Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Canongate Books (2020), 166 pages
Description
Fiction. Romance. Short Stories. Historical Fiction. HTML: These stories go deeper into the Victorian world and lives of the acclaimed international bestseller, The Crimson Petal and the White. Michel Faber's tale of love and lust in the Victorian Era, The Crimson Petal and the White, was hailed as "a Dickensian novel for our times." Now a major BBC TV drama, the saga of a prostitute named Sugar and the man who longs to possess her captured hearts and left readers desperate for more (The Guardian, UK). In The Apple, Faber returns to Silver Street to find it still teeming with life, and conjures further tantalizing glimpses of Sugar, Clara, William, Mr. Bodley and many other favorites. For both fans of the novel and newcomers to this rich and historically vivid world, The Apple confirms that "Michel Faber is a master of the short-story form" (The Times Literary Supplement, UK). "This book will be read in a sitting. unless of course you are admitted to Accident and Emergency, having come over queer, huffing with laughter, or dizzy with envy at Faber's talent. Or probably both."�??The Scotsman, UK… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MikeFarquhar
The Apple by Michel Faber is another one about which I have mixed feelings. This book is a collection of short stories which feature the characters from Faber’s magnum opus, The Crimson Petal and the White, a book I absolutely loved a few years back. At the time, one of the criticisms levelled at
Given that, this collection feels a bit lazy. The writing still has its characteristic strengths - and it is very east to lose yourself once more in Faber's version of Victorian England - but this feels more like a collection timed to capture those who loved Crimson Petal just in time for Christmas. I don’t have a real problem with that, but I’d rather have seen a new and fresh Faber collection, rather than a loosely linked series of back stories; particularly given that I wasn’t dissatisfied with the original book in the first place.
Again, a decent enough book, but one for those who’ve already read Faber’s work, not for people new to him.
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the book was that the ending was too abrupt, and that people wanted more. Now, I happened to think the ending worked perfectly, but I can see why others felt that way. Given the strength of that feeling, and the fact that Faber had put a huge amount of work into creating the world his characters lived in, with much content that didn’t make it into the final book, this collection of short stories was probably inevitable.Given that, this collection feels a bit lazy. The writing still has its characteristic strengths - and it is very east to lose yourself once more in Faber's version of Victorian England - but this feels more like a collection timed to capture those who loved Crimson Petal just in time for Christmas. I don’t have a real problem with that, but I’d rather have seen a new and fresh Faber collection, rather than a loosely linked series of back stories; particularly given that I wasn’t dissatisfied with the original book in the first place.
Again, a decent enough book, but one for those who’ve already read Faber’s work, not for people new to him.
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LibraryThing member girlunderglass
I cannot get enough of Faber's characters. If he wrote 10 more books about Sugar, William, Agnes, and their world I would read them all. My favourite of the book's short stories was the last one, titled "A Mighty Horde of Women in Very Big Hats". The 60-page story manages to do for me what history
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books have failed to: it makes me visualize the whole stretch of time from the Victorian era to the Edwardian one. Faber makes you grasp the historical realities of the time in one quick gulp, a feat not even Dickens accomplishes. The man is an extremely talented writer and I will definitely look for more of his novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member devenish
Seven short stories of which several are connected to the marvelous 'The Crimson Petal and the White'.
'Christmas in Silver Street' describes an early episode in the life of seventeen year old Sugar.
'Clara and the Rat Man' is a surprisingly touching tale of a prostitute and her ugly
'Chocolate Hearts From the New World' turns upon a letter from a slave owner to a lady missionary.
'The Fly,and It's Effect upon Mr Bodley' takes place in a brothel and tells of Mr B's change of mind.
'The Apple' is another story about Sugar,and her state of mind at the time.
'Medicine' is a continuance of the life in old age and mental illness of William Rackham.
and the wonderfully entitled 'A Mighty Horde of Women in Very Big Hats,Advancing' gives us possibly the most information about what happened to the young child taken away at the end of 'Crimson Petal' by Miss Sugar. This last tale is absolutely wonderful and can be read as above or as a stand-alone story about childhood.
'Christmas in Silver Street' describes an early episode in the life of seventeen year old Sugar.
'Clara and the Rat Man' is a surprisingly touching tale of a prostitute and her ugly
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client.'Chocolate Hearts From the New World' turns upon a letter from a slave owner to a lady missionary.
'The Fly,and It's Effect upon Mr Bodley' takes place in a brothel and tells of Mr B's change of mind.
'The Apple' is another story about Sugar,and her state of mind at the time.
'Medicine' is a continuance of the life in old age and mental illness of William Rackham.
and the wonderfully entitled 'A Mighty Horde of Women in Very Big Hats,Advancing' gives us possibly the most information about what happened to the young child taken away at the end of 'Crimson Petal' by Miss Sugar. This last tale is absolutely wonderful and can be read as above or as a stand-alone story about childhood.
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LibraryThing member michaeldwebb
The Crimson Petal and the White was one of my favourite books of recent years - certainly the most beautifully written, and this book is a collection of short stories about the characters, set both before, and after, Crimson Petal.
Again, the writing is simply wonderful, but I guess you really have
Pretty much the only thing wrong with this book is its length. It very short, and will be read in a couple of hours. I want more!
I guess my only concern is whether it's better to actually be left to imagine what may have happened to the characters? Does it put too much closure by finding out more? Probably not, as Faber only hints at events.
If you haven't read Crimson Petal, read that first, and you'll probably not be able to resist picking this up afterwards.
Again, the writing is simply wonderful, but I guess you really have
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to have read Crimson Petal for them to make much sense. Pretty much the only thing wrong with this book is its length. It very short, and will be read in a couple of hours. I want more!
I guess my only concern is whether it's better to actually be left to imagine what may have happened to the characters? Does it put too much closure by finding out more? Probably not, as Faber only hints at events.
If you haven't read Crimson Petal, read that first, and you'll probably not be able to resist picking this up afterwards.
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LibraryThing member Shelbycat
I admit i have an addiction to novels set in the Victorian Era hence my love of Michel Faber's Crimson Petal & the White and now The Apple. As soon as i opened my little hardback version and started to read i knew i would be sat stationary for the next few days immersed in more stories about Sugar
If you're not sure about buying this book i would say do it! That way you can read a little book of short stories and once you enjoy it you still have the massive Crimson Petal and the White to move onto.
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and her contemporaries. I was right, i don't think i even set the book down once until i'd finished the entire thing, i probably forgot to breathe at times, i was enjoying it so much! The unfortunate thing is there hasn't been another set of stories for me to read since, i literally cannot wait for another set to arrive in my recommended list on amazon. If you're not sure about buying this book i would say do it! That way you can read a little book of short stories and once you enjoy it you still have the massive Crimson Petal and the White to move onto.
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LibraryThing member delphica
(#35 in the 2009 book challenge)
Short stories about the characters from The Crimson Petal and the White, some which take place prior to the events of that book, and some after. We shall take the high quality of Faber's writing as a given, and beyond that, I had a mixed reaction. I was a little more
Grade: B+
Recommended: I think people who enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White should consider this very carefully before reading: it is good, but it caps the story.
Short stories about the characters from The Crimson Petal and the White, some which take place prior to the events of that book, and some after. We shall take the high quality of Faber's writing as a given, and beyond that, I had a mixed reaction. I was a little more
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intrigued with the stories of things that happened before, for the most part. Finding out, even remotely, what happened after made things feel too pat. And a lot of the happenings are things you might have guessed anyway, so it wasn't even as if there were any huge surprises. And the very first story in the collection reads like A Very Special Crimson Petal, which struck me as an odd choice. That's probably an unfair criticism, poor Michel Faber likely doesn't know what "A Very Special ..." is in the first place.Grade: B+
Recommended: I think people who enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White should consider this very carefully before reading: it is good, but it caps the story.
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LibraryThing member apartmentcarpet
Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White created a detailed world and then ended abruptly without any closure to many of the story lines. While this book of stories, set in the same universe with many of the same characters, doesn't clear up everything, it goes a long way towards alleviating
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some of the disappointment. Most of the stories are set either before or after the events of the novel, and the most satisfying is written by Sophie's son as a very old man. Show Less
LibraryThing member runaway84
A delightful collection of seven short stories from the world of The Crimson Petal and the White. I had loved that novel so, that when I found out there were more glimpses into the Crimson Petal world, I just had to get it.
The stories here are nothing spectacular and they don't reveal anything
Some of the stories take place before The Crimson Petal and the White and some take place after. Some a short time before, some a long time before; some a short time after, some a long time after.
You get to drop in on the main characters of Sugar and William Rackman and others such as Clara, Mr. Bodley and Emmeline Fox.
Overall, a satisfying collection of stories that would be entertaining to anyone who loved the original novel and know that they're not going to find anything too revealing here.
The stories here are nothing spectacular and they don't reveal anything
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major about the characters. With the way the original novel ended, I'm sure people thought these stories would be a nice little wrap-up, as it were. They are not. They are, however, a sort of revisit of old friends and being introduced to a few new ones.Some of the stories take place before The Crimson Petal and the White and some take place after. Some a short time before, some a long time before; some a short time after, some a long time after.
You get to drop in on the main characters of Sugar and William Rackman and others such as Clara, Mr. Bodley and Emmeline Fox.
Overall, a satisfying collection of stories that would be entertaining to anyone who loved the original novel and know that they're not going to find anything too revealing here.
