fabulous this book caught me right from the first page. Full of twists and turns! Has you despising characters at one point and loving them the next. I even love the way it ended and normally I can't stand abrupt endings. Can't wait for a sequel. ( )

I really liked this book, set in 19th century London. The author has done a great job of making the characters seem real and has woven the story of prostitutes and the well-to-do into a tale that is sometimes shocking and sometimes humorous. This book is easy to read and flows well. The ending took me by surprise, which is always a good quality in a novel. ( )

What a monumental waste of time. I probably shouldn't begin my review that way, but that was my first thought upon reading the last page just now. This is the story of a lout named William Rackham, his mad wife Agnes, and his troubled mistress Sugar. I especially enjoyed Agnes as the pitiably ignorant and tormented product of her high-society upbringing. I admit my disappointment with this book started when I realized it was about a man who falls in love with a prostitute, but I tried to ignore the clichéd premise and get into the story. There was no problem there - the characters are solid, believable, and (mostly) sympathetic. The description of 19th century England is so detailed you can see it in your mind. I did notice that all the major female characters in this story suffered from some physical ailment; I wonder if that was meant to be symbolic. The author wades tentatively into controversial waters - poverty, prostitution, religion - but never shares any sort of opinions either way, appearing to suggest that misery is something that is unavoidable and charity is nothing more than a drop in the ocean, unnoticed and not even worth the effort.

The book, at 833 pages (and it's the larger size paperback; this thing is massive!), is in severe need of editing. Entirely too much space is given to the frustratingly angstful relationship between the doctor's daughter Emmeline and William's brother Henry. It did nothing to further the plot whatsoever, just an aside that never wove itself into the fabric of the main story. They should have had their own book and stayed out of this one. There were other characters who likewise did nothing for the story (such as the prostitute Caroline), but they were minor enough that I can ignore them. The beginning should have been edited as well, as it starts out with a clever method of introducing characters and setting up scenes - the reader is being guided personally through the events by a sort of invisible spirit, invited to follow people around - but this is lost about a third of the way through the book in favor of more traditional narration. It should have been kept throughout or dropped entirely. Finally, I found the obsession with bowel movements annoying. I understand the author's desire to show that real people lived in these conditions, but I don't really need to read about it every time Sugar pees. The use of such a term doesn't help either. Perhaps such words were in the vernacular at the time, but after such flowery 19th century language it is very jarring to run across such modern-sounding slang as "balls" and "cunt" and "fart" in the (third person omniscient) narration.

Even so, I could have overlooked these problems in the interest of the story of the Rackham family, which is honestly engaging and appears to be building to a climax, the anticipation of which makes the book difficult to put down for the last couple hundred pages. However, this lengthy tome still manages to end in the middle of the action. Several of the main characters are left unaccounted for, their fates unknown to the reader. 833 pages and the story just stops, leaving the reader with the sinking feeling that they just wasted all those hours spent getting to know these characters. The story isn't even tragic enough to feel a satisfying sense of pity - you turn the last page and sit there, dumbstruck, wondering where the next chapter disappeared to and why the hell you bothered reading to that point in the first place.

On the bright side, I did learn quite a bit about the time period and do hope to pick up more historical fiction in the future. Just not by Michel Faber. ( )

This is a long book so it took a while to read. I found it very vivid and detailed. It was easy to imagine the time period and the circumstances. I really liked it. Very well done. I recommend it to all historical fiction fans. ( )

This is one of my favorite books that I have ever read in my entire life. I still think of it from time to time and hope to read it again.Just listened to this again on books on tape and I'm so glad I did. Refreshed my memory of the book and reminded me why I love it. I would recommend this book to just about anyone. But be careful, there is some strong sexuality involved. ( )

Fascinating in its scope and all of the odd details you learn (the author apparently spent a huge chunk of his life researching), but the ending was ! just awful, and the writing wasn't fantastic. Still, it kept me up nights reading, and that deserves some stars, right? ( )

I was drawn to this book due to my immense interest in the Victorian Era. I was definitely not disappointed. The amount of research that went into researching the time period was beyond anything I could have expected. The descriptions, the language all made me feel as though as I were there. ( )

What a great book! Im usually a fast reader, but this one took a while. It was worth it though. I love historical fiction and he did so much research. It was amazing all of the detail that was put into this book. It made me feel like I was there with them. The ending was kind of abrupt for me, but that was more because I wanted the story to go on forever. ( )

I'm a sucker for books about prostitutes. Most of the ones I've read, I've enjoyed. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber is no exception. I hated the first 20 pages or so, where the reader is encouraged to "follow" the characters to introduce them. Once I got past the awkwardness of that section, it improved tremendously.

