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kschmehl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
late_bette's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the plot of this book but thought it could have been wrapped up much sooner. It seemed to drag on and on; my interest wasn't held and I had to find the will to finish it. The characters were described in a way that seemed believable for the time period. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Frances and her mother and the commentary/descriptions of the changing social structure of the time. Although, Lilian's character drove me mad. At first I enjoyed her and then I was just wishing she would be written out somehow. Spoiler, she isn't.
ldomo's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A slow burn. But in a good way.
belwood303's review against another edition
2.0
It says a lot about how easy it is to read Sarah Waters when a 564 page novel is finished in four or five days. I haven't read anything by her since the Night Watch came out but I saw this title on a must read fiction list and decided to give it a go. I can only say whomever made that list hadn't read anything else but Waters because this was not her best work. And I'll be honest I was disappointed by the ending, after all that reading it didn't feel right...
sarah_nera's review against another edition
2.0
I really did not enjoy this. Tipping the Velvet was entertaining, but this one was just... not.
beccafinney3's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Excellently written and a really interesting story but I do think it went on a bit too long
laurenmulvi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
frumpburger's review against another edition
4.0
Sarah Waters is a beautiful writer with a real penchant for writing complex, sprawling, Dickensian historical novels with a focus on lesbian relationships, class dynamics, and the London of the past. I won’t rehash the plot here, but suffice to say, while some of the drama in The Paying Guests feels a bit contrived, this novel is, by turns, sexy, romantic, suspenseful and frightening, and there is some real tension and intrigue presented in its pages.
I do believe, in fact, that this is my second favorite Waters novel of the four I have read—after Fingersmith, that is.
I do believe, in fact, that this is my second favorite Waters novel of the four I have read—after Fingersmith, that is.