Waters sends her protagonist on a wild ride. The novel, set in England in the late 19th century (Victorian era), has three chapters which are very different, even though the protagonist doesn´t change and the plot is told chronological. The book is written in first person. Nancy, who grew up in a fishmonger family in an English coastal town, prefers girls. In the course of the book she makes new friends, which life changing results (I don´t tell you more. This is a spoiler free blog. You can find a synopsis here wikipedia).
The novel reads like a female 20th century version of Oscar Wild, just much more analytical & explicit, but the book also reminds me of Franz Kafka`s dark philosophical musings. Waters delivers an intense psychological study and describes the characters vividly & plausibly. The book is precisely & analytical written - but also entertaining and kept me curious till the ending of the book. Waters immerses the reader deep into Nancy´s thinking & feeling. This is for me, as a male, a glance into an alternate universe. The book is partly a steamy erotic novel, but also a portrait of England`society in the late 19th century, it is dramatic & kinky and sometimes funny - and there is one ridiculous funny slapstick scene which drove tears in my ears while reading - priceless.
I plan to read more books by Sarah Waters.
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