Tipping the Velvet: A Novel

by Sarah Waters

Paperback, 2000

Status

Checked out

Publication

Riverhead Books (2000), Edition: First Edition, 488 pages

Description

Nan King, an oyster girl, is captivated by the music hall phenomenon Kitty Butler, a male impersonator extraordinaire treading the boards in Canterbury. Through a friend at the box office, Nan manages to visit all her shows and finally meet her heroine. Soon after, she becomes Kitty's dresser and the two head for the bright lights of Leicester Square where they begin a glittering career as music-hall stars in an all-singing and dancing double act. At the same time, behind closed doors, they admit their attraction to each other and their affair begins.

User reviews

LibraryThing member klarusu
I have seen this book regularly described as a "lesbian classic" and, having read it, would like to take issue with the appending of "lesbian" to that phrase. This book is a big, bawdy, history-soaked classic - to try and put it into a sub-genre of classic lit does it a disservice. It belongs front
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and centre in the 'classic' pile!

Waters has crafted a perfect window into a period of time, from rich descriptions of oystersellers and music halls to the beautifully wrought recreation of the lesbian sub-culture of the upper classes, alive again in these pages, to the passion and dedication of the social activists and the squalour and poverty of those they were charged to protect. She has great immediacy of description - the music halls come alive as vibrant, hot, buzzing places of entertainment. Her description of their scent was magnificent - reminiscent of the unique smell of English pubs that wafts doorwards from the shabbier establishments in the central London sidestreets of the present day - with a smattering of the odours of Victorian England thrown into the ephemeral mix.

This is a first person narrative and I'm always wary of these because so much is reliant on the author's ability to create a believable character that the reader can empathise with. Waters does an admirable job with Nan, who is far from flawless and at times even callous and selfish, but who I liked throughout - her imperfections making her more real, her reactions more natural. It is through her eyes that we are taken on a journey through Victorian England.

Much is made of the lesbian theme of the novel, but what is often overlooked is that this is a great character novel and Nan typifies this. Her relationship with Kitty and the changes it undergoes show the development of Nan as an individual. From the outset, it seems that Nan is more willing to embrace her own sexuality than Kitty. Early on Walters describes Nan's feelings of being 'bound and fettered','chained and muzzled and blinkered' by her inability to publicly display the affection she demonstrates for Kitty in private. Kitty comes across as an ambitious user from the beginning. What is interesting about the dynamic of their relationship is how it seems to undergo a transition of emotional dominance, despite the fact that Nan is controlled by her love for Kitty. Initially it is Kitty that seems worldly and superior, but as the relationship develops, Nan becomes more self-assured and comfortable with her own sexuality (although she sees it more specifically as her love for Kitty alone). I believe this is because, for Nan, Kitty's approval is most important. For Kitty, on the other hand, it is society's approval that matters most. Could Nan be described as naive here? Possibly so, but in that naivety, Nan shows how simple it should be. Is it right to be critical of that naivety, to think she should be more jaded? I prefer to be critical of a society that required her to be more jaded in order to be realistic. The reader can feel nothing but sympathy for Nan as she has to face the fact that her sister Alice loves her more for who she wants her to be than for the person Nan is.

There are themes which resonate whichever time and place you live in. The sense that change and novelty in your life often distances you from the important people in your past. This is epitomised by the painful description of Nan's visit home from London. Nan's real love for Kitty and the abandonment and betrayal she experiences when Kitty makes a choice that doesn't include her leave her so broken that she eschews any real affection she is offered by those around her. It's painfully ironic that, destroyed and bitter as she is, she finds no sympathy for her male patrons who use her services as a renter. Her entry into the profession, born of the hatred raised in her by Walter, left her with no empathy for the men forced into the hidden underworld of London, much as she had been. In the end, she commits herself to a loveless arrangement with an older woman, based on pure hedonism and ultimate self-objectification.

Throughout this novel, Nan is 'owned' in some way - by Kitty (emotionally), by Diana (physically), by her own anger and hatred - and as I read, I found I was itching for her to find her own path and free herself from the physical and emotional bondage imposed on her. It is as if she is a work-in-progress and experiences a lifetime's education in a few short years. I was struck by the sense of homecoming there was when Nan found the society of the women in "The Boy in the Boat". I was rooting for her to win this time! The Boy is a direct contrast to the Felicity Place society. Nan has passed full circle to come home. She began as a naive girl and passed through the opposite extreme of debauched hedonism to finally find a home among people who are warm, realistic and good, not unlike her family in Whitstable. In the final pages, when all of the elements of Nan's past come together at the political rally, we see the culmination of that experience in the new Nan - comfortable with herself, confident enough to truly love again. I found myself wanting to cheer out loud for Nan and Flo and hoped that the time had come for them to be happy.

