Rating: 
Summary: A Bawdy Dickensonian Epic With 21st Century Overtones!
Review: Michel Faber's colossal novel, "The Crimson Petal And The White," is of Dickensonian scope and setting, but it delves deeper and more graphically into the down and dirty life of Victorian England than Mr. Dicken's did - thanks to 21st century sensibilities. There is bawdiness galore here, and local color from lowest-brow brothels and pubs to highbrow clubs and ballrooms. The very original cast of characters who accompany the reader through the doors of these places are as varied in class as they are in morality. This epic is chock-full of sizzling sex, prostitution of all variety, horrific poverty, disease and filth, and the epitome of wealth, privilege and luxury.
The reader is escorted through the novel, and through London's streets, by a delightful, but always anonymous, narrator - who occasionally reminds us that we are reading a novel. We are taken to meet various people who soon sweep us into the pageant of their lives. One of the most memorable characters is Miss Sugar, patronym unknown. Sugar is a nineteen year old prostitute who has made a name for herself, not only by word of mouth but through the gentlemen's' guide "More Sprees in London - Hints for Men About Town." Sugar is lauded in the publication as undertaking, with zeal, any means and methods to pleasure her clients. She works for her wretched mother, the Madame and owner of Mrs. Castaway's House of Prostitution, and has since her 13th year. Sugar, smart and literate, is utilizing these unappreciated talents to write a dark novel of revenge, at various times entitled: "Scenes From The Streets," "A Cry From The Streets," "An Angry Cry From An Unmarked Grave," "Women Against Men," "Death In The House Of Ill Repute," "Come Kiss The Mouth Of Hell," "The Fall And Rise Of Sugar," etc. - you get the gist. One evening she meets a client who will forever change her destiny. William Rackham, a wealthy perfume magnate, with a noble wife, has been down and out on his luck. He desperately needs some cheering-up. Fortunately he is a subscriber to "More Sprees In London" which leads him to Sugar's open arms. He tells her he longs to be debased and she is eager to serve his every whim. Temporarily, at least, this is a match made in heaven. Both Sugar's and Rackham's stars rise in each other's company. And along the way, we are witness to the rising and falling fortunes of their various friends and family members.Faber paints a vivid portrait of Victorian England. He details the period costumes, manners, food, life on the street and in the drawing room, upstairs and down, the King's English and street cant, the opera and music hall, without slowing the brisk pace of his narrative. The title, "The Crimson Petal And The White," implies the distinction between virtue and immorality. The author has an unusual take on just who his heroes and heroines are. Like Dickens, Thomas Hardy and others, he explores the social hypocrisy and rigidity of the class system and makes some interesting observations about the sexual politics of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed this huge and entertaining read. There is more here than a "beach book." Faber's writing is lush. His dialogue is excellent - very witty, and the research is impeccable. This bold book is destined to be a classic.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Riveting and Hard to Put Down! 4.4 on a scale of 1-5
Review: "The Crimson Petal and the White" is a fast read: even though it is 800+ pages!
The book creates one of the most memorable characters in recent fiction: Sugar, the intelligent and educated prostitute, who struggles to raise herself out of the slime and slums of her youth.
The story takes place in the 1870's, in the London of Dickens. Wealthy men of leisure leave their beautiful townhomes for a night of pleasure in the numerous brothels of the city. This book focuses on William Rackham, a perfume magnate, who becomes captivated with Sugar, on one of his forays into the darker side of London. He first sets her up in her own home and then moves her into his as governess to his daughter. Eventually, she becomes his secretary and advises him on his business. All along the way-from the brothel to the home of the kept woman to the master's home-Faber creates memorable characters and delineates the class structure of England. Rackham's crazy wife, Sugar's evil mother who is also her madame, Caroline a prostitute friend of Sugar's who had once been a respectable wife and mother: all of these individuals are characters that are hard to forget.
However, it's important to note that this book is very much of the 21st century and not the 19th. Faber's writing style differs from Dickens and the other great Victorians-not better, not worse, simply modern. In addition, he can be (and is) far more graphic about the sexual depravity of the time.
I would recommend this book to individuals who like historical fiction, contemporary-styled fiction, and books about victorian England. I would not recommend this book to individuals who dislike graphic descriptions of poverty and sexual practices.
Rating: 
Summary: A novel that fails to live up to its potential...
Review: With The Crimson Petal and the White, Mr. Faber has written a sprawling, wandering novel with little to recommend it beyond Faber's studious attention to the fascinating details of Victorian life. Although several of the novel's protagonists show promise as engaging characters (Mrs. Agnes Rackham, in particular), the plot of the novel leaves them to wallow in a stagnant, pointless story; indeed, many characters serve no purpose whatsoever in this overly long novel. Ultimately, the mystery surrounding the novel's ending serves to highlight Faber's failure to realize any of the potential he spends such meticulous time developing. This is a novel that ends where it begins, having accomplished nothing. The richly depicted Victorian backdrop of the novel, however, helps counterbalance the weak plot, and Faber should be commended for the wealth of his information on Victorian life. Instead of The Crimson Petal and the White, I would recommend any of the original Victorian authors, whether Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins, or, for a more modern perspective on Victorian times, Sarah Waters.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotion and twists make Crimson a Victorian roller coaster
Review: Yes, it is big, better saying it is huge, it will take weeks, but in the end you'll enjoy spending your time with Michel Faber's fine prose. Sometimes it reads like a big Victorian soap opera-- in the best sense of the expression-- and it is, indeed. Full of emotion and twists, it is like a wild ride in a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. With such length, it is obvious that 'The Crimson Petal and The White' is full of details. And what could have been a bore in the hands of a less talented writer becomes a total joy in Faber's. One can notice how deep he went in his research, to bring us so many delightful details that only make his prose more vivid and colorful. The characters are another chapter. Of course they have flaws both as human beings --what is expected from a book -- and as a character, but that doesn't spoil the novel. The most developed ones are Sugar and William Rackham, but the supporting ones are well written to. Some people complain that the novel leads to nowhere, but I don't agree. Of course some actions don't fit the main plot of the book, but I believe they are just like life: not everything has a point. Faber has composed such a sharp web that even the plots that don't make sense in the main story are interesting on their own. All in all, it takes time and a lot of energy to be devoted to reading such a huge novel, but I think it is worth reading. And when it is over, we have spent so much time with Sugar and her people that it is sad to let them go. Well, we may have a sequel. Why not?
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing to the end
Review: I wish I had read this book with a group. I'd ask if any other readers felt sympathy toward William at the end of the story. There he is, sitting in his chair -- incongruously, a lacy doily crocheted by his delicate wife Agnes falls on his lap, which also holds Sugar's pornographic writings. I adored this book. I know we're not supposed to quibble with other reviewers, but I didn't find it the least bit repetitive and I was involved from the very first page, and I stayed involved to the end. It reminded me of Greg Matthews' historicals -- Heart of the Country and Power in the Blood -- with vivid but realistic characters who don't do what you expect but who act in character. Strong, fearless and dangerous people. This book will spoil me for other historicals, I'm sure. It's going to be hard to match the flavor and vitality of William, Agnes, Sugar, Sophie, the whores and the servants. And Emmeline! My gosh didn't she surprise you a few times! What great characters. I don't expect Faber will revisit them. Anyone doing historical fanfic? :-)
Rating:
Summary: Monumental. Epic. Entertaining.
Review: Somewhere between the gutter and the stars is the thin line between Sopa Opera and Epic. Capturing the best entertaining elements of a see-saw soap and the grandiose emotions of a classic epic Michel Faber's "Crimson Petal & the White" is a thorough entertainer. With all the dazzling elements of wit & humour, sex & romance, hate & revenge, faith & fanaticism, dementia & madness, this book is a roller coaster ride of emotions held in with the tight reins of Fabers fabulous wordsmanship. Faber is a truly great author as this book and his earlier superlative novel Under the Skin prove.
The story of the Fall and Rise of Sugar, a prostitute who will do anything, as 'More Sprees in London' attests and how she rises from the back alleys of London is the stuff of pure pot boilers. This novel has drawn comparisons to Charles Dickens but that does not do justice to faber, who is a wonderfully talented artist on his own terms. His range and ability to keep his reader interested through near 900 pages is ample testimony to his capabilies. When finally after reaching 900 pages you wonder if the novel is, if anything, a trifle too short, the ending a trifle too abrupt.
Rating: 
Summary: TRASH
Review: I'm not a prude but this book is nothing but trashy porn. I was offended and embarrassed by this book. The author reminded me of a teenage boy trying to find all the metaphors and words he could for penis and semen. I'm sorry-this book is a waste of time and money. The plot had promise but the author ruined it by his continuous and tiring use of offensive and unnecessarily pornographic lanquage. Ernest Hemingway was given a lesson in this by Gertrude Stein when she told him that some of his work was "inaccrochable"-it sometimes doesn't matter what truth there is in the language if it is in such poor taste that noone can discuss it or display it.
Rating:
Summary: A Big, Bold Potboiler!
Review: "Cromson Petal" is a Victorian sprawl of a book, perfect for the beach, a long plane trip, or a quiet vacation. Richly imagined and carefully researched, it's a real page turner and a lot of fun. Sugar is a 19 year old prostitute in London, famous for being willing to do anything, but she hooks her men as much by personality and brains as with her body. Faber has done an amazing job of recreating the London of the 1870's, from the dirt and grime of the slums, to the madams who run the houses, to the details of handling bed linen. He paints a highly stratified society, where the poor live lives of crime or factory drudgery, and the rich wander from meals to theatres to parties in an aimless search for novelty. Faber's details of dress, manners and accents are wonderful, and place this book several levels above the average period piece. I especially enjoyed the various characters' glimpses of the future--such as one character's feeling that the new "telephone" he's just read about would come in very handy in a tight spot he happened to be in, his efforts to mechanize his business, and the details of the ultra-modern hot water bath. These are fascinating insights into the period, without ever seeming forced or "stuck in" to fill a few pages. Sugar hooks up with the son of a rich self-made man, who has yet to "find himself." Rackham's desire to possess her drives him to apply himself to the family business, and with his new-found riches he installs her in a lovely suite of apartments. Faber's description of this transition, how odd and unreal it seems to Sugar, is masterful--he has the ability to get inside this woman's head in a realistic way. The arrangement doesn't last very long, and without giving it away, Sugar's growing feeling for Rackham and her suggestion to bring them closer is her undoing. But there's so much more! The subplots involve the medical treatments of the day, debates over religion, the budding womens' movement, the role of charities, childrearing, class, and much more. And it's sexy too! Some reviewers quarrel with the ending, and it is true that the novel doesn't "end" in a conventional way. We never find out what happens to Rackham's wife. We get tantalizing hints only of what happens to Rackham and his business. And Sugar's future, as she heads off to create a new and very different life at the ripe age of 20, remains a tantalizing mystery. But that shouldn't put you off--this is a highly readable, intelligent novel that I couldn't put down.
Rating:
Summary: Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white...
Review: An elegant and brilliant novel. This is an adult novel; indeed, it becomes clear that the London of the 1870s described vividly in this densely packed tome is a realm of adulthood. Only the most sheltered souls, Mr. Rackman's daughter, Sophie is one, manage to retain a fragile innocence. But the book's plot is summarized neatly elsewhere. I'll just mention the effect of the novel. What I found remarkable is Faber's ability to transform the reader into a voyeur. He takes you by the hand, but you follow willingly. He tells you to keep your eye on Sugar, a prostitute worth watching in a nameless sea of prostitutes. And in fact you are transfixed. The author knows her story's worth the candle. He has seen them all. And you will lament ever having to leave her.
Rating:
Summary: Glad I did not fall asleep after all
Review: When I first settled down to read this book I quit. I was like, ZZZZZzzzz this is boring, why torture myself. But then, months later I picked it up again and finished it.
Simply put, if you stick with this book and make it past maybe the first ten chapters you will (hopefully) be hooked. If you are not hooked then I suggest dropping it because, for you anyway, it will not get better. This book is excellent but hey, if it's not your cup of tea that's ok too.
For those who stick it out for awhile you will see the genius in Faber's language. It is so smooth and floaty and just gorgeous. I think it's meant to be savored, page by page, so I don't recommend reading this book in a day even if you are capable of it.
In my opinion Faber's characters could be more rounded out but you do have feelings for them almost right away as they deal with the tortures in their lives; be it unrequited love, mental illness, difficult pasts, or maybe just drunkeness.
Faber's Victorian England setting only adds to the beauty of this book, and I really didn't mind any of the technical flaws in either the characters or the plot, because his writing more than made up for it.
The ending was a little bit fuzzy and did end abruptly, but that is really true to the title don't you think? Personally I thought that was cool.
Take the time and savor this book, if you like the classics and literature in general, the chances are good that you will find your money and your time well spent on this book! :)
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