Tipping the Velvet: A Novel

· Sold by Penguin
4.6
56 reviews
Ebook
480
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

“Erotic and absorbing…Written with startling power.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
Nan King, an oyster girl, is captivated by the music hall phenomenon Kitty Butler, a male impersonator extraordinaire treading the boards in Canterbury. Through a friend at the box office, Nan manages to visit all her shows and finally meet her heroine. Soon after, she becomes Kitty's dresser and the two head for the bright lights of Leicester Square where they begin a glittering career as music-hall stars in an all-singing and dancing double act. At the same time, behind closed doors, they admit their attraction to each other and their affair begins.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
56 reviews
Caley
April 3, 2016
This has got to be my new favorite book. Whoever you are, there's a relatable, real element to every character, so much that you feel like you know them. The protagonist, Nancy, is beautifully flawed, selfish and naive at times, but you end up loving her anyway. She goes through so many ups and downs, it's like a half dozen stories all in one, and each arc has its own universe. It's not so separate that the plot is patchy, though- each event is united by how they affect Nancy. The plot, the characters, the vibrance and realness of the settings, the frank yet charming prose, I don't know how else to say it, there is nothing not to love about this book.
2 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
October 14, 2012
Saw the BBC film first then decided I needed to read the book. The film was good, the book fantastic. Sarah Waters quickly became a favorite author.
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jennifer jessup
July 1, 2015
I was immersed in the story. I saw bits of my own life and experience reflected in NAn's story. It made me believe in happy endings after all.
4 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Sarah Waters is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Paying GuestsThe Little Stranger,The Night WatchFingersmith, Affinity, and Tipping the Velvet. She has three times been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, has twice been a finalist for the Orange Prize, and was named one of Granta’s best young British novelists, among other distinctions. Waters lives in London.

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