A great book for the long winter evenings. Close the door, take the phone off the hook and settle down in your favourite chair - you'll find it impossible to put down and you'll have to drag yourself back from the dingy streets of Victorian England.
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LibraryThing member Joycepa
One of the more infuriating developments in the past few years is the insistence by those who claim to be feminists that if a politician is female, you must vote for her, even if you loathe her policies and feel that her only beliefs are whatever the latest polls say will give her victory. On the
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literary front, if an author is female, you must read her and like her; if the author is a lesbian, her books are gold. The fact of the matter is that most politicians, whether male or female, are unequal to the office to which they aspire, and most authors, regardless of gender, write mediocre works at best. Sadly, this seems to be especially true of the lesbian literature I’ve read.

However, Tipping the Velvet is most definitely an exception. It’s a great lesbian coming-out story with a terrific setting in late 19th century Victorian England; in addition to a general historical background in London, it is a remarkable, fascinating look at lesbian life in that time and place. This book has it all—a good fast-paced story line that is almost picaresque in nature, fascinating history, well-developed characters, and a fine writing style that serves the story beautifully. The book is unabashedly erotic and perfectly integrated into the story line; the love stories are classics in anyone’s terms It’s been touted as a lesbian classic, and I agree.

The life of near turn-of-the-century London is absorbing; Waters’ descriptions of the music hall environment and the lives of the entertainers, the “gay” (prostitution, both male and female) life, the amazingly lively and varied lesbian subculture in an era that was overall quite hostile, and brief look at the socialist movement of the time are all fascinating.

Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member elliepotten
The quote from The Independent on Sunday that graces the back of my edition, which describes the novel as 'a sexy and picaresque romp through the lesbian and queer demi-monde of the roaring Nineties', pretty much sums it up! It follows the fortunes of Nancy Astley, a Whitstable oyster girl whose
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life is turned upside down when she sees 'masher', or male impersonator, Kitty Butler performing at her local music hall and falls head-over-heels in love. Before she knows it she is employed as Kitty's dresser, and when an opportunity arises to go to London with her, she seizes it with both hands.

And so Nancy's new life begins. As she and Kitty become closer and closer, living together in a theatrical boarding house, she finds herself performing alongside her new sweetheart as a masher in a top-billing act, under the stage name Nan King. But betrayal is just around the corner, and from there Nancy's story is a whirlwind that takes her through the depths of despair into a career masquerading as a Soho renter, a spell as a spoilt and much-lauded 'kept boy' to a wealthy mistress, and finally on to contentment and happiness amongst the 'toms', or 'women-lovers', of the East End.

This was one of those books that I made a conscious effort to read carefully, slowing down and savouring the historical detail, the complex relationships between the wonderful characters, and the slow unfolding of Nancy's tale. The writing is superb, moving effortlessly between delicious description, earthy conversation and risque sexiness. Waters has obviously done a massive amount of research but wears her knowledge lightly - reading the book is like reading a classic novel, thoroughly comfortable in its period style and voice. It may have been my first Sarah Waters, but it definitely won't be my last!
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LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
"There was something very appealing about that Fe-Male. I saw myself in it - in the hyphen."

Tipping the Velvet is, in part, the coming of age of Nancy Astley. As a plain girl from a lower class oystermonger family, it seems that Nancy hardly even believes in her own coming of age and autonomy, even
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as she pursues them and forges her own way. Nancy falls into her independence and career as a side effect of her relationship with a performer named Kitty, but Kitty's reluctance and timidity about their relationship outweighs even Nan's timidity about being on her own. Her next relationship with an older woman named Diana is decidedly characterized by more assertiveness and flamboyance - but so much so that Nan is limited in her self-identity in different ways, being more or less 'kept.'

