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Tipping The Velvet

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 18,691 ratings · 1,081 reviews

This delicious, steamy debut novel chronicles the adventures of Nan King, who begins life as an oyster girl in the provincial seaside town of Whitstable and whose fortunes are forever changed when she falls in love with a cross-dressing music-hall singer named Miss Kitty Butler.

When Kitty is called up to London for an engagement on "Grease Paint Avenue", Nan follows as he...more

Paperback, 472 pages

Published 1999 by Virago (first published January 1st 1998)

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Feb 09, 2013 Steve aka Sckenda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of Unique Voice, of Transformations, and of Oysters

Shelves: british, britain, women-voices, victorian, historical-fiction, first-person, new-york-time-notable-book, first-novel, 1001

Nan Astley walks the smoky alleys and the resplendent public squares of London from 1885-1890 searching for herself. Nan loves music halls, cigarettes, mens' clothing-- and oysters. She describes the scent of “oyster-liquor” and brine on her fingers. Oysters hint of a larger world and foreshadow her heart’s deepest longings. Self-discovery and transformation are the dominant ideas in this book.

Indeed, Nan declares herself an “oyster girl, steeped in the flavors of the trade,” and one who never...more

59 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity by: Buddy read with Regina

Shelves: adult, glbt-or-lgbt, historical-romance, historical-fiction

"I feel like I've been repeating other people's speeches all my life. Now, when I want to make a speech, I hardly know how."
"If you are fretting over how to tell me you are leaving-"
"I am fretting," I said, "over how to tell you how I love you; over how to say that you are the world to me."

3.5 stars. This was my first foray into the writing of Sarah Waters. According to my friends, I have been missing out on some great lit. Now I'm no longer out of the loop!

Tipping the Velvet follows a young lady named Nan over the course of several years. We start with the early stirrings of her new found sexuality as she finds herself gazing adoringly upon a young female performer dressed in male clothing. The story continues throughout the various changes in her life which force her to take a long internal look at not only how she views the world around her, but also at how she views herself.

This is my first experience with historical lit that subtly invokes moments which remind me of an artistic erotic painting - sensual, moving, yet not completely garish. The story of Nan is about more than just who she chooses to love. The sexual moments are merely one small part of a girl who is on the road to her own self-discovery.

The writing was absolutely beautiful. I loved Ms. Waters' descriptions of the setting, the clothing, and the characters. Little details were captured vividly in my head - even such insignificant things as when Kitty went to kiss Nan's hand and Nan drew it back out of fear that her hands would smell like the oyster liquor which came from her time of working at her parent's seafood house. The way that it was described almost made Nan even that much more charming - as if she were different in her own very special way by having an uncommon occupation.

One thing that I love to read about in books is when the story comes full circle. Every event in Nan's life shapes who she is in the next moment. Every event ties to the previous. I often talk about moments in time - this is a glimpse into the life of a girl who shared several rare moments with several rare and original personality types. This is part of what made the story special.

If you're looking for a traditional romance story, this will not be the book for you. However, if you're looking for a story about a character finding oneself, you might enjoy the journey of Nan King. (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people curious about this sort of thing

Recommended to Tatiana by: 1001 Must Read list

Shelves: 1001, historical, 2010

As seen on The Readventurer

Well, I definitely have never read anything like this before. I dare you to read this book's synopsis and not get curious at least a little bit. The moment I set my eyes on a short description of Tipping the Velvet on the 1001 Must Read Before You Die Books list, I knew I had to read it. Cross-dressing lesbians, kept women, music hall singers, renter "boys" - I mean, what's not to like?

First and foremost, this is a book about lesbians (my first!) and written by one at...more As seen on The Readventurer

Well, I definitely have never read anything like this before. I dare you to read this book's synopsis and not get curious at least a little bit. The moment I set my eyes on a short description of Tipping the Velvet on the 1001 Must Read Before You Die Books list, I knew I had to read it. Cross-dressing lesbians, kept women, music hall singers, renter "boys" - I mean, what's not to like?

First and foremost, this is a book about lesbians (my first!) and written by one at that, so as far as the relationships in this novel are concerned, they are authentic in my mind. (I don't know about you, but I just hate it when straight authors write "gay books," particularly erotica. What can they possibly know?) I found myself quite ignorant of how such relationships work. Lesbian relationships, contrary to my uneducated beliefs, can be as abusive and destructive as the heterosexual ones. And, of course, there is lesbian sex. A few fairly explicit scenes (with "equipment"!), but the book doesn't turn into an overly gratuitous trashfest.

