Affinity

by Sarah Waters | Gay & Lesbian |
ISBN: 186049692x Global Overview for this book
Registered by kiwiinengland of Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on 2/21/2008
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Thursday, February 21, 2008
Set in and around the women's prison at Milbank in the 1870's , AFFINITY is an eerie ghost story, a complex and intriguing literary mystery and a love story with an unexpected twist in the tale.

Following the death of her father, Margaret Prior has decided to pursue some 'good work' with the lady criminals of one of London's most notorious gaols. Surrounded by prisoners, murderers and common thieves, Margaret feels herself drawn to an imprisoned spiritualist - Selina Dawes. Sympathetic to the plight of this innocent-seeming girl, Margaret sees herself dispensing guidance and friendship on her visits, little expecting to find herself dabbling in a twilight world of seances, shadows, unruly spirits and unseemly passions.

Journal Entry 2 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Thursday, February 21, 2008
The beginning of this book was a bit slow, and I wanted the chapters which flashbacked to Selina to be longer than the main story. But after a while I found the story really interesting, and felt myself hoping that Selina was true and Margaret would find happiness.

Journal Entry 3 by kiwiinengland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Thursday, February 21, 2008
I am reserving this for LeishaCamden to use in a special project.

Posted airmail on 1 March 2008.

Journal Entry 4 by SkeiveFilmerBCZ from -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Thursday, March 13, 2008
This arrived in LeishaCamden's mailbox yesterday as a donation from KiwiinEngland. Thank you so much, Kiwi! It's only our second real donation so far ;-) so it's greatly appreciated. :-)

Journal Entry 5 by wingLeishaCamdenwing from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Sunday, April 20, 2008
LeishaCamden borrowed this to read while the book was on the 'project shelf' waiting for the mass release. Read it April 9th through 18th.

This was the first book by Waters that I'd read. It certainly left me interested in reading more by her. It was well written and very believable; seemed well researched as well, that is, the whole setting with the world of spiritualism was very credible. It was an intriguing 'window' into that phenomenon. I wouldn't mind reading some nonfiction books on the topic now.

I agree with Kiwi that the flashback chapters kind of leave the reader wanting compared to the 'present time' chapters which are told from Margaret's POV and in which Selina is in jail. I found the former setting more fascinating. But I think this is done very deliberately by Waters to make the reader curious and keep us guessing. We never find out what really happened when it comes to the events that landed Selina in jail ... we have to use our imaginations and fill in the details as we keep learning a little bit more, and understanding a little bit more, with every flashback scene. I thought the book was very cleverly written.

As for the plot, I can't really say what I want to say ;-) because that would give too much away for the future readers of this book. But it was a sad story. I really felt for the main character, Margaret ... and generally for women in that period, who had such limited choices in their lives. Waters does a great job creating that atmosphere of emotional claustrophobia that Margaret lives in. And that goes a long way towards making the story credible.

But I can't say more! :-) All I want to say is that I found the ending very hard, almost crushing, I felt it strongly. A very well written book by a talented writer.

The book will go back on the shelf now. Still a couple months to go, though. I think I will check with Findabair to see if she wants to read this. She's partial to a bit of historical fiction ... ;-)

Journal Entry 6 by SkeiveFilmerBCZ from -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Sunday, April 20, 2008
Back on the shelf in LC's basement ... :-)

Released 15 yrs ago (5/5/2008 UTC) at To a fellow BookCrosser in a BookCrosser, by hand -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

LeishaCamden brought some of the 'project books' to the Oslo BC meetup this afternoon, to see if we can't get a few more readers for some of them before the mass release. New BCer NyxRo was interested in this. Here's wishing her a great reading experience!

As mentioned: the book must be back with LeishaCamden no later than June 20th. :-)

Journal Entry 8 by NyxRo from Asker, Akershus fylke Norway on Monday, May 26, 2008
Got this book from Leisha Camden, will return in time for Skeive filmer.
Interesting story, Sarah Waters is good bringing something completely new to a period of time and a culture that has been extensively described in literature. However, after a couple of books she comes across as something of a one-trick pony. She writes well, so I would really like to see her attack some other subject. Affinity is not her best book, I would rather recommend Fingersmith.

Journal Entry 9 by SkeiveFilmerBCZ from -- wild release somewhere in Oslo, Oslo fylke Norway on Monday, May 26, 2008
Back to the shelf in LC's basement. :-)

Journal Entry 10 by SkeiveFilmerBCZ at Cinemateket in Oslo Sentrum, Oslo fylke Norway on Monday, June 23, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (6/23/2008 UTC) at Cinemateket in Oslo Sentrum, Oslo fylke Norway

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

The book will be released somewhere in the lobby of the Cinematheque, or in the café.

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