Affinity

Affinity
by Sarah Waters

★★★★☆ 

It’s 1874 and Margaret Prior is a spinster at only 29. She’s trapped in an oppressive life with her mother and sees no escape. She’s grieving the loss of her father and the end of a recent romance. She decides to begin visiting Millbank Prison as a “Lady Friend” giving comfort to the female prisons there. She forms a particular attachment with the prisoner Selina Dawes, a spiritualist jailed when she hosts a séance that ends badly.

This one started out pretty slow for me. Fingersmith and The Little Stranger were both more enthralling at the start, but I hung in there and the pay off was worth it. The beauty of Waters’ writing is the way it sneaks up on you and completely envelops you. Just when you think you have a pretty good idea how things are going to unfold, you get blindsided, but in a good way! I actually thought I knew exactly how it was going to end and I was a bit disappointed with what I thought was coming. Luckily for me I was completely wrong. 

Calling this a mystery or ghost story would be ignoring the depth of the book. It is a gothic tale, but it also covers so many different topics: the vast divides in the Victorian class system, depression, sexuality, the nineteenth century obsession with spiritualism and so much more! While crafting this story, Waters lulls you into a false sense of security. You focus on the obvious things, the horrific scenes from the jail, Margaret’s struggle with her feelings for others, all of which are fascinating. But the whole time you’re looking right, a complex tale is being built off to your left and result is intense. 

BOTTOM LINE: Waters has an incredible gift for crafting stories. Even if the story starts out slow, the end makes it all worthwhile. If you’re a fan of gothic stories this one is a safe bet. 

I read this as part of the R.I.P. Challenge.  

A few more excellent reviews:

You’ve Gotta Read This! and Chasing Bawa

R.I.P. Challenge and The Mysterious Affair at Styles

 

I participated in Carl's R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, (R.I.P.) Challenge for the first time last year and I loved it! Here's more about it in his own words...

The purpose of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VII is to enjoy books and movies/television that could be classified (by you) as: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Supernatural, etc.

I am absolutely joining in the fun again this year, I'm just a bit late to the game because of our recent road trip. I'm joining at the Peril the First level, meaning I'll read four books that qualify. The challenge runs until Oct. 31st.

I'm planning on reading the following books:  
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (completed this week and reviewed below)
- In the Woods by Tana French
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (a re-read as part of the RIP Group Read) 

- Affinity by Sarah Waters

I might add The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to that list if I have time. I hope you'll join in if you feel like it!

Images and more info can be found here.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles
by Agatha Christie
★★★★

When I started this one I didn’t realize it was Christie’s first published novel and it introduced the world to Hercule Poirot, the now infamous detective. After reading it I can easily understand why Christie became such a hugely successful author.

A murder takes place in an old English manor and suspicion falls on all of the family members of the deceased who live there. The book even provides a “Clue style” map of the home showing its layout and all entrances and exits. There are a few red herrings and fun twists, all-in-all it’s a satisfying mystery.

The story is told through the point-of-view of Lieutenant Hastings. He is the Watson to Poirot’s Sherlock. Their relationship is a constant source of entertainment throughout the novel. Hastings is a typically Englishman, all manners and cups of tea, while Poirot is at times exuberant or flustered, but always carefully calculating and processing all he sees. I thought it was hilarious that Hastings’ kept thinking Poirot was getting a little old and loosing his touch when really Hastings just hadn’t caught up with his thought process yet.

BOTTOM LINE: A classic Christie mystery, not my all-time favorite, but a fun introduction to her large body of work.

“If the fact will not fit the theory, let the theory go.”

p.s. I couldn’t help but think of the Doctor Who episode with Agatha Christie from season 4 while I was reading this one. I love Doctor Who.