Second, in spite of its scandalous premise, the book is historically accurate. It comes as a shock to find out that there was a whole strata of women exploring their (homo)sexuality so freely in 1890s. After reading Edith Wharton's novels where women are too afraid to even get a divorce, it is a revelation to know that there were society women who kept female lovers and organized orgies. This, however, doesn't mean that in this book women go around doing whatever they please. Waters accompanies Nan's erotic adventures with a solid social context - same-sex relationships have to be secret, women known as "toms" are stigmatized, there is a legal punishment even.

I personally found this book very interesting. An imperfect, but strong debut. It is erotic without being vulgar, well researched but entertaining, well written without being boring. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it takes a while for the story to pick up steam. The first 130 pages are a little dull, but after that the novel is impossible to put down. Needless to say, Tipping the Velvet won't be my last Sarah Waters novel.

P.S. Due to the naked women on the cover this edition is a little challenging to read in public.(less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bonnie by: 1001 Books to Read Before You Die

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, 1001, adult, literary-fiction

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

4.5 stars
Sarah Water’s debut novel set in 1890s London is a delightfully shocking tale of exploring the boundaries of gender roles in the Victorian era. It's about finding out who you really are and being comfortable in your own skin and about overcoming heartache and finding love again.

The Storyline
’And was there at her side a slender, white-faced, unremarkable-looking girl, with the sleeves of her dress rolled up to her elbows, and a lock of lank...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Not anyone really, but I won't stop you from reading it either.

Recommended to Amanda by: From Coventry's "take my books" party

Shelves: dirty-dirty-dirty-dirty-dirty, recommended-by-others, 2010

LESBIAN SEX SCENES!!!

I knew that's all you wanted to hear about. I'm going to go on with my review, but you're welcome to stop reading now that you know the juicy stuff. And no, I will not go on to describe, in dripping detail, any of the aforementioned LESBIAN SEX SCENES. For shame, I know.

So anyway, a while back, my friend Coventry had piles and piles of books she was giving away and this was one of them. Seeing that it was written by Sarah Waters, I nabbed it immediately and placed upon my sh...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Fiona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: female-writers-fiction, lgbtq, 52-book-challenge-for-2011

When, last month, I selected this book from the collection of Sarah Waters novels upon my bookcase I was seriously struggling with my focus, concentration and motivation; I hoped, but I certainly did not expect (given my horridly-frustrating state of my mind), that this book might remedy me. From my perspective, 'Tipping the Velvet' was an absolute delight to read because it did not make any demands of me - Sarah Waters' debut novel applied a generous dollop of salve to my spirit which very much...more

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Feb 18, 2011 La Petite Américaine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kicked_ass

It's not often that I like a book, so listen up and listen well.

If someone had given me the bare bones outline of Tipping the Velvet and suggest I read it, I'd have kindly told them to piss off. I have a job, a kid to raise, and an already low tolerance for contemporary fiction. A book about cross-dressing lesbians in Victorian England wouldn't spark enough interest in me to get past the title page.

Silly me. Good thing I thought that "tipping the velvet" was a reference to the theater (hint: it'...more It's not often that I like a book, so listen up and listen well.

If someone had given me the bare bones outline of Tipping the Velvet and suggest I read it, I'd have kindly told them to piss off. I have a job, a kid to raise, and an already low tolerance for contemporary fiction. A book about cross-dressing lesbians in Victorian England wouldn't spark enough interest in me to get past the title page.

Silly me. Good thing I thought that "tipping the velvet" was a reference to the theater (hint: it's not) and mistakenly believed I was buying a book about East End actresses. This mistake was a blessing, and this novel renewed my faith in modern fiction.

Tipping the Velvet carries a variety of themes that have bored me since my first Women's Studies classes in college: identity, cross-dressing, gender roles, and sexuality. Yet, alongside these nearly foreign concepts were the universal themes found in all great works of literature: passion, lust, betrayal, scandal, violence, redemption, and love. So, what did it leave me with? A book that shot a breath of life into all of those tired old themes. A book I couldn't put down, and not just for the positively raunchy (and at times touching) sex scenes that had me blushing to my hairline. No. What kept me hooked was the astoundingly good writing:

When describing being backstage at the theater after a performance, "I caught a glimpse of ladders and ropes and trailing gas-pipes; of boys in caps and aprons, wheeling baskets, manoeuvring lights. I had the sensation then - and I felt it again in the years that followed, every time I made a similar trip back stage - that I had stepped into the workings of a giant clock, stepped through the elegant casing to the dusty, greasy, restless machinery that lay, all hidden from the common eye, behind it."

When telling us about a dirty mirror, we're told that the "small looking glass [was] as cloudy and as speckled as the back of an old man's hand."

When discussing the ways of her tyrannical lover: "There is a way rich people have of saying 'What?' The word is honed, and has a point put on it; it comes out of their mouths like a dagger coming out of a sheath. That is how Diana said it now, in that dim corridor. I felt it pierce me through, and make me sag. I swallowed."

Yeah. Writing like that will keep you up at night.

