Sarah Waters - The Night Watch

[Marina]

Am absolutely devouring this, having not been totally impressed with Fingersmith.
Anyone else read/ing and enjoyed? Harrowing in parts but such believable and rounded characters

oh, yes it is good. I read an extract in Granta, I think, and was hooked.

Weirdly though I think I was reading the actual whole book chez PILs and never finished it - which means maybe I wasn't completely hooked.

Have been meaning to get this as I loved Fingersmith. Not so taken with Tipping the Velvet, still have Affinity to read. Give the book a rating when you have it finished. Any chance this one is about lesbians too???

There are indeed lesbians, and what I think were known as "pansies" at the time multitasker
It is a beautifully researched, evocative "good read", which makes me boggle that it has managed to sneak on to the Man Booker Shortlist.
I will be finishing it I think bink - I am getting a sense that some catastrophic event during the war links all the main characters and have to know what that is (and what Duncan is in prison for).

Am now intrigued... Will go and ring the library.

and when you have finished it, Marina, and it is just languishing on your shelf, I don't suppose you might be so kind ...?

Anyone read Affinity?

Ah, bink, mine is actually a library copy sorry
Thread for City lunch with dino started in Meet-Ups btw

I've read Affinity and really enjoyed it - as much for all the historical detail as the story.
fancy Night Watch now.
I've just finished On Beauty and need something genuinely good to follow that - as it was a tip top read.
Hello Marina - by the way - hope the blanket went well.

I am eyeing it dubiously for precisely that reason (lurking under a Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian) batters, so it is good to hear it's a good read

It's inspired me to try to knit one myself this winter, as the family's sick blanket iykwim so thanks for that

I've just finished it and didn't like it as much as the fingersmith. I thought the male characters were really weak. Anyone else read any of the other books on the booker shortlist?

Booker shortlist - of course, it's just out - thanks for reminding me!

I haven't read any of them - haven't even heard of many of them yet. Shameful.

(Here they are, by the way:

Desai, Kiran The Inheritance of Loss - Hamish Hamilton
Grenville, Kate The Secret River - Canongate
Hyland, M.J. Carry Me Down - Canongate
Matar, Hisham In the Country of Men - Viking
St Aubyn, Edward Mother?s Milk - Picador
Waters, Sarah The Night Watch - Virago)

Canongate is doing well, isn't it.

Don't mean to hi-jack thread (are the book club threads 'members only', or can any old poster join in??) but was going to suggest this as one to read for my local reading group. Haven't read it myself yet but liked the idea of the backwards narrative.

Of course, I could just lurk in the background, pilfer all the most intelligent and perceptive comments then pass them off as my own...

Now I've just started this one so please - no negative posts until I'm finished, give me a couple of weeks

I have just finished it and loved it multitasker, how's that
I think it would be an excellent choice for a Book Club EmmyLou - provided you can be confident that none of its members is a closet homophobe. Some people are not comfortable around gay fiction even in this day and age.
Thanks for the list bink. Not sure which to tackle next...

Message withdrawn

Do you think Sarah Waters is a pansie Marina? Must check her website to see whats shes writing next.

Hmm, it is possible, multitasker! I love her writing, I thought whole descriptive passages in this latest book were so beautifully and convincingly realised.
I suppose I sort of agree that the male characters are not so rounded or well observed...but it doesn't detract from the overall success of the novel for me.

i used to share a flat with sarah waters ( a long time ago! students...) she was very nice and unassuming. i often think of her now and then think 'so that's what booker nominated authors are like', it seems so odd. i think i expect them to be...different...have a certain ready brek glow...
.
tbh the night watch is the fist one of hers i've fancied and if i can ever find time to finish 'theft' (not even shortlisted in the end, huh) i intend to read it.

oh, just realised this is a book club thread and i'm not a member - hope that isn't a breach... how do you join book club?! (not that i ever seem to find time to read)

You post here EnormousChanges, that's all It's not a Club club.
As a librarian I do love writers who do their research and it's so evident from SW's writing that she takes that time and uses the information well.

ah, ok, thanks Marina. Yes, i saw a piece on culture show (i think) about her and her research and she takes it very seriously..but without wearing it heavily if you see what i mean (a bit like rose tremain who also does acres of research for her books but manages to avoid the 'she switched the bakelite light switch off' trap - imo)

LOL 'ready brek glow'