Infuriatingly unsatisfactory and pointless

Let me start by saying that I love the language of this book, despite the obsession with the word 'flaccid' (which is used to describe everything from a piece of paper to an overcoat). I also love the care and detail with which the characters are drawn.

What I HATE, however, is the ending. And I do mean ending, not conclusion, as Faber lacks the inclination or ability to wrap up any of the plots or elucidate the remaining mysteries. Regardless of whether there's a sequel, one has a right to expect every book to be a complete story and that The Crimson Petal and the White is not.

It also doesn't have any point to it, unless one counts depicting Victorian misogyny, which I think most of us are aware of and could have been dealt with in far fewer pages.

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Brilliantly captivating - needs a sequal

Its very long but I would sit through it again because its describes the Victorian filth superbly. You can almost smell the streets.

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it just ends

Any additional comments?

It's a very long very enjoyable book but it does end very abruptly, I felt compelled to download 'The Apple', his book of short stories featuring several of the characters but that still leaves you wanting to know more.

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Post modern Victorian Gothic

Where to begin? This a very Dickensian told a very Dickensian way but without having to bow to the social niceties that Dickens was constrained by. It is also a book about women by someone who obviously loves women - which to my mind makes it an unique and interesting read/ listen.
The story is incredibly well researched and has left me wanting more and fascinated by Victorian social history.
The only very small fly in the ointment was Ms Tanners ' performance, several words were mispronounced such as forte and some other French words her yorkshire' accent was quite Scottish. She also used the word ' normalcy' early in the book but thank fully later on the word became 'normality'. Not having read the book I can't say if this was what was written or not.

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Stay with it...

An extraordinary amount of research has gone into creating this book about Victorian morality and fascinating it is too. It took me a while to get into it, long descriptions are often off putting, but it rewarded my patience and the 40 odd hours flew by. The choice of narrator is perfect and the story she tells is gripping and illuminating. I loved it. More please...a sequel perhaps...

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Marvellous... aside from...

...the need for the narrator to go and spend some time up north, and then further north to help her distinguish between what a Yorkshire accent should sound like as opposed to Mrs Doubtfire...

The story is ruddy marvellous though...

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Absolutely Excellent

Excellent book. Not for the faint hearted some very explicit language, but great story.... Great

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Well narrated,

I enjoyed this book, narrated brilliantly. Good story and characters but was dissapointed with the ending.

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Long and tedious

The narrator did a sterling job of a dull story. Oh, I'm sure the author thought all the sex and naughty words would keep us amused; what a low opinion of the reader they have.

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Very realistic!

Characters very well drawn and an amazing well researched view of Edwardian London.
I was immersed in the story and I really enjoyed it.

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