Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

53 reviews

sapphoria's review against another edition

I might pick this back up but our main character took a turn that I just cannot get behind.  We are supposed to be made agitated, or hurt, or even angry by a good read, but this wasn't that.  It made no sense, it was a step too far, it simply didn't make sense.  As a result I did what I very rarely do... I put it down and just did not want to pick it back up.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Many people called this TOO explicitly graphic - within the 41% I read, I didn't find this at all. It's sexually explicit but I am not one to take to my fainting couch with some sexually graphic material.

paperquilt's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Transphobia, and Gaslighting

Minor: Racial slurs

kadomi's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Sarah Water's debut novel is a story of a butch lesbian living in Victorian London. First arriving as part of a 'masher' act, women acting as men in dancehalls, falling in love with her partner Kitty, she falls on harder times when Kitty breaks her heart and refuses to be a 'tom'. 

I did not always care for Nancy, the protagonist. She's selfish, narcissistic and definitely flawed, and I wanted to smack her up the head multiple times. But she gets a happy ending, Florence is a wonderful character, and well, if you ever wanted to read about strap-on dildos in times of yore, there's a book for you.

It made me appreciate how much easier it is for me today to be an out-lesbian, how far we've come, and how far we still have to go.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

katewhite77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-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? Yes

5.0

A Steamy Coming Of Age Novel 19th Century Style 

Our heroine tells her own story form the age of 19 to 25. She starts out as a sheltered music hall fan, working in the family oyster business. She ends up at a socialist convention in Golders Green. 

The tale between those two points is a captivating 19 hour listen but it is definitely not one for small ears. As always Waters writing is amazing she really brings the 19th century to life using all five senses. She really made me route for Nancy even though at times I wanted to scream Have A Word With Yourself at her.

I consider this a classic of my life time and can't believe it has taken me this long to get to, but now I have and I loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Lesbophobia

nekopersona's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Minor: Miscarriage and Lesbophobia

bdingz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is my first book by Sarah Waters and I don’t think it will be the last. I sometimes struggle with historical fiction featuring queer characters because I always have this sense they must be doomed somehow, but this story depicts joy as much as ut does despair. Some parts dragged a little, in my opinion, but it was almost autobiographical in style so I understand why it was as long and detailed as it was.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

A character used the n-word on one occasion in the third part of the book.

ranbara's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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? Yes

5.0

oh.. this is the book of all time. to be a tom from whitstable in 1888..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

thelaurasaurus's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A saucy lesbian romp around Victorian London, let down by a cast of characters who were either unlikeable or underwhelming. I’ve read and enjoyed three other Sarah Waters books, so I was surprised at how much of a slog this, her first novel, was. In some ways it felt like a series of set pieces rather than a fully formed story. In fact it was the final scene, spread across a day at a socialist rally, that saved it from a 2-star rating. 

 

I read the 20th anniversary edition, published in 2018, and it was interesting to read the new afterword, where Waters raises all of my complaints and more. I hadn’t thought of a novel as a snapshot of a period of an authors life in the way she describes it, so that was an interesting new perspective. 

 

If you’re looking to get into Sarah Waters, then The Night Watch, set in London during WWII, is my favourite. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia

juliastern__'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

clover_patch_story's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia