hears the voice of the dead Mrs Brinks. "I know what she would say, if she could do that. I know it so well, I think I can hear it. Her quiet voice, that only I an hear, is the most frightening voice of them all." Question: What exactly would Mrs Brinks be saying?
Thank you for any responses that might end my torment of wondering over these two questions!
Such a great review of a wonderful book, Tatiana! I'm so glad you liked "Affinity" as well.
Yes, it does.
Good job, T.