Yet Nan is stronger than she even recognizes, as she is driven by her fascination and urge to identify with the marginal, novel, and counter-cultural - the 'hyphen.' Her self-identity develops both in response to and apart from her relationships, which ultimately do not define her so much as complement her. And as she moves from isolated to community living - from small country life to London, from her fantasies of her and Kitty alone together toward a concern for communal and societal welfares - her individuality is truly nurtured. The lesbian and androgynous themes are additionally interesting, for adding depths to the elements of marginal identities. But even apart from them, Nan emerges as a strong and independent woman, holding her own even as she hugs the hyphens of her society and own identity.
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LibraryThing member Talbin
Tipping the Velvet is Sarah Water's debut novel. It is the coming of age story of Nancy Astley, an oyster girl from Whitstable, England. Nancy meets Kitty Butler, a masher (a girl who dresses as a boy and sings for the stage) and falls in love. Nancy and Kitty move to London, develop a cabaret show
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act as two mashers and enjoy a bit of success. However, as Nancy falls more deeply in love with Kitty, Kitty has other ambitions - to make it as a star on the stage. Nancy suffers her first heartbreak, but has discovered something about herself - she truly enjoys dressing as a boy, and she truly enjoys being a tom - a lesbian. Nancy goes on to earn money on London's streets, then meets a rich widow who takes her on as a sort of sexual slave. When that situation ends disastrously, Nancy moves in with Florence, a socialist activist and a tom. In the process of moving from relationship to relationship, Nancy learns more about herself and finally becomes comfortable with who she is.

Tipping the Velvet is a good book, but not a great book. The setting and historical detail are exquisitely sumptuous, but in the end the story is a simple one. It is a coming of age story that ends with a romance. Nancy starts out as a naive girl, not only not understanding her own sexuality, but really not understanding the ways of the world. As she moves through various aspects of London's society, she discovers that bad people and treachery abound. In the end, though, she is redeemed in her relationship with Florence, who not only is open about her sexuality, but pursues good causes, helping the poor and indigent. Nancy learns that her own background is honest and good, as she is herself.

In many ways, I wish I had read this before I had read Waters' third book, Fingersmith. Fingersmith was so astonishingly good that any other novel, especially a debut, would have a difficult time measuring up. Which is not to say that Tipping the Velvet is not a good book. Waters does a fantastic job of bringing Victorian London alive. There is so much period detail - you feel as if you have been dropped into the middle of the action. Unfortunately for me, though, I didn't particularly like Nancy. I found her to be a bit too naive, too overwrought, and found it difficult to have a lot of sympathy for her. But the other characters, especially the fascinatingly cruel Diana and her friends, helped balance the occasional annoyance I had with Nancy.
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LibraryThing member offsideher
Ya know, throughout this book I had to constantly wonder, what the heck would Nan's motivation be to do that? It's like 'Tipping the Velvet' was the book Nan crept away at night to write, 'The Absolutely True Adventures of Nan King... IF I hadn't been a complete wus, married this bungling bloke and
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spent the rest of my days shucking oysters.' Why is that? Because every big decision Nan makes throughout the book is the complete antithesis of who we come to know at the beginning of the book... and she never shakes the sweet oyster girl stench off of her. And this is what makes this book such an uneven read, you're constantly saying, 'What the...?' aloud. I suspect these were the fantasies of Waters youth, oh yeah and mine and every lesbian out there that decided to keep her mouth shut and move along quietly when confronted with a leather clad dildo when she was twenty-one. Regrets regrets... that's what Nan is, a would've, should've, could've girl... not a ' dahhling, could you dress me like a Roman slave boy' kind of girl -- as much as we all wish we had the nerve to don our togas. Ah well.
It's a pretty fun book, so you can't fault it there.
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LibraryThing member LiterateHousewife
I got a few Amazon gift certificates for Christmas last year and Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters was the first thing I bought for my Kindle. I've been curious about this story set in Victorian England forever and couldn't think of a better time to pick it up. I began reading it immediately and
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got lost in Nan's voyage of self-discovery sparked by seeing Kitty perform as a male impersonator or "masher" at the local theater. Opening herself up to her desire for another woman wasn't easy. Her family assumed that she would marry her fiance and she would live out her life in the same small town of Whitstable, Kent. That she could love another women was truly a revelation, but it was unwelcome to the family member she confided in and society in general. She's forced to make her own way in the world. While Nan is coming into her own, so is much of England. The Women's Sufferage movement was in full force and Nan's friends are heavily involved in the Socialists movement. Still, homosexuality was still very much something to repress and she lived in continual danger of harrassemen and violence. As difficult as it was to navigate in the swift and changing social climate, there is a power in knowing that your missteps and your triumphs are yours alone.