Sugar is a prostitute in a brothel in the 19th century. She hates men and spends her time when she's not "working" writing a horrendous novel about a prostitute who also hates men and kills them. She quickly meets her benefactor, a rich man who fancies himself more interesting than he really is, William Rackham. Rackham becomes obsessed with Sugar and her sexual abilities and swoops in to rescue her from her current life, mostly because he feels that his life is so unpleasant. He has a sick wife, a daughter who he wishes was a son, a troubled brother and horrid friends. He places Sugar in an apartment and keeps her there like his pet. Eventually, Sugar moves in with him and becomes a nanny to his daughter. Over the course of the novel, Sugar becomes increasingly needy and spends her days waiting for Rackham to knock on her door and pay attention to her for a moment. It is impossible to not pity her as she struggles to align herself in this new world, and watch her struggle to place her past behind her.

There isn't much plot in the book, it's definitely character driven. It's more like a look into the lives of many people's lives that are intertwined. None of the characters are cookie cutters, as each continues to surprise as the book progresses. I swung between extreme like and dislike for each of them. It's a long book, 800 and some odd pages, but I wanted it to go indefinitely. Faber is a skilled author, who can be incredibly graphic with some of his descriptions, especially the sex scenes, but he colorfully portrays life in the 19th century. ( )

A fantastic book that has you hooked from the opening paragraph. Although it's a long book I didn't want it to end as I was so intrigued by the story and richly drawn characters in this incredibly satisfying novel. I have since reread this book and found it just as enjoyable the second time around. ( )

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

This is a story that I picked up after seeing that its form of storytelling debated on librarything.com . It is the story of Sugar the prostitute. A reasonably famous specimen, well known for never saying no. It is the story of how she works to pull herself out of the slums and make a better life for herself. I was hooked to Sugar's story within the first chapter and would have read non-stop the entire 900 or so pages if life had allowed me that luxury.

She pulls many people into her life, and actually works to help them whether she realizes it or not. As the primary "friend" of William Rackham, she eases herself into his life, seeing him as her first shot to leave her poor life behind her.

The primary debate about the book was it's sexuality and the language used. I did not see any descriptions that I would consider to be unnecessarily repulsive. The language used is the language that was actually used in the time period instead of the flowery language that is used in fiction written during the era. I did not detect any scenes where the author used sex for the sake of writing about sex. Each scene in the book was an important step in Sugar's journey to her new life, for better or worse. Overall it was a story that balanced the ups with the downs, and gave enough detail of the many places and people to bring the book to life. While this book should be reserved for a mature reader that can handle the subject matter of prostitutes and sex with respect and an adult attitude, as a 29 year old adult female, I was not offended.

5/5 a memorable read for 2009 ( )

Great historical fiction novel about a prostitute living the high life after hooking up with a rich yet messed up man. ( )

The Crimson Petal and the White is a book that knows precisely where it stands - and where it stands is at the utmost edge between Victorian and postmodern. Its themes, its conflicts, its setting, its people, and the motivation behind their actions and thoughts are utterly Victorian. All the concerns of the era, from the Woman Question to the technological advancements and the loss of the "natural", from the "evil of prostitution" to the inhuman working conditions, from the religious dilemmas of the time to the conflict between "tradition" and "modernity" - everything and anything that might concern the Victorian man or woman is addressed here. Issues of poverty, hunger, dirt, and criminality are dealt with so perceptively and touchingly that it would flummox even Dickens. The hypocrisy of the upper classes and their preoccupation with nothing more than balls, parties and "social calls" are ridiculed with a wit and sharpness worthy of Austen.

But if you glance at the novel's form and writing, the daring pen of Michel Faber makes it clear that The Crimson Petal and the White, despite the title's allusion to a famous Victorian poem, does not belong to the 19th century. Faber, the writer, often steps into the story - to great comical effect - to offer the readers advice or to stir the story into another direction. He makes his authorial presence known and, in true postmodern fashion and in the spirit of Lemony Snicket, often addresses the reader directly: "So there you have it: the thoughts (somewhat pruned of repetition) of William Rackam as he sits on his bench in St. James's Park. If you are bored beyond endurance, I can offer only my promise that there will be fucking in the very near future, not to mention madness, abduction, and violent death." It seems that he uses every device and trick known to writers to keep the reader interested in the story, but makes the whole thing seem so effortless - he never lost me for one second. Most importantly, the distance between mr. Faber's era and the era he is describing makes it easier for him to see the past in a clearer light, and allows him to express his observations and his critique openly. "This is the novel that Dickens might have written had he been allowed to speak freely", The Guardian says, and they're definitely onto something here. It was a comfort to see a writer that finally has the courage to address that most mystifying feature of the Victorians - one that jumps out at me whenever I pick up mr. Dickens - the fact that sex is an unmentionable topic with them. Of course, the conflict between the Victorians' behaviour and their "morals" is transparent: while prostitution is soaring and people are certainly no less interested in sex than today, they insist on acting as though sex is simply inexistent, far way from their thoughts and lives. The effects of this sexual repression on society's part are made clear enough in the novel: people battling with their consciences, trying to reconcile the idea of sex as something that is clearly natural and desirable in their hearts of hearts with the idea of sex as filthy, degrading and evil.

