Tipping the Velvet: A Novel
by: Sarah Waters
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Amazon.com Review:
The heroine of Sarah Waters's audacious first novel knows her destiny, andseems content with it. Her place is in her father's seaside restaurant,shucking shellfish and stirring soup, singing all the while. "Although Ididn't long believe the story told to me by Mother--that they had found me as ababy in an oyster-shell, and a greedy customer had almost eaten me forlunch--for eighteen years I never doubted my own oysterish sympathies, neverlooked far beyond my father's kitchen for occupation, or for love." At nightNancy Astley often ventures to the nearby music hall, not that she hasillusions of being more than an audience member. But the moment she spies anew male impersonator--still something of a curiosity in England circa1888--her years of innocence come to an end and a life of transformationsbegins.
Tipping the Velvet, all 472 pages of it, is as saucy, astantalizing, and as touching as the narrator's first encounter with theseductive but shame-ridden Miss Kitty Butler. And at first even Nancy'sfamily is thrilled with her gender-bending pal, all but her sister, bestfriend, and bedmate, Alice, "her eyes shining cold and dull, with starlightand suspicion." Not to worry. Soon Nancy and Kitty are off to London, theirrelationship close though (alas for our heroine) sisterly. We know thatbliss will come, and it does, in an exceptionally charged moment. A lesserauthor would have been content to stop her story there, but Waters has muchmore in mind for her buttonholing heroine, and for us. In brief, herEverywoman with a sexual difference goes from success onstage to heartbreakto a stint as a male prostitute (necessity truly is the mother ofinvention) to keeping house for a brother and sister in the Labourmovement. And did I mention her long stint as a plaything in the pleasurepalace of a rich Sapphist extraordinaire? Diana Lethaby is as cruel as sheis carnal, and even the well-concealed Cavendish Ladies' Club isn'toutré enough for her. Kitting Nancy out in full, elegant drag, shedares the front desk to turn them away. "We are here," she mocks, "for thesake of the irregular."
Only after some seven years of hard twists and sensual turns does Nancyconclude that a life of sensation is not enough. Still, Tipping theVelvet is so entertaining that readers will wish her sentimental--andhedonistic--education had taken twice as long. --Kerry Fried
Product Description:
This stunning and steamy debut chronicles the adventures of Nan King, a small-town girl at the turn of the century whose life takes a wild turn of its own when she follows a local music hall star to London...
"Glorious...a sexy, sinewy sojourn of a young woman in turn-of-the-century England."--The Boston Globe
"Erotic and absorbing...If lesbian fiction is to reach a wider readership, Waters is the person to carry the banner."--The New York Times Book Review
"Wonderful...a sensual experience that leaves the reader marveling at the author's craftsmanship, idiosyncrasy and sheer effort."--The San Francisco Chronicle
"Amazing....This is the lesbian novel we've all been waiting for."--Salon.com
"Compelling...Readers of all sexes and orientations should identify with this gutsy hero as she learns who she is and how to love."--Newsday
"Echoes of Tom Jones, Great Expectations...Waters's debut offers terrific entertainment: pulsating with highly charged (and explicitly presented) erotic heat."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The heroine of Sarah Waters's audacious first novel knows her destiny, andseems content with it. Her place is in her father's seaside restaurant,shucking shellfish and stirring soup, singing all the while. "Although Ididn't long believe the story told to me by Mother--that they had found me as ababy in an oyster-shell, and a greedy customer had almost eaten me forlunch--for eighteen years I never doubted my own oysterish sympathies, neverlooked far beyond my father's kitchen for occupation, or for love." At nightNancy Astley often ventures to the nearby music hall, not that she hasillusions of being more than an audience member. But the moment she spies anew male impersonator--still something of a curiosity in England circa1888--her years of innocence come to an end and a life of transformationsbegins.
Tipping the Velvet, all 472 pages of it, is as saucy, astantalizing, and as touching as the narrator's first encounter with theseductive but shame-ridden Miss Kitty Butler. And at first even Nancy'sfamily is thrilled with her gender-bending pal, all but her sister, bestfriend, and bedmate, Alice, "her eyes shining cold and dull, with starlightand suspicion." Not to worry. Soon Nancy and Kitty are off to London, theirrelationship close though (alas for our heroine) sisterly. We know thatbliss will come, and it does, in an exceptionally charged moment. A lesserauthor would have been content to stop her story there, but Waters has muchmore in mind for her buttonholing heroine, and for us. In brief, herEverywoman with a sexual difference goes from success onstage to heartbreakto a stint as a male prostitute (necessity truly is the mother ofinvention) to keeping house for a brother and sister in the Labourmovement. And did I mention her long stint as a plaything in the pleasurepalace of a rich Sapphist extraordinaire? Diana Lethaby is as cruel as sheis carnal, and even the well-concealed Cavendish Ladies' Club isn'toutré enough for her. Kitting Nancy out in full, elegant drag, shedares the front desk to turn them away. "We are here," she mocks, "for thesake of the irregular."
Only after some seven years of hard twists and sensual turns does Nancyconclude that a life of sensation is not enough. Still, Tipping theVelvet is so entertaining that readers will wish her sentimental--andhedonistic--education had taken twice as long. --Kerry Fried
Product Description:
This stunning and steamy debut chronicles the adventures of Nan King, a small-town girl at the turn of the century whose life takes a wild turn of its own when she follows a local music hall star to London...