The hot sex scenes? The bizarre gender roles that previously would have left me uninterested? The story itself? All just added bonuses. This chick could write about paint drying and make it fascinating. She makes cross-dressing, hooking, and other >ahem< "unmentionables" ;) seem completely exciting, alive, and blessedly normal. I love it.

Finally. A work of fiction that doesn't suck or make me feel like I've gotten dumber by the time I've finished it.

KICKED ASS. (less)

46 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: england, historical-fiction, 3-stars-and-a-half

Here is me reading this book:

Part 1: Yes!
Part 2: Whaaaa?
Part 3: Um, okay.

Be warned: there be spoilers below. This book has a very clear and traditional structure, so once you recognize its contours there aren't many surprises, but my review gives away a lot.

Tipping the Velvet seems to have a reputation as some kind of lesbian erotica. (That got your attention, didn't it?) The cover features a pair of strippers*, the blurb praises the book as "erotic," and even the title, as it turns out, is a Vi...more Here is me reading this book:

Part 1: Yes!
Part 2: Whaaaa?
Part 3: Um, okay.

Be warned: there be spoilers below. This book has a very clear and traditional structure, so once you recognize its contours there aren't many surprises, but my review gives away a lot.

Tipping the Velvet seems to have a reputation as some kind of lesbian erotica. (That got your attention, didn't it?) The cover features a pair of strippers*, the blurb praises the book as "erotic," and even the title, as it turns out, is a Victorian euphemism for a sex act. I've got to think this is mostly about marketing, because there are no strippers in the book, and while there are a few fairly explicit sex scenes, it's not so far out of the norm for adult fiction.

*I actually read the stripperiffic edition, although I've shelved a different one.

So, what is this book actually about? Coming of age, with an emphasis on relationships. Nancy, our narrator, begins the story as a typical 18-year-old girl living on the Kentish coast in the 1880s. But her life is turned upside-down when she falls hard for a cross-dressing music hall singer, and the story follows her for the next several years until she finally discovers what she wants from life and love.

So here is the part where I talk about plot details. Part 1 is great; I was very quickly drawn into Nancy's life and the intensity of her first love. The story is fun and exciting and Nancy is easy to relate to. Then, inevitably, things go sour, and Nancy runs away from her former life, to emerge as a "male" prostitute. Suddenly she's gorgeous and frivolous and lazy, bearing little resemblance to the person she was in Part 1. Part 2 seems deliberately over-the-top, with Nancy's choices representing the way people might feel (rather than actually behave) after their first nasty breakup. It's entertaining, with lots of sex and crossdressing, but mostly left me confused.

Then comes Part 3, in which Nancy of course finds true love. I liked this better than Part 2, and Nancy starts to make some sense again, but it doesn't quite come together. There's little reason for the two characters to be together beyond physical attraction and proximity, and too much character development is put off till the final pages, with the curtain closing on a flurry of epiphanies.

Even for a coming-of-age story, Nancy is quite the chameleon, so while she's interesting to read about, her personality is elusive. On the other hand, the rest of the cast is well-drawn and interesting. This is one of those books that shows a whole cross-section of society, and it depicts life in Victorian London in great detail, bringing the setting alive in all of its sights, sounds and smells. The book wears its research lightly: grounded in the historical period and fascinating in its detail, but without the research getting in the way of Nancy's adventures.

The panorama of lesbian life at the time (from rich ladies' clubs to the working-class women who gather in the basement of a pub) is especially intriguing, and I appreciate that, unlike much of the fiction I've encountered featuring LGBT characters, the story never turns into a tale of persecution and discrimination. Certainly those tales should be told, and Waters doesn't lose sight of the fact that Victorian England was hardly a paradise of equality. But it's nice to read a different kind of story, and one that focuses on the protagonist's own choices and growth rather than other people acting on her.

Overall, a fairly good book. The writing is noticeably better than average, although I wouldn't quite call it literary, the historical background is excellent and the characterization good. The story doesn't live up to the expectations the first 100 or so pages created, which is why I give 3.5 stars. But it is still worth a read.(less)

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Aug 22, 2010 Emily O rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-authors, contemporary-lit

When I first picked up this novel, I was expecting an exciting romp through Victorian England, complete with lesbians, a little sex, and lots of adventure. I wasn't exactly looking for a piece of classic literature. On that account, this book succeeded marvelously.

Tipping the Velvet is the story of young Nancy Astley, who grew up cooking oysters at her parents shop and occasionally visiting the nearby theater/dance hall. There she meets Kitty Butler, a "masher," or male impersonator, with whom s...more When I first picked up this novel, I was expecting an exciting romp through Victorian England, complete with lesbians, a little sex, and lots of adventure. I wasn't exactly looking for a piece of classic literature. On that account, this book succeeded marvelously.

Tipping the Velvet is the story of young Nancy Astley, who grew up cooking oysters at her parents shop and occasionally visiting the nearby theater/dance hall. There she meets Kitty Butler, a "masher," or male impersonator, with whom she falls desperately in love. She leaves her family home to travel as Kitty's dresser to London. In London she meets many new people and has many new experiences. She performs on the stage, gets her heart broken, lives as a kept woman, works as a male prostitute (yes, really), and meets many new and interesting people in London's underground lesbian community. She goes from love to heartbreak to heartlessness, and eventually finds love, friendship, and family in the most unlikely of places.

Nan's education in life and love is a strange trip, but it is also a sensual one. There is quite a lot of sex in this book, and while I wouldn't necessarily describe it as "smutty," the contents are often NSFW, and it can definitely turn you on, no matter what your sexual orientation may be. I will admit to being slightly embarrassed about reading it in public.

But aside from the sexiness, how was the book? Well, it was exactly what I expected it to be: exciting, titillating, escapist, and not of much substance. The writing wasn't excellent, but it was very good for a debut book. The story was occasionally hard to believe, with some interesting coincidences, but that is to be expected in this kind of novel. The characters weren't what I'd call flat, but they definitely weren't the beautifully rounded characters that can be found in some more substantial works of literature. All in all, it wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great one either. I enjoyed it too much while I was reading it to give it only three stars, but I didn't feel that it was memorable enough to deserve four. Tipping the Velvet would make a great pleasure read, but don't look to it for much more than that.

Read all of my reviews at http://readingwhilefemale.blogspot.com/

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Sep 10, 2008 Chandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, anglophilia, love-romance

This was Sarah Waters's breakout debut novel and is a big favorite for a lot people. I did really enjoy this, but probably not quite as much as I was expecting. Probably a combination of factors at work here. First, my hopes were very high given how much I had enjoyed her other novels (Night Watch, Affinity and Fingersmith). Second, I've already seen the BBC tv movie version so I basically knew the story. (By the way the film is a pretty faithful adaptation and makes for really good television -...more

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Apr 27, 2008 Corbin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The Gothic Victorian Lesbian genre does exist! In fact, there could not be a more perfect description of Sarah Waters' novels. Part Dickinsonian, part erotica, part mystery, her characters in 'Tipping the Velvet' explore the sexually mischievious underworld of London in the late 1800's. That being said, I'm still quite critical of this book.

The novel was slow to pick-up until about 10 pages before book 2. Before that I was having to convince myself that hanging in there was going to be worth the...more

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Jul 22, 2007 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was first made aware of this book by the BBC miniseries, which played on BBC America last year. My wife and I liked it, and I got my wife the novel for her birthday, and ever since Sept. she has been bugging me to read the novel. With the DVD coming out, I decided to finally read it. Wow. Lemme say that again: Wow.

First of all, Sarah Waters is an amazing writer that from now on will forever remain on the Favorites list at my house. Tipping the Velvet is a great debut novel by a great writer, a...more I was first made aware of this book by the BBC miniseries, which played on BBC America last year. My wife and I liked it, and I got my wife the novel for her birthday, and ever since Sept. she has been bugging me to read the novel. With the DVD coming out, I decided to finally read it. Wow. Lemme say that again: Wow.

First of all, Sarah Waters is an amazing writer that from now on will forever remain on the Favorites list at my house. Tipping the Velvet is a great debut novel by a great writer, and that is a rare treat to find. Concerning the story of Nancy, a young girl from the British countryside, Tipping the Velvet develops as a coming-of-age story set in Victorian England. Nancy falls in love with Kitty Butler, a theatre performer who dresses up as a chap and sings songs (and who I totally despise) and eventually ends up in London, working alongside Kitty on the city theatre stages. From there the story develops as we see Nan go through hell (pretty much literally) and back, all while she tries to find herself and her place in the world. That Nan happens to be a tom (Victorian equivalent of lesbian) and that this coming-of-age story involves quite a few sexual scenes is a nice extra, but not the main drive. Tipping the Velvet is a story where the protagonist happens to be a lesbian protagonist, not a lesbian story; there's a difference, and it shows. Waters is always out to write a good novel, and even when she is using the elements of the various genres she mixes (Victoriana, lesbian, etc) she weaves them according to her rules, not the rules of the genre. This alone makes Tipping a rare novel. Coupled with Waters' uncanny ability to write in a Victorian voice more than 100 years later, and a style that grabs you and does not let go (I mean, her prose is simply addictive), the result is a novel that is as tender as it is bawdy. Simply put, this was a great book, made even better by the fact that it is only the initial offering from a very gifted writer. If this is only the first book by Sarah Waters, I cannot imagine what her other two are like, and what she has in store for us in the future.(less)

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Jun 08, 2007 Sarah Sammis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: released

I was unimpressed with the book. Sarah Waters appears to be a one note writer. Sure, she changes the setting and the time period but her cardboard cutout characters are the same. There is always the naive young woman who falls for the more worldly but jaded woman and learns of the forbidden love only to scare her new soul mate straight! There you go, that's the twist to every one of Waters's books that I've read so you might as well save yourself the time and read something better.

Also in Tippin...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Sarah Keliher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lit, read2010, genderbending

My coworker dubbed this "Victorian Dildos for Dummies" and now it's all I can think of when I look at the cover.

Nice details and lovely descriptions provide a slightly hollow framework for the book's bland protagonist as she explores the various lesbian subcultures of Victorian London. Given the book's sensational characteristics - cross dressing stage performers! jaded lesbian orgies! socialists! male prostitutes! - it's surprisingly boring. I admired the research but couldn't give a shit abou...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know, I know, I'm reviewing a novel which isn't a new release, shock horror! I am almost up to date with review copies so I jumped at the chance to join in discussing the latest choice of the Virago Book Club, Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters.

I have read and really enjoyed all of Sarah Waters' novels but for some reason I have left her first novel to be read last. There's something quite intiguing about reading an author's work in this order as you see how they have developed their style, t...more I know, I know, I'm reviewing a novel which isn't a new release, shock horror! I am almost up to date with review copies so I jumped at the chance to join in discussing the latest choice of the Virago Book Club, Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters.

I have read and really enjoyed all of Sarah Waters' novels but for some reason I have left her first novel to be read last. There's something quite intiguing about reading an author's work in this order as you see how they have developed their style, the seeds of future storylines are sown, they find out what works and what doesn't. It's odd to think that 10 years ago the tv adaptation of Tipping the Velvet caused such a furore when it hit the screens and not that many had actually read the book yet, ten years on Fifty Shades of Grey virtually becomes a national treasure. (psst the difference is Sarah Waters is a wonderfully talented storyteller who happens to include some sex scenes whilst E L James is........).

Anyway, I digress....Tipping the Velvet showcases Sarah Waters' talents as a supreme storyteller as she drags you kicking and screaming into Victorian England, from the oyster huts of Whistable to the sights and sounds of the music halls in London. Our narrator, young Nancy Astley falls for Kitty Butler, "masher" extraordinaire, who beguiles both sexes with her impersonations of a young dandy. Is it love or lust or just forbidden love doomed to failure?

None of the characters are particularly appealing or likeable but they are eminently interesting with all their flaws and foibles exposed. Nan and her first love, Kitty, are both rather selfish and perhaps the reader isn't totally sympathetic when the girls discover the streets of London are not the golden pathways they expected. Nan's journey of self-discovery leads her to very dark places, there are scenes which might upset anyone leaning towards prudishness *dildo alert* but if you are of a less sensitive nature you will relish this rambunctious coming of age tale filled with Dickensian characters and Victorian melodrama.

Sarah Waters' later works seem a lot tamer in comparison but you can see how she has developed and honed her storytelling skills and her eye for detail and historical ambiance has always been at the fore. Relationships, social mores, class issues are frequent themes in her writing whatever the decade being placed under the microscope and you can be sure that she has done the groundwork to bring you an authentic experience. All I need now is for her to write another novel.....

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Aug 12, 2012 Her Royal Orangeness rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, author-waters

Set in Victorian England, “Tipping the Velvet” is about the sexual awakening of Nancy Astley/Nan King. The book follows her journey from an innocent young woman falling in love with a cross-dressing music hall performer, to her escapades as a transvestite prostitute, to her experience as an s&m slave of a wealthy woman.

Two things bothered me greatly about “Tipping the Velvet.” One, women are often only attracted to other women if they are dressed as men, and men are only attracted to other...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Meen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Meen by: Amazon via Beebo Brinker

Shelves: feminist-womanist-gender, fiction, history-is-not-a-social-science, lgbtqia-lmnop, sexy-sexy-splashy-splashy, own-it

I loved this book so much I wanna gay marry it!

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Alicja rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 17th-19th-century, historical-fiction, lgbt-fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Summary: Taking place primarily in the 1890s, Nancy is an oyster girl at her parent’s restaurant. One day she sees an act in the theatre, Miss Kitty Butler performing dressed as a man, and falls in love with her. They become friends, she follows Kitty to London as her dresser, and eventually joins the act as they become “sweethearts.” However, Kitty betrays her and Nancy ends up on her own in the middle of London with little money and her costumes.

Review: Waters is brilliant in usi...more Rating: 2.5/5

Summary: Taking place primarily in the 1890s, Nancy is an oyster girl at her parent’s restaurant. One day she sees an act in the theatre, Miss Kitty Butler performing dressed as a man, and falls in love with her. They become friends, she follows Kitty to London as her dresser, and eventually joins the act as they become “sweethearts.” However, Kitty betrays her and Nancy ends up on her own in the middle of London with little money and her costumes.

