Fingersmith could aptly be described in the following sentence: Fingersmith is a historical crime/erotic novel set during the Victorian era in Britain. The book tells the story of Sue Trinder and Maud (in the first section, Sue controls the narrative; in the second, Maud controls the narrative; in the third, Sue once again controls the narrative) as the two grow closer (at first in their friendship and later in their romantic relationship) despite everything that going on around them.
Upon release, Fingersmith was met with near-universal acclaim. The New York Times Book Review adored the book, calling it “Oliver Twist with a twist…Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.” Kirkus Reviews also called the novel "marvelous." However, the novel was not without detractors -- ever few they were. Some thought the novel, particularly the middle section, was a bit tedious and too long. Still, the prevailing sentiment around the world is that the novel is a masterpiece.
Fingersmith was also adapted into a film called The Handmaiden (2016). Directed by Park Chan-Wook, The Handmaiden, which Benjamin Lee of The Guardian called "a hugely entertaining thriller," was both a critical and financial success. On a budget of only $8.8 million, the film made back $37.7 million (a staggering amount for a foreign language film) at the box office.