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LibraryThing member jfearon
A wonderful follow up to The Crimson Petal and the White. The book moves around in time quite a bit, there are some stories featuring Sugar before the events of Crimson Petal, but others follow characters after the events of Crimson have finished. Well worth tracking down and reading, although more
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Sugar would have been nice. Show Less
LibraryThing member RockStarNinja
I liked the book, however I wish it had more stories that had to do with his previous work Crimson Petal and the White.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A pointless exercise in self-aggrandising pap
LibraryThing member sunjata
Felt very slight after The Crimson Petal. I did enjoy the Clara story and the second Sugar prequel was a nice insight into how determined she was, not just for a man like William Rackham to appear, but for her to be ready to exploit it. The book overall was a bit meh, but most things would be
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having just read the first novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member rolhirst
Just before the recent TV adaptation aired, I reviewed Michel Faber's excellent novel The Crimson Petal And The White and predicted...
"For all its excellent cast (including the always watchable Chris O'Dowd, Richard E. Grant and - yay! - Scully), sparkling script, grubby period detail, kinky
Well, I couldn't have been more right. As enjoyable as the TV version may have been, I still walked away unsatisfied. The pictures are always better inside your head.
Thankfully, that's when I discovered The Apple, a short collection of stories which return us to the world of The Crimson Petal, offering tantalising glimpses into the past and future of our favourite character's. So we learn how Sugar spent Christmas Day while she was still living in Mrs. Castaway's whorehouse, discover how a common housefly destroys Bodley's libido, and find out how young Sophie grows up to become a champion of women's rights. And while William Rackham grows old and bitter, Clara, his former maid takes to the street to survive and ends up involved in a darkly comic dalliance with The Rat Man, who insists she let one fingernail grow without being cut or chewed...
Imagination, revelation, wit, warmth and sparkling prose. If you enjoyed the novel, or even the TV adap, I'd recommend you track down a copy of The Apple.
"For all its excellent cast (including the always watchable Chris O'Dowd, Richard E. Grant and - yay! - Scully), sparkling script, grubby period detail, kinky
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costume drama romping and acres of naked flesh and naughtiness... it's not a patch on the novel."Well, I couldn't have been more right. As enjoyable as the TV version may have been, I still walked away unsatisfied. The pictures are always better inside your head.
Thankfully, that's when I discovered The Apple, a short collection of stories which return us to the world of The Crimson Petal, offering tantalising glimpses into the past and future of our favourite character's. So we learn how Sugar spent Christmas Day while she was still living in Mrs. Castaway's whorehouse, discover how a common housefly destroys Bodley's libido, and find out how young Sophie grows up to become a champion of women's rights. And while William Rackham grows old and bitter, Clara, his former maid takes to the street to survive and ends up involved in a darkly comic dalliance with The Rat Man, who insists she let one fingernail grow without being cut or chewed...
Imagination, revelation, wit, warmth and sparkling prose. If you enjoyed the novel, or even the TV adap, I'd recommend you track down a copy of The Apple.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
As with all short stories, I enjoyed some more than others. Have never read his Crimson Petal book, but I will now as I am intrigued, since he used the same characters in that novel in these short stories.
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
Having recently finished reading Crimson Petal, I couldn't wait to read the follow up short stories in The Apple and I wasn't disappointed!
Just a handful of stories sees us re-visiting Sugar in her life pre-Crimson, Clara, Mr Bodley, William and, indirectly, Sophie all post-Crimson. So good to see
Will now have to dig out more of Michel Faber's writing to see whether his other work lives up to these two books.
Just a handful of stories sees us re-visiting Sugar in her life pre-Crimson, Clara, Mr Bodley, William and, indirectly, Sophie all post-Crimson. So good to see
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what had become of them and interesting to see if they matched my own hopes and perceptions (largely they did!). My only detraction from the book was that I wanted more. After the weighty tome that was Crimson Petal, this was lightweight and I read it in less than a day (part during the evening, the rest on the train to work the next day). Hugely enjoyable, but left me wanting more.Will now have to dig out more of Michel Faber's writing to see whether his other work lives up to these two books.
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LibraryThing member millhold
Very good! Tied up a lot of storylines from [The Crimson Petal and the White]. Excellent storytelling.
LibraryThing member arewenotben
Pointless extension of The Crimson Petal and the White, picking up major and minor characters after or before events from the original book. Well written, but the more rigid chapters lack the fluidity of the main book and I didn't feel like these were stories that were desperate to be told.
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watching a great 3 hour film then having 30 minutes of deleted scenes/alternate endings - its nice to still be in that world but they don't really add anything to the characters or original story. Definitely don't read if you haven't read Crimson Petal..., hard to recommend if you have. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2006