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)

enjoyable and uniquely told

disappointed with the ending but still enjoyed the book overall. prime made a miniseries out of it which was done well also.

A better listen at 1.35 speed

I really enjoyed this story. It's definitely a slower pace and very detailed, but it drew me in almost immediately. My only complaint is the narrator speaks very slowly and has long pauses between sentences, so the best way to listen is at a faster speed. I typically listen to my books at 2x, but this one felt more appropriate to slowly soak in. 1.35 was the best speed I found for a natural pace.

Exvellent and dark

This is the first first person book that i have enjoyed. It was written in such a way that the narrative style isn't even noticable. Other first person books scream this style in stilted and defiant screeches, daring the reader to enjoy them.

This book enthralled me so deeply that the length had no ill effects.

What was the point/purpose

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. I put it down several times, but was determined to give it the benefit of the doubt. It seems the writer couldn't decide on where to take the story, could not establish a consistent plot, very disappointing.

Has The Crimson Petal and the White turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, its not the genre, it's the writer. The writer has talent, but seemed to lack focus.

What aspect of Jill Tanner’s performance would you have changed?

Eliminating the constant "story teller" interjections, allowing for more character interactions and their communicating the story.

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

No, and the ending (or lack there of) only emphasizes my first reaction to put the book down.

Any additional comments?

This could have been a really good read, if...

Wonderful language

Loved the rich language and well developed characters but was quite disappointed by the very abrupt ending.

Incredibly Unsatisfying Ending

When you listen to a book for as long as this one took, you expect an actual ending. Very disappointing that things did not wrap up more fully than they did.

Oddly interesting

Would you listen to The Crimson Petal and the White again? Why?

No. I don't generally listen to a book more than once.

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

I don't think so. It is a very queer book and the folks I know would probably not enjoy that.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jill Tanner?

Yes I would

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed in the ending. I very much wanted to have it come to an actual conclusion.

Hello? There was absolutely a defined ending!

For those complaining about the ending being abrupt and leaving you hanging, let me simplify: Sugar realized that the way to true love was not with a man, but through her connection and unconditional love with this little neglected girl. She achieved her goal in a different way than she had envisioned. Character growth, done. Why is this so difficult to understand? It’s a very satisfying ending. Both she and Sophie were alone and neglected by those who were supposed to love them. They found each other. William- got his just desserts, ended up alone for being the jerk he is. The rest died, so that’s pretty cut and dry. Emeline Fox, well she didn’t really have much conclusion. I will admit that. Plus, she seemed to take Henry’s death like it was no big deal, even though he was the love of her life. Overall, this story literally transports you into this world and it’s often seedy, raunchy and graphic. But it’s real and it does it’s job. Want to literally travel to 1870’s London? Here you go! Right down to the smallest detail, everything is painted perfectly.

Add my name to the list of devoted fans!

What a brilliant book. I hung on every word of this amazing tale. I thought I would be less than pleased with the ending, but it felt just right to me. I'm so glad I took a chance on it. It will be one of my favorite "re-reads" in years to come. Michel Faber is a genius. And Jill Tanner does him proud!

Keeps you interested, but no driving force.

The book starts off in a peculiar format that is intriguing for the reader, but as it progresses there is no real driving force to the plot. This isn't so bothersome if you are content just to listen about various stories of general life, but if you are looking for more of a plot, find a different book. The characters are fairly well developed which is good since the entire book focusses on learning more about them. The ending leaves much to be desired though.