"Glorious...a sexy, sinewy sojourn of a young woman in turn-of-the-century England."--The Boston Globe
"Erotic and absorbing...If lesbian fiction is to reach a wider readership, Waters is the person to carry the banner."--The New York Times Book Review
"Wonderful...a sensual experience that leaves the reader marveling at the author's craftsmanship, idiosyncrasy and sheer effort."--The San Francisco Chronicle
"Amazing....This is the lesbian novel we've all been waiting for."--Salon.com
"Compelling...Readers of all sexes and orientations should identify with this gutsy hero as she learns who she is and how to love."--Newsday
"Echoes of Tom Jones, Great Expectations...Waters's debut offers terrific entertainment: pulsating with highly charged (and explicitly presented) erotic heat."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Great Book
I loved everything about this book except the cover art and the fact that it is not available in hardcover. I love the cover art in the limited edition but when I ordered that the seller balked and delivering it and although my money was returned I was not notified until it was too late to reorder it (I wanted it for a plane ride to Taiwan) so I had to settle for the normal edition and pay the exorbitant bookstore price because I needed it in 2 days. Now on to the actual book. This book is a masterpiece ... Read More
Rating: - Always a Delight to Reread
I loved this book, a coming-of-age story, a love story, a historical which gave a glimpse to a world I never knew existed.
I actually read this book ages ago, but wanted to give the author a nod right now, today, this very moment.
Why?
Because Amazon's new rule on sales ranking is horrid, discriminatory, all but bans brilliant books like Ms. Waters' to the back of the bus.
I wonder what the author thinks about this new rule.It infuriates me beyond belief, ... Read More
Rating: 
- Gender Performoance
I read this book the other day in one sitting. I wasn't sure what to expect, since a colleague from work had not been too keen with this particular novel. Overall, I enjoyed it. The book offered an interesting story and array of characters.
Is this Victorian era erotica? I am not sure that I would define if as such. Instead, it felt more like lesbian historical fiction. The audience for this book is wide, since the lay reader will enjoy it, as well as niche market readers. It would also be useful ... Read More
Rating: - Awesome Book!
I just finished reading this book and I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed it. I literally had to force myself to put it down. Sometimes one has to travel through extremes, without really appreciating or understanding, what those extremes are until, when a certain point in life has arrived.
I watched the dvd first, I bought it after watching the Fingersmith on dvd, and I just had to buy the book. Now, I have to watch the dvd AGAIN! Sarah Waters is awesome!
Rating: - Turn of the Century, London, Lesbians...yes, that's what I said...
Another moving and well written story by Sarah Waters.I don't want to say too much, the review from Publishers Weekly tells too much of the story, I think it's better to be surprised.
Nancy Astley narrates her life for the reader with candor and abandon.We can smell the oysters in Whitestable where she grew up an oyster-girl with her fishmonger family.We smell the grease-paint, hair oil and spilled beer of the music hall where she first sees the pretty Kitty Butler dressed as boy performing ... Read More
- Great BookI loved everything about this book except the cover art and the fact that it is not available in hardcover. I love the cover art in the limited edition but when I ordered that the seller balked and delivering it and although my money was returned I was not notified until it was too late to reorder it (I wanted it for a plane ride to Taiwan) so I had to settle for the normal edition and pay the exorbitant bookstore price because I needed it in 2 days. Now on to the actual book. This book is a masterpiece ... Read More
- Always a Delight to RereadI loved this book, a coming-of-age story, a love story, a historical which gave a glimpse to a world I never knew existed.
I actually read this book ages ago, but wanted to give the author a nod right now, today, this very moment.
Why?
Because Amazon's new rule on sales ranking is horrid, discriminatory, all but bans brilliant books like Ms. Waters' to the back of the bus.
I wonder what the author thinks about this new rule.It infuriates me beyond belief, ... Read More
- Gender PerformoanceI read this book the other day in one sitting. I wasn't sure what to expect, since a colleague from work had not been too keen with this particular novel. Overall, I enjoyed it. The book offered an interesting story and array of characters.
Is this Victorian era erotica? I am not sure that I would define if as such. Instead, it felt more like lesbian historical fiction. The audience for this book is wide, since the lay reader will enjoy it, as well as niche market readers. It would also be useful ... Read More
- Awesome Book!I just finished reading this book and I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed it. I literally had to force myself to put it down. Sometimes one has to travel through extremes, without really appreciating or understanding, what those extremes are until, when a certain point in life has arrived.
I watched the dvd first, I bought it after watching the Fingersmith on dvd, and I just had to buy the book. Now, I have to watch the dvd AGAIN! Sarah Waters is awesome!
- Turn of the Century, London, Lesbians...yes, that's what I said...Another moving and well written story by Sarah Waters.I don't want to say too much, the review from Publishers Weekly tells too much of the story, I think it's better to be surprised.
Nancy Astley narrates her life for the reader with candor and abandon.We can smell the oysters in Whitestable where she grew up an oyster-girl with her fishmonger family.We smell the grease-paint, hair oil and spilled beer of the music hall where she first sees the pretty Kitty Butler dressed as boy performing ... Read More
