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Cover of Fingersmith by Sarah WatersFingersmith
Modern · Fiction, Classics, LGBT

Fingersmith

by Sarah Waters
2002 · 548 pages · Fiction
74.2Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick
≈ 14 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Sue Trinder is an orphan raised among thieves in a London den in the 1860s. A con man called Gentleman offers her a part in a scheme: become the maid to a sheltered heiress, Maud Lilly, in a gloomy country house, and help him win Maud's hand and her fortune, then have her locked away in an asylum. Sue agrees. Then everything turns.

Why it's worth reading

It was a Booker finalist, and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a twisting Victorian crime novel with one of the great plot reversals in modern fiction.

You'll love it if you liked

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RebeccaDaphne du Maurier
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The Blind AssassinMargaret Atwood
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OutlanderDiana Gabaldon

Good to know

Avoid spoilers; the twists are the point. It's long, with sexual content between women. Park Chan-wook's film The Handmaiden moves the story to Korea.

By the numbers

74.2Must-Read Score
  • Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Booker Prize finalist (2002)Women's Prize for Fiction finalist (2002)
On the lists
Guardian 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

Reads as

Moving, Thought-provoking

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Fingersmith worth reading?

Yes. It was a Booker finalist, and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #875 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.2 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Fingersmith about?

Sue Trinder is an orphan raised among thieves in a London den in the 1860s. A con man called Gentleman offers her a part in a scheme: become the maid to a sheltered heiress, Maud Lilly, in a gloomy country house, and help him win Maud's hand and her fortune, then have her locked away in an asylum. Sue agrees. Then everything turns.

How long does it take to read Fingersmith?

About 14 hours (548 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Fingersmith?

If you liked it, try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood or Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.