Affinity (Virago V S.)

by Sarah Waters

[nannah]

I've always heard of Sarah Waters, but I've never actually read (or watched an adaptation) anything by her until now. It's the type of story that really doesn't leave your mind after you're done reading ... given that I stayed up googling "But did this REALLY ____", "Okay, but how did _____" etc. It's also a relatively slow book at first until suddenly things are going faster and faster until you're just as stunned as the protagonist at where/how things are going. But I'm not about to give anything away.

Book content warnings:
suicide
abuse

Margaret Prior, an upper-class lady recovering from a suicide attempt, is visiting the women of Millbank Prison in an act of charity and in hopes that she will also gain some benefit and ... "perspective". It's there she meets (and becomes more and more fascinated by) Selina Dawes, the Spiritualist, imprisoned after one of her Seances left a woman dead. Margaret doesn't believe in her powers at first, but as her visits to the women's wards grow more frequent, she becomes entangled in Selina's Spirits. It eventually manifests into a plot to free Selina, but the plot is much more complicated than Margaret thinks.

I was definitely not prepared for this book. It's not a fast read, and it's not a lightweight read, that's for sure. But wow, I didn't think it would be that intense, either. I really don't want to give anything away, though, so I won't spill anything about how it ends.

Is it a tragic lesbian book? Not quite. So don't be turned away by anyone who says that it's so. But it isn't a happy read either (then again if you're familiar with Sarah Waters, I think that's pretty clear anyway).

The book plays with "what-ifs" in almost every aspect. It's told through a series of journal entries in both Margaret and Selina's PoV's, so you're never sure what's true. Are Selina's spirits real? Is Peter Quick -- Selina's main Spirit -- real? You never find out, and after reading it really can go both ways. That's basically how the book reads. Many parts of it can go in several ways. It's up to you to decide how you want to view it.

I can't say I didn't enjoy the book, because it was just so well written! But it was just so heavy and dark that I think it wouldn't be something I'd read over and over again.