Affinity

De: Sarah Waters

Narrado por: Juanita McMahon

Named Author of the Year at the 2003 British BookAwards, Sarah Waters is the author of Tipping the Velvet, a New York Times Notable Book.

Once inside the concrete walls of Millbank Prison, Margaret Prior, hired to speak with the female inmates, becomes all too aware that what she perceives to be reality may not be so. Bringing new ideas to her mind is the beautiful, but dangerous criminal Selina Dawes.

©1999 Sarah Waters (P)2003 W.F.Howes Ltd

Excellent book

Would you consider the audio edition of Affinity to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book in print, but I was able to absorb even the slower passages in this version. It takes a moment or two to get used to which diary is being read from, but once you do it makes very good sense.

What other book might you compare Affinity to and why?

I've read Sarah Waters' The Paying Guests and there are definitely similarities. I was a little but put off by some of the 'ghostly' aspects at first, but they made more sense as the book went on. I liked the use of a slightly untrustworthy narrator.

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

I have never listened to her before, but enjoyed most of her performance. The only real weakness was the american accents which were simply laughable-- it would have been better to simply go with an upperclass english accent rather than whatever scottish/southern hybrid seemed to be coming out of her mouth at those moments.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The denouement was very gripping.

Trying to review affinity

I dislike having 2 review a book I've not yet finished hearing. And now you require 8 more words. Something is not right abt yr system.

What a plot twist!

What did you love best about Affinity?

The novel is perfectly paced for listening during several long walks/hikes.

What did you like best about this story?

I appreciated the author's ability to mask that phenomenal plot twist. I thought I had it all figured out, but...NOT SO.

The overarching theme is one of control. A desperate young spinster spends most of the novel wondering exactly who controls a younger, seemingly distressed prisoner. Both were so tragically disempowered (as unmarried women in 1870s Britain).

What does Juanita McMahon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator distinguishes the varied accents quite well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. The plot progressed too slowly and with FAR too much detail to consume it all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

You won't figure out the twist either!

It was okay

I read this book for bookclub as a murder mystery with a twist. It was okay. Not really my cup of tea.

Loved it, but some discrepancies

I absolutely enjoyed listening to the book, I also own the physical copy. I have noticed a few glitchs in the writing, as far as the dates... and one at the end which was dated for Selina 1873 and started that way but then ended with a last type of entry for Margaret.