The Crimson Petal and the White

Michael Faber is one of my favorite writers of all time, and the same author of Under the Skin, another wonderful book with a female protagonist you’ll hate yourself for loving. Faber’s range as a storyteller is incredible, and along with his mastery of horror and science fiction, he shows that he can put together a Victorian epic that is gorgeously written, with a main character, Sugar, who is a complicated character—a sex worker by trade who sometimes makes bad choices but is admirable in how she has to navigate the world of pompous, detestable men to survive. 

It’s so rare that I read a novel and it instantly joins my all-time top five, but that’s what happened the second I finished The Crimson Petal and the White. Michel’s Faber’s 864-page epic tale starring shrewd, intelligent, and utterly convincing 1870s prostitute Sugar is rich with period detail and psychological insight, and apparently took him 20 years to write. Spoiler: it was worth it. Not only are Sugar, her flawed perfumier lover William Rackham and his troubled wife Agnes sensitively and credibly portrayed, Faber’s world of Victorian London throbs with life (and death). If you love complex characters,… show more.

Recommended by a book-loving friend in Tai Chi class (Thanks, Shirley) The Crimson Petal and the White is a lengthy yet riveting journey into Dickensian London. The writer invites the reader into the streets at the outset, breaking the veil between narrator and reader, warning the reader “watch your step.” I couldn’t help but accept this invitation and, once there, I couldn’t leave. I followed the narrator through poverty-stricken alleys where I met the Crimson Petal (Sugar, the prostitute) and from there into the world of the White (Agnes, the innocent), two women connected by business magnate William Rackam. A… show more.

I’ve just finished writing a novel set in Victorian England and Michel Faber’s novel has been a touchstone for me. I’ll be delighted if I can get anywhere near this book’s characterful visualisation of the era, its playful connections with our own time, and the absolute reality of Sugar, Faber’s terrific protagonist.