It's been three months now that I've been trying to write a review of this novel and I'm no closer today than I was the moment I finished the book. I simply loved Nan and wanted nothing more than for her to learn to love herself completely. I wanted her to love herself the way her father did. The book itself is in equal parts a love story, a cautionary tale about the cost of repression, a look the winds of social change in Victorian England with it's dark underbelly and a beautifully written and plotted novel that sucked me in from the moment I first began reading.

To do it justice I would need to write a paper on it. I can't come up with one tack to take in my review because I know that means leaving out so much that is important. Instead, I am going to share a couple of quotes that made me stop and think.

When Nan decides to leave her family home and travel with Kitty as her personal assistant, her family didn't know what to do. Although only her sister knew the truth about Nan's feelings for Kitty, her father was a wise enough to see that she needed to chase her fancy:

But children, he concluded, weren't made to please their parents; and no father should expect to have his daughter at his side for ever... 'In short, Nance, even was you going to the very devil himself, your mother and I would rather see you fly from us in joy, than stay with us in sorrow - and grow, maybe, to hate us, for keeping you from your fate.'

Her father reminded me so much of my own. He was a hard working man who loved his family above all else. His joy was complete only when his family was happy. I hope to keep his words in mind as my own daughters grow into young women.

This second quote comes after Nan experiences a huge heartbreak. In the heat of the moment, she makes a decision that impacts the rest of her life. She packed her bag and leaves:

It was heavy, and I staggered when I lifted it; but it was strangely satifying to have a real burden upon my shoulders - a kind of counterweight to my terrible heaviness of heart.

That moment and that quote felt so real to me. I could feel myself in her place and I wanted to help alleviate her burden.

I am sure that I'm doing Tipping the Velvet a disservice with this short post. I don't hardly dare call it a review. This book was spectacular, eye opening, and intelligent. The Little Stranger pales in comparison to Tipping the Velvet. I've got Affinity loaded up on my Kindle and I look forward to heading back to Victorian England with Sarah Waters. While keeping the note before my review in mind, I couldn't recommend this book more highly.
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LibraryThing member BeeQuiet
Sarah Water's coming of age story shows us a different side to Victorian London than we are used to being presented with in romantic fiction. Indeed there are many ways in which this book breaks the mold, as a story not just showing the process of a young woman, Nancy, coming to terms with her
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sexuality, but also her queering of gender identity.

This in itself is enough to make this tale powerful for women in a similar position in society today, those who feel that the boundaries set for them as a female do not fit. However beyond that, this is a beautiful exploration of love, heartbreak and learning from experience which anybody can relate to. The moving portrayal of losing someone and attempting to reconcile with the idea of making a life with someone new is something which truly affected me. Waters has done an amazing job on so many levels, as a work of historical fiction the world she creates resonates with more modern experiences whilst being true to the time setting itself and she has given the world a book which will no doubt help many people come to terms with their own feelings.
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LibraryThing member runaway84
A really good book for a debut. I didn't care much for the heroine, but the story was interesting nonetheless. Part 3 was my favorite part. Florence was by far my favorite character and I felt as though she brought out the real Nancy and I was happy with how the book ended. I can't wait to dig into
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Sarah Waters' other work.
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LibraryThing member snash
Erotica, historical fiction, coming of age story, character portrait... The book was all of these. There were times when I lost my empathy for the main character, but they were times when she was lost herself. I rode the roller coaster with her and was thrilled as she found herself again. It was a
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good and daring book. Besides the character study, it was interesting for its historical setting and view of society.
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LibraryThing member cestovatela
A well-researched but mediocre novel. Nancy, the main character, feels less like a person than a tool for exploring the venues of turn-of-the-century lesbianism. As a closeted vaudeville performer, streetside prostitute, social activist and "kept woman," Nancy explores every corner of London's
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lesbian society in the span of a few short years. In order achieve that, she has to live through a soap operatic plot that fell short of real emotional resonance.
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LibraryThing member bikerevolution
I normally hate lesbian fiction, but Sarah Waters is really truly amazing. Tipping the Velvet follows small-town oyster girl Nan as she performs her way through different settings, attempting to find a space where she can find agency, love, and be herself. Yes, there are a lot of hot scenes in
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here, but the sex isn't the only thing at play here; the story is captivating, and you can't help but cheer Nan on. I think this book will touch even those "non-lesbians"-types out there.
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LibraryThing member Her_Royal_Orangeness
Set in Victorian England, “Tipping the Velvet” is about the sexual awakening of Nancy Astley/Nan King. The book follows her journey from an innocent young woman falling in love with a cross-dressing music hall performer, to her escapades as a transvestite prostitute, to her experience as an s&m
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slave of a wealthy woman.

