The Crimson Petal and the White

By: Michel Faber

Narrated by: Jill Tanner

Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

NOW A MAJOR BBC DRAMA starring Romola Garai, Chris O'Dowd, Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Shirley Henderson, and Mark Gatiss.

'Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them....' So begins this irresistible voyage into the dark side of Victorian London. Amongst an unforgettable cast of low-lifes, physicians, businessmen, and prostitutes, meet our heroine Sugar, a young woman trying to drag herself up from the gutter any way she can. Be prepared for a mesmerising tale of passion, intrigue, ambition, and revenge.

©2011 Michel Faber (P)2011 W.F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"A big, sexy, bravura novel...wildly entertaining." (The New York Times)

"Irresistibly readable." (Ruth Rendell)

"Faber is the master of the spine-tingling page-turner, while creating a wholly believable universe." (Dazed and Confused)

Delicious and unexpected morsel of literature.

I could not put it down. the characters are deep and well rounded, with stories as interesting as the main plot. I will be buying this is hardcover to add to my collection of favorites.

Eager for more

I read this novel several years ago, listening to the audiobook renewed my love for Sugar.

Little too graphic in some areas for me, however..

What did you like best about The Crimson Petal and the White? What did you like least?

Good story.. some parts a bit repetitive, I wish the ending didn't feel like the author simply quit writing, possibly planning a sequel. I did enjoy the book and would read a sequel to see if the characters get out of the pickle they are in. Again more graphic than I am used to reading..so be prepared readers for some pretty descriptive language.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Ending?

Have you listened to any of Jill Tanner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, good job.

Do you think The Crimson Petal and the White needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Absolutely

Beautiful words and world but lacking plot

This audiobook has been in my library for 10 years now but I always skipped it because of the daunting 41+ hours of story. Finally, I jumped in. While I enjoyed the lush descriptions and detailed Victorian world, I found the vulgarity and lack of any real plot (at least one justified by the length) a frustration. While I did finish it, if I had a chance to do it over again, I wouldn’t.

This narrator!

Different in every way from Under The Skin but in a good way. I will look into Fabers other works next.

MESMERIZING STORY, HISTORICAL AMBIENCE, BUT.....

I loved this book - every word of it, from the very unusual start.....right down to the last words BEFORE the ending. You quickly become immersed in the hidden Victorian world of sex for sale and the sinners who consider themselves perfect gentlemen in every way - with no thought or understanding of the women they use and abuse, whether whores, wives or servants.

All the realistic and captivating characters are totally believable, and the narrator clearly defines them. The plot has twists and turns that are, for the most part, not too surprising. But the characters, and the story, carry you forward, and keep you caring about the characters - with hope that the story will be true to their personalities and the expected choices that they should make.

You quickly find yourself cheering for an extraordinary 'fallen woman' and hoping that she will overcome all the odds against her. Then wonderful things begin to happen to this deserving woman, and you want this to be the best 'Cinderella story' of all time. But I don't want to spoil the ending for you.

Under ordinary circumstances, I would have rated this book at 5 stars. But, the sudden, unexpected ending really ticked me off - and I down-graded the rating by 1 star. This is ?going to be? or is ?now? a BBC series - so I must assume that the reason for the abrupt ending for the book is because a SECOND season (and book) will soon be on our reading horizon. Curses on the ending of a series that leaves you hanging! But it's nice to know that you will eventually 'know all', when the next season begins. I am looking forward to seeing the TV series - and certainly looking forward to another book that continues with the life of Sugar - a very unusual lady of the night.

A Contemporary Dickens

What a fantastic story. From the first word to the last! A contemporary Dickens, Mr. Faber has written a cast of characters to warm the heart and treat the eye in 1860's London. With just enough sex to shock a Victorian, he leads us on a journey of vice and redemption. Even the superb narrator adds humanity with occasional growls of tummy!

Unremitting sordidness

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not. I had to stop - none of the characters were very good people, and the constant sordid nature of the plot and motives got to me after a while. The author has talent and writes very well. The construct was imaginative. But ...

Would you recommend The Crimson Petal and the White to your friends? Why or why not?

Probably not.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Liked her accent.

Was The Crimson Petal and the White worth the listening time?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

Obviously this appeals to others much mor than to me. I have been disappointed in my recent choices and will stick to known authors or reread some of the ones I have enjoyed in the past for a while.

Unexpectedly engaging

Well written, never lost its pace. The plot took some unexpected turns, the heroine never disappointed me, although there were a few moments near the end when I did worry she would. Kept me engaged right up to the last moment. An unresolved but satisfying end, just as sometimes happens in life.

A set of credible historical characters in an historical drama

There’s plenty of tragedy here, yet I found myself laughing at the end at the lamentable state of the main male character. Jerk, he deserved what he got, just as Sugar wrote in her novel. I wonder how far away she and Sophie went.