Review: Waters is brilliant in using period language and wonderful descriptions of Victorian England. The novel is in three parts, following the structure of novels from that era (which adds a historical layer to it). However, I just couldn’t stand Nancy (the main character).

During the first third of the novel, Nancy was completely in love with Kitty and I could barely get through the Kitty is so perfect, Kitty is so lovely, Kitty is so blah blah blah (insert too sugary sweet description here). And the plot for the first part could be summarized in half a page. The novel wouldn’t have been any poorer if that part had been much shorter (I could only stomach it in short intervals and had to take a lot of breaks from the book). Once we entered the second third, the plot picked up a little; it became darker and a bit more interesting. Nancy’s annoyingness diminished; although she was still selfish (used people) and an idiot. Nancy is the cause of so many of her own problems and she whines when things go wrong, people help her, and then she drops them the minute something or someone better comes along. She starts out the same way in the third third of the novel; however, she finally starts to make some changes. This last part is also where I finally got into the story. I adore Florence. I even wished the entire novel was about Florence and her wonderful, feminist self. And the ending ended up being pretty decent.

I know I criticized this book a lot, but really it is the character of Nancy that I found distasteful and annoying. The writing is well done, beautiful really. The plot became interesting in the second two thirds, and I love the Victorian era authenticity I felt when reading. However, it almost felt like I was reading three distinctly different novels than three parts of one. Waters wanted to show all the facets of Victorian life (theatre, upper class, rent boys, feminism, workers, etc.) and the place of lesbians within it but at times it seemed she stretched the plot too much to show us everything instead of making the settings fit the plot. It isn’t a brilliant book but Waters seems a promising writer and I’m willing to give her another chance since this was her first novel.
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Jan 09, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die, glbt, british-literature, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, book-club-literary-exploration, 1990s

Nan King is an oyster girl in a small seaside town who dreams of a better life. Her life drastically changes when she falls in love with a Masher named Kitty Butler. When Kitty is called back to London for a new show, Nan decides to join her and work as her dresser. Their love is forbidden and they keep it a secret but it’s inevitably doomed. When the relationship ends, Nan has to face London on her own, this is when her adventure of sexual discovery truly begins.

I was told by my sister in law t...more Nan King is an oyster girl in a small seaside town who dreams of a better life. Her life drastically changes when she falls in love with a Masher named Kitty Butler. When Kitty is called back to London for a new show, Nan decides to join her and work as her dresser. Their love is forbidden and they keep it a secret but it’s inevitably doomed. When the relationship ends, Nan has to face London on her own, this is when her adventure of sexual discovery truly begins.

I was told by my sister in law that I don’t review enough lesbian romances, but to be honest I think this is the only one I’ve read (and possibly not a romance). I read Tipping the Velvet a few years ago and still remember it fondly, it was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. As a literary explorer this is always something I look for. The relationship between Nan and Kitty was doomed from the start and was an interesting way for the reader and Nan to discover her sexuality. Though this was not the best first love, it got her to discover who she was as a lesbian. There is a sense of self-discovery throughout this book, she doesn’t always make good choices, in fact most of them were bad but this is part of the journey.

I really liked Nan as a character and seeing Kitty through her eyes, I also liked Kitty. But the heart break was almost like a heart break for me too. I don’t often get so emotionally invested in a book so it was interesting that I was so invested with this one. While this book was very predictable it was still a great read and I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it.

This is Sarah Waters’ debut novel and I would highly recommend it; its historical fiction like you have never read it before. The first part of the book was so obvious but there may be some surprises in the second half to keep you reading. There are some explicit sex scenes in this book but if you are not put off by them, this is well worth your time.

This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/...(less)

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Apr 27, 2008 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It appears that currently the most common criticism of this book on goodreads is that it seems formulaic. Perhaps I am behind the times, but when did eloquent lesbian coming of age stories set in England 200 years ago become so commonplace as to even HAVE a formula?

Ultimately this is a love story embedded in a fluid tale of heart-pounding and heart-breaking moments over the course of Nan's life. Either the girl gets the girl/boy in the end, or the girl doesn't...predicting the ending with a fift...more

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Mar 30, 2008 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

From the publisher: This delicious, steamy debut novel chronicles the adventures of Nan King, who begins life as an oyster-girl in the provincial seaside town of Whitstable and whose fortunes are forever changed when she falls in love with a cross-dressing music-hall singer named Miss Kitty Butler. When Kitty is called up to London for an engagement on "Grease-Paint Avenue", Nan follows as her dresser and secret lover, and soon after, dons trousers and joins the act. In time, Kitty breaks her he...more From the publisher: This delicious, steamy debut novel chronicles the adventures of Nan King, who begins life as an oyster-girl in the provincial seaside town of Whitstable and whose fortunes are forever changed when she falls in love with a cross-dressing music-hall singer named Miss Kitty Butler. When Kitty is called up to London for an engagement on "Grease-Paint Avenue", Nan follows as her dresser and secret lover, and soon after, dons trousers and joins the act. In time, Kitty breaks her heart, and Nan assumes the guise of a butch roué to commence her own thrilling and varied sexual education—a sort of Moll Flanders in drag—finally finding friendship and true love in the most unexpected places.