Two things bothered me greatly about “Tipping the Velvet.” One, women are often only attracted to other women if they are dressed as men, and men are only attracted to other men if they are young boys (or women pretending to be young boys). Two, the vast majority of the sexual encounters are perverse, vulgar, and selfish. Not to get on a soapbox about this, but don’t straight people already have enough of a skewed perspective about homosexuality without giving them the kind of evidence provided in this book? I really don’t understand what Sarah Waters was trying to accomplish (or why this book won the Lambda Literary Award for lesbian fiction).

Also, the story arch and the character development are not well done. You know that game where you try to keep a balloon aloft, with each player tapping the balloon to prevent it from hitting the ground? Nan King’s life is like that balloon. She floats through life, continually batted to and fro by circumstances. She seems to have no will, no personality….she just bounces from one thing to the next as situations present themselves.

The author does have talent - she’s a gifted storyteller and she does well at creating a sense of time and place. Despite being mostly annoyed the whole time I was reading, I enjoyed the book….if that makes any sense. I like Sarah Waters' writing style, and I certainly plan to read more of her work. But I wouldn’t recommend “Tipping the Velvet” to anyone.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
This was a re-read... it was the first Waters novel I'd read, and I read it because I saw (and loved) the film. But elements of the film and the book were getting a bit confused in my head, plus I'd run out of books by Waters to read, so I thought I'd read this one again.
It's really an excellent
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book - it's both a convincing and touching narrative of a young woman's path to maturity and a true understanding of love, and an exciting tour through 19th-century London's demimonde. Erotic without being gratuitous, it's got scenes and characters that will stick with you for years.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
Tipping the Velvet presents the life and times of Nancy Astly, an oyster girl, who falls in love with male impersonator Kitty Butler. After forming a friendship with Kitty, she follows her into the theaters of London, where she works as a dresser (helping Kitty with costumes) before becoming a
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performer herself. This beautifully told story is a sensual exploration of love and the ability of gender roles. Waters is a master of historical fiction and I loved this almost as much as I loved Fingersmith.
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LibraryThing member Winterrain
After finishing this book, I am at a loss for why there aren't more queer novels set in the 1890s- you'd think that, after seeing what Sarah Waters managed to get out of it, every author would want to try. It's an amazing book- Waters doesn't cut corners, and everything is told in great, but never
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excessive detail. I didn't always like Nancy- in fact, I usually disliked her- but I always found her believable. She makes some decisions that are not wise, particularly in relation to her family, but they are decisions I can see myself or any of my friends making.
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LibraryThing member Sovranty
More than historical fiction; more than lesbian erotica; more than the quintessential coming-of-age story. Tipping the Velvet reveals the raw emotions felt by every individual on their path to sexual maturity and self discovery.

Stumbling onto Sarah Waters has been one of the best accidents to
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occur to me. I look forward to reading more of her work, and I hope she continues to write far into the future.
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LibraryThing member redswirl3
I loved the read, loved the book. I was moved to tears. I saw myself, my friends and even twist in my own life within the pages. When that happens, I know I have a book I will reread and keep on my shelf to share with friends that I trust to bring my beloved book home. Wonderful love story! I
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really enjoyed learning about a slice of history that was unfamiliar. Just Wonderful!!
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LibraryThing member Tatiana_G
Well, I definitely have never read anything like this before. I dare you to read this book's synopsis and not get curious at least a little bit. The moment I set my eyes on a short description of Tipping the Velvet on the 1001 Must Read Before You Die Books list, I knew I had to read it.
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Cross-dressing lesbians, kept women, music hall singers, renter "boys" - I mean, what's not to like?

First and foremost, this is a book about lesbians (my first!) and written by one at that, so as far as the relationships in this novel are concerned, they are authentic in my mind. (I don't know about you, but I just hate it when straight authors write "gay books," particularly erotica. What can they possibly know?) I found myself quite ignorant of how such relationships work. Lesbian relationships, contrary to my uneducated beliefs, can be as abusive and destructive as the heterosexual ones. And, of course, there is lesbian sex. A few fairly explicit scenes (with "equipment"!), but the book doesn't turn into overly gratuitous trashfest.

Second, in spite of its scandalous premise, the book is historically accurate. It comes as a shock to find out that there was a whole strata of women exploring their (homo)sexuality so freely in 1890s. After reading Edith Wharton's novels where women are too afraid to even get a divorce, it is a revelation to know that there were society women who kept female lovers and organized orgies. This, however, doesn't mean that in this book women go around doing whatever they please. Waters accompanies Nan's erotic adventures with a solid social context - same-sex relationships have to be secret, women known as "toms" are stigmatized, there is a legal punishment even.

I personally found this book very interesting. An imperfect, but strong debut. It is erotic without being vulgar, well researched but entertaining, well written without being boring. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it takes a while for the story to pick up steam. The first 130 pages are a little dull, but after that the novel is impossible to put down. Needless to say, Tipping the Velvet won't be my last Sarah Waters novel.

P.S. Due to the naked women on the cover this edition is a little challenging to read in public.
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
Fun, light Victorian novel about Nancy Astley, a blue collar oyster shucker who leaves her small town to act on stage in London. The book portrays an interesting picture of Victorian England, just at the beginning of social reform for the working class. Nancy starts her stage career as a 'masher' -
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a woman who dresses in men's clothing, which was scandalous for the times. Nancy falls in love with her costar, another 'masher' named Kitty, and Nancy soon realizes that she is a lesbian. What I found interesting was that although some people disapproved of her relationships, she was accepted in many circles. Here we are now in 2009 - women can wear pants, women can vote, we have labor laws and yet we still have not advanced as far as accepting sexual differences. Overall a good light romance with a bit of social commentary.
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LibraryThing member _debbie_
It seems almost improper that this book gets lumped under "lesbian fiction." It's so much more than that.

I came across this book while looking for something completely engrossing and entertaining in that old-school Dickens sort of way. Characters and places that pull you in and wrap you up in an
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engaging experience unlike your own.

What I found was a mesmerizing tale of Victorian England's sub-culture and the richly described characters who were part of it. This is a larger-than-average book, but I raced toward the end at breakneck speed wanting to read more and more about these people. Yet, as I got toward the end of the novel, I was torn between wanting to finish and wanting to savor our last minutes together.

This is an unbelievably good novel for any author, and especially for an author's first novel. I will be reading more of Sarah Waters' books.
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LibraryThing member CurrerBell
I finally got around to "Tipping the Velvet" and I'm not that crazy about it. It had a little too much, for me, the flavor of a Harlequin romance.

This may be a bit unfair. I read "Affinity" (which I gave 5*****) quite some years ago and only just recently finished "Fingersmith" (which I gave
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four-and-a-half), so I've read these three books in reverse order. It would be surprising, of course, if Waters didn't improve from one book to the next.

With that in mind, I'll give "Tipping the Velvet" 3***. Though it doesn't have the gothic twists of Waters's two subsequent novels, it's probably unfair of me to judge "Tipping the Velvet" by the standards of later work. As an historical romance, though, I wouldn't rate "Tipping the Velvet" anywhere near Isabel Miller's "Patience and Sarah."
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LibraryThing member wester
A nice read, ever so slightly darker than the tv adaptation.
LibraryThing member angharad_reads
I'd read "Fingersmith" first, by the same author. I much prefer it. This novel reminded me a lot of "The Jungle": many separate lives are crammed into a narrative about only one person. Too contrived and melodramatic that way, I felt. I enjoyed each section, but they were divided so completely. I
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might've enjoyed it more if I hadn't read it all in one day.
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LibraryThing member ladybug74
I enjoyed Fingersmith, so I thought I would also try this one. I was surprised at how much I really did enjoy this book. It was a great historical novel. It was just a tad slow starting for me, but once Nan met Kitty and the story really got started, I could hardly put it down.

Awards

Lambda Literary Award (Winner — 1999)
Publishing Triangle Awards (Finalist — 2000)
Betty Trask Prize and Awards (Award Winner — Shortlist — 1999)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1998-02-05

Physical description

488 p.; 5.18 inches

ISBN

1573227889 / 9781573227889
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