Affinity

By: Sarah Waters

Narrated by: Juanita McMahon

Named Author of the Year at the 2003 British BookAwards, Sarah Waters is the author of Tipping the Velvet, a New York Times Notable Book.

Once inside the concrete walls of Millbank Prison, Margaret Prior, hired to speak with the female inmates, becomes all too aware that what she perceives to be reality may not be so. Bringing new ideas to her mind is the beautiful, but dangerous criminal Selina Dawes.

©1999 Sarah Waters (P)2003 W.F.Howes Ltd

Excellent book

Would you consider the audio edition of Affinity to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book in print, but I was able to absorb even the slower passages in this version. It takes a moment or two to get used to which diary is being read from, but once you do it makes very good sense.

What other book might you compare Affinity to and why?

I've read Sarah Waters' The Paying Guests and there are definitely similarities. I was a little but put off by some of the 'ghostly' aspects at first, but they made more sense as the book went on. I liked the use of a slightly untrustworthy narrator.

Have you listened to any of Juanita McMahon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to her before, but enjoyed most of her performance. The only real weakness was the american accents which were simply laughable-- it would have been better to simply go with an upperclass english accent rather than whatever scottish/southern hybrid seemed to be coming out of her mouth at those moments.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The denouement was very gripping.

Trying to review affinity

I dislike having 2 review a book I've not yet finished hearing. And now you require 8 more words. Something is not right abt yr system.

Intriguing

Sarah Waters created some fascinating characters with a variety of hidden secrets divulged gradually over the length of the story. The ending, however, left me somewhat perplexed and unsatisfied.

Steampunk spiritualist

Sarah Waters’ Affinity is a psychological slow-burn set in the late 19th century. A young woman who has attempted suicide after the death of her father, is recommended some charity work that involves speaking with incarcerated women. In this role, she encounters a jailed spiritualist. She becomes intrigued and after some background digging, she comes to believe the woman can truly engage the dead. At the same time, she gradually falls in love with the woman and proceeds to assist with her plans to escape.

Waters crafts a well-executed psychological thriller. Disparate pieces of information appear to confirm the bona fides of the jailed spiritualist as well as a following in the underground world of spiritualism. To complete the picture, ‘things’ begin to appear that were orchestrated by the spiritualist with assistance from beyond the grave. Throughout, there is overlayed a commentary on conditions and treatment of the penal system that was unique to female prisoners.

The narration is quite good with solid character distinction. Pacing is smooth and aligned with action.

Boring

I finished the book but only because I skipped quite a bit of it in the middle. The book is painfully dragging and boring.