At 472 pages, this book took me a bit longer to read than I'd anticipated. I can't say I didn't enjoy it however. Only time will tell if it "stays with me" the way many other great books do. I do enjoy this particular time period, late 19th Century, the Victorian era. Back in those times, for a woman to dress as a man, in "trousers" was quite against the accepted norms. I suspect that could be part of the reason that this book appealed to me in the first place, despite being outside of my usual genre. Because it tells the story of a girl who went against society's norms in every possible way. Hmm, kind of reminds me of someone else I know... *whistle*

Nan was a lesbian at a time when society wasn't sure how to handle such "atrocities". Being bisexual myself, I'm always intrigued reading about lesbian girls because they are so very different from bisexuals and travel in completely different social circles. Even back then, it seemed that lesbians usually only hung around with their own kind. Similar to how it's all depicted on the Showtime TV series The L Word, we don't really have these social groups intermingling. Lesbians have lesbian parties and 95% of the guests are lesbians; it's as if they're their own clique. Whereas if you're a woman who prefers both men and women equally for her sexual partners, but perhaps your established living arrangements or life partner happens to be male, then you're kind of outside the lesbian social circle. So that's a whole other aspect of this book that added to it's appeal for me. I don't think I'd read a contemporary lesbian romance novel and enjoy it nearly as much. Yet I truly enjoyed this one because of all the other stuff going on, the time period in which it took place, and simply because the author is a very good writer, and I truly felt I was able to "see" England through the eyes of a young lesbian woman in Victorian England. And that was quite a treat for the senses!(less)

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Feb 13, 2008 Darby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction, drama-romance, 2007, own, erotica-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "Have you ever tasted a Whitstable oyster?" Really just that first chapter from the start is written so well that it really did transport me from Colorado to 19th Century England where Nancy Astley is an oyster girl.

This story is of love, coming of age, maybe a little gender-bending set in Victorian-era England. It is story of political, social and sexual states of that time. When young Nancy Astley, first sees the entertainer Kitty Butler dressed as a boy, Nancy's life is changed forever. And r...more "Have you ever tasted a Whitstable oyster?" Really just that first chapter from the start is written so well that it really did transport me from Colorado to 19th Century England where Nancy Astley is an oyster girl.

This story is of love, coming of age, maybe a little gender-bending set in Victorian-era England. It is story of political, social and sexual states of that time. When young Nancy Astley, first sees the entertainer Kitty Butler dressed as a boy, Nancy's life is changed forever. And really I don't want to give any more of the story away - Nancy does go off with Kitty and then the story is taken to a new level of adventure, love, heart-break and with each turned page left me wanting more.

This book has been labeled as "lesbian erotica," but I found the story to be much than that although after seeing the commercials for it as a mini series on BBC I was drawn to it because 2 women on the screen just captured my attention. Waters does a remarkable job of leaving her audience titillated by the erotica but she also is quite impressive on recreating London. I have never been there but it feel like I was immersed in the behavior, the speech, the sights and sounds of that historical period London.

I saw the movie before reading the book. And I really enjoyed it so when I found out it was based on a book I put the book on my wish list right away. I got it quite a while ago but just never got around to reading it until recently and LOVED It!

I got done reading Danse Macabre and then picked up this one so I knew picking up any book would be better. But I think because Tipping the Velvet is written so well I just appreciated it more after reading such a horribly written book. I read the first chapter being 20 some pages instead of 2 to 3 and was completely engrossed in it. It was written so I felt I was there.

So highlights of this book:

* This book is erotic but not graphic.
* The characters, time period and situations are developed and believable (and even better then the movie did)
* The time period made it even more interesting to me because I really enjoy books set in that area but this book to me did a better job of describing the setting then others I have read in the past
* I liked that the movie followed the book fairly well.

The only thing that I wished...

* That I knew what happened with Nan's parents and family. (less)

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Jun 06, 2007 graycastle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: queerlit

Like all of Sarah Waters' novels, this book is sensual to the point of being almost tactile: she takes such great delight in the detailed world that she creates. This is one of her rewriting-Victorians novels, and is probably my favourite. It's certainly the most racy: people who come to this book from Affinity, which is much more fade-to-black and dignified, will probably be a bit surprised by the erotica scenes. But, oh god, what great erotica scenes! This book, more than any of her others, pl...more

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Dec 05, 2008 Kym rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Burlesque lovers everywhere

Recommended to Kym by: Bookstore worker in the Oscar Wilde Bookshop, NY

What a sumptuous era! Makes me want to be in music halls...