I could go on and on but I think I've described the book well enough to stop here. The reason why I didn't award it a full five stars is a certain death that I thought was completely unnecessary - it seemed to me that it was just an easy way to dispose of a character that served a purpose no longer. Other than that, this is a wonderful book. Sugar - our prostitute heroine - along with William Rackam, Henry Rackam, Emmeline Fox, Agnes, Sophie, Caroline, Colonel Leek, Clara, Ms. Castaway will draw you in and never let you go. Great cast, great story, great writing, great book. ( )

I was given this book by a friend who thought I'd enjoy it. I did! The narration is sublime as it takes us from the Victorian sewers of London to the giant houses of the upper classes. The characters are strong, vibrant and real; the dialogue fresh and the prose distinctive. ( )

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. What a lovely, astonishing piece of work.

Sugar and William, Sophie and Agnes, Henry and Caroline...I loved them all, even in their most heartbreaking and infuriating moments. Creatures of their time, every one of them, who lived and breathed and laughed and cried their way into my heart and memory. I loved this book.

Minor quibbles: The author's use of a second person narrative style was off-putting at first, but I soon became accustomed. And some of the language widened my eyes, but it must be put in context: any tale centered on a prostitute is bound to make use of, ummm, vulgarities.

I will definitely recommend this book to others. ( )

I am dying to read this book again...but last time I read it I couldn't put it down until it was done, so I need a four-day stretch where I don't have to go to work and my fridge is pre-stocked with food.

Oh, Michel Faber, when will you put out a sequel? That short story collection was lovely, but I need another 900-pound doorstopper about what happens to Sugar after the end of Crimson Petal. The fact that none of your short stories mention her afterlife suggests there COULD be a sequel one day.... ( )

Wow. That ended in a completely different manner than I was expecting. I felt a bit cheated, to be honest. Even Scarlett (who had as ridiculous name as Sugar did) had tomorrow as another day. Loved the details and descriptions of the time period and the strata of a classed society. And how the quirks and foibles of the time are presented. I read somewhere this was the first Victorian novel of the 21st century. The characters peaked my interest, but in all honesty, never got into a real soul-satisfying depth, despite the 898 pages of the book. But all in all, I'm glad I read it. ( )

LOVED it.

LOVED it.

* NO SPOILERS WERE USED IN THE WRITING OF THIS REVIEW *

I am surprised by all of the positive reviews! The writing in this book is mediocre at best and reminds me of a cheap romance novel gone wrong, with a story that could have been told in 1/3 the amount of words.

The author often focuses on superfluous and annoying details (for example: the itchy and sweaty backside of a female character in mourning who has not washed for a few days).

I'm willing to read a depressing book if it's at least written well, but in my opinion this book has no redeeming qualities that justify reading it! ( )

The beginning of October I was reading Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White.
“Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them. This city I am bringing you to is vast and intricate, and you have not been here before.”

Faber follows the life of a young prostitute in Victorian England – her rise from the streets to mistress of a wealthy perfume manufacturer. It is a fascinating, powerful, explicit, gritty and depressing book. When I finished it, I felt the need to immerse myself in the laughter and innocence of the preschool children at the church. There aren’t many books that have affected me so.

I’ve read many books dealing with the struggle for women’s rights in the 19th century. In fact, the books I read after this one dealt with that theme, as well. But the sheer hopelessness of a London street prostitute to rise above, let alone stay alive… This book made me count my blessings I was born mid 20th century.
http://howlingnsilence.blogspot.com ( )

I loved this book. It reminded me of a very naughty Dickens novel, full of love, hate, poverty, and madness all set in a brilliantly described Victorian London. ( )

Sizzle wizzle.. this book is fun, clever and witty. You will cheer for Sugar as you slum around the dirty streets of Victorian London. What a clever insight into the realm of Victorian Prostitution. Excellent book! ( )

Ewww. EWWWWWW. In Faber's afterword he thanked his wife for helping him with the manuscript, and I was like, "You let your WIFE read this? And she's still MARRIED to you?" It's a vile, vile exploration of a version of female sexuality which only exists in a particular male mind, and... well, ewww.

This book reminded me of Trainspotting, in that everything else about the book comes an extremely distant second to the desire to shock, and the reader is assumed to be so naive as to not know that heroin use (in Welch's case) and 19th-century prostitution (in this case) were, in fact, neither glamorous nor hygienic. You don't say!

It's a good book to read if you are dieting. My husband would come home and ask, "What's for dinner?" and I would say, "Nothing for me; I've been reading about explosive diarrhea in chamber pots for fifteen minutes. But you go right ahead."

Brilliant and entirely original ( )