just few weeks ago i collected fingersmith as an rabck, because it was on my wish list. i so looked forward to reading that! many bookcrossing friends with similar taste had recommended it.

then i went home. i had a transfer at heathrow and happend - pure coincidence, of course - to pass a wh smith. almost the entire inventory had "3 for £18" stickers on them. so i just could not help buying waters' debut.

i read the first 60 pages on board and am absolutely impressed. what style! what verve!

tsk. i think i've told the entire world what i thought of it. but i see i never wrote the review here. am not very inspired to do so today, so here's the short version:

the start of the book is mesmerizing. but after the first great break, it gets tremendously tacky. surely she was very bored at diana's house, but why need the reader be bored as well? and the end, ah well, let's forgive a debutante her willingness to tie all threads together. a bit too much emphasis on her knowledge of the period and too little plot development in this part.

all in all, very well written. plot development ok. pacing a bit slow here and there and that's got nothing to do with victorian setting. just needs a bit more editing before it's perfect. am much looking forward to her other books!

RELEASE NOTES:

gave this to my dear friend tembo. hope she'll like it, and that it may find a lot of other readers after her.

mother in law passed on your complaints that i am not registering your books. in fact i was waiting for you to make a realease note ;-))
thanks so much for the book. am looking forward to reading it and therefore might take it with me on vacation.