Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful Read!!
Review: While I do think that every person has a right to his or her own opinion, I will say that the previous reviewers who trashed Faber's book must be insane. This author is incredibly talented and it shows in his novel. Not once did it lose my interest--I actually was drawn into it so much that I hardly noticed its length. I enjoyed every page. This is a great book even if you're not interested in 19th century England. If, on the other hand, you are, this book is eye-opening, to say the least, on the plight of women in the 19th century as well as the restrictions of caste on society. Faber researched even the smallest details so that the reader can truly imagine what life was like. Definitely worth picking up!
Rating:
Summary: A gripping read.
Review: Mr Faber spent 20 years on this book and all I can say is that it definitely shows. The characters are very well developed, as is the story itself. I found myself drawn into the story from page one, and the book held my interest until the very end, some 838 pages later. Days after I finished "The Crimson Petal and the White" I was still thinking about it, which in my estimation is truly the mark of a superior novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Tell Me How It Ends!
Review: Seeing that I've gotten only half-way through this tedious narrative, I can only suggest that it is roughly 400 pages too long.What the author was thinking I'm not quite sure, but the excessive use of ink and paper to explain the daily meanderings of a lowly prostitute and a very unimpressive suitor was, is my opinion, very unnecessary. The occasional paragraph describing carnal acts is suffused with dribble, and keeps one reading on only to see if the next sexual act will be any more revealing or, dare I say, exciting?
Wait to check it out at the library, and no need to hide it in a cotton bag to hide from the rest of the world. This lengthy novel is primarily narritive, sometimes whitty, sometimes lively, but mostly, sad to say, monotonous.
Rating: 
Summary: good book, annoying characters
Review: <Possible Spoiler warning> I really enjoyed reading the Crimson Petal and the White, but there were a few points that bothered me. The Agnes character was annoying, selfish and spoiled. I wasn't sure what the author meant for the reader to feel about her. I couldn't figure out why Sugar would want to help her. The ending also left me with a lot of questions about what happened to Sugar and Sophie, and why Sugar would think that Sophie would be better off living with a poor, relatively skill-less woman rather than her wealthy father who, despite not paying much attention to the child, did care about her. A good book, overall, but many unanswered questions.
Rating: 
Summary: I was expecting much more
Review: I will read almost anything about Victorian England, and I bought this book brand new in hardcover, which I almost never do. But it was boring. I learned nothing I didn't know from other novels with equal "color" tidbits, and the heroine and her sex life were so boring as to literally put me to sleep. This from someone who reads 10-12 books per week, and who has read and re-read "Scarlet Women", "Alienist", and every Anne Perry novel about a million times. Anyway, save your money...or at least wait for paperback. Yawn!
Rating:
Summary: Needs a good editor, and a story
Review: It became apparent to this reader, at about page 300 or thereabouts, that the author, in the twenty years it took to write and rewrite his novel, was never quite able to come up with a story. The narrative moves slowly, and is rather static -- we believe something profound is about to happen, but it never really does. I found the character of poor Agnes much more compelling than Sugar -- it's as if Faber simply ran out of steam with his heroine. The inner lives of most of these characters are lacking; what does William want? What does Sugar want, really, for that