Lots of red velvet, grime, squalor and lust. Perfect. I love when Nancy's smoking on the little balcony off her room, just thinking, and looking over London. Profound. The characters are fabulous, and the Victorian backdrop is breathtaking, so even though it's about a love affair between to girls, I would recommend this to anyone who loves period stories and good writing!

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Sep 04, 2007 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19thcentury, gave-up

So I tried to read this book, and I just couldn't bring myself to get past Chapter 5 before thoughts that I could find something more satisfying drowned out the voices telling me to push on. It's not that this book is bad exactly (or maybe it is and I'm not giving myself enough credit), but that I don't have patience with the main character. Maybe the whole book would have gotten better once Nan got over the first blushes of first love, but I personally am just not interested in watching her get...more

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Sep 30, 2007 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

There's nothing better than just picking up a random book from a used book store. Not even paying attention, I pick up a lesbian romance novel. Let me tell you, it ended up being a page turner.

This Moll Flanders style novel takes readers to the life of a girl in late 19th century England, who goes to see a vaudeville performance and falls in love with a male impressionist actress. She ends up leaving her family to be with the actress and begins life on stage and a secret love affair with her lad...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Nicola rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: awful-cover, library-books, 1001-books, romance

I sort of knew from the very beginning this this might not be my sort of book. The description on the back did absolutely nothing to pique my interest and I was bored with the first chapter about oysters. It got better but I never really managed to get into it, which was a shame.

I couldn't really connect to or believe in any of the characters and the story just felt a bit flat for me. I found it very hard to concentrate on what was going on as it didn't hold my attention well at all. It's not a...more

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Apr 03, 2009 Avory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-lit, queer

Don't be put off because you don't like Victorian literature. If you're like me, and you enjoy lesbian fiction, and you enjoy blunt, realistic depictions of sex and relationships, you'll like this book. Waters has a fabulous narrative style and she plays with sex and gender in this book in a fabulous way. Unlike many lesbian novels, it has a satisfying ending, and though it's long, the length is necessary to negotiate the differing approaches she presents to lesbianism, sex, and relationships. R...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Tory rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tipping the velvet = cunnilingus. I had no idea. Along with all the other late 1800’s English slang in this book.

I bought it at a car boot sale, because an old granny type recommended it to me and called it ’saucy’! I had to know what she thought saucy!

It wasn’t trashy… it had some bits of lesbian sex that might have made me blush, but it was never trashy.

It was like East of Eden meets Charles Dickens.

Very good book, I’d never read a story like it. I was very impressed with it.

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the more infuriating developments in the past few years is the insistence by those who claim to be feminists that if a politician is female, you must vote for her, even if you loathe her policies and feel that her only beliefs are whatever the latest polls say will give her victory. On the literary front, if an author is female, you must read her and like her; if the author is a lesbian, her books are gold. The fact of the matter is that most politicians, whether male or female, are unequ...more

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About Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her first novel, Tipping the Velvet, as well the novels that followed, including Affinity, Fingersmith, and The Night Watch.
Waters attended university, and earned degrees in English literature. Before writing novels, Waters worked as an academic, earning a doctorate and teaching. Waters went directly from her doctoral thesis to her first no...more

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Quotes from Tipping the Velvet

“Being in love, you know... it's not like having a canary, in a cage. When you lose one sweetheart, you can't just go out and get another to replace her.” — 18 people liked it

“When I see her,” I said, “it’s like - I don’t know what it’s like. It’s like I never saw anything at all before. It’s like I am filling up, like a wine-glass when it’s filled with wine. I watch the acts before her and they are like nothing - they’re like dust. Then she walks on the stage and - she is so pretty; and her suit is so nice; and her voice is so sweet… She makes me want to smile and weep, at once. She makes me sore, here.” I placed a hand upon my chest, upon the breast-bone. “I never saw a girl like her before. I never knew that there were girls like her…” My voice became a trembling whisper then, and I found that I could say no more. There was another silence. I opened my eyes and looked at Alice - and knew at once that I shouldn’t have spoken; that I should have been as dumb and as cunning with her as with the rest of them. There was a look on her face - it was not ambiguous at all now - a look of mingled shock, and nervousness, and embarrassment or shame. I had said too much. I felt as if my admiration for Kitty Butler had lit a beacon inside me, and opening my unguarded mouth had sent a shaft of light into the darkened room, illuminating all. I had said too much - but it was that, or say nothing.” — 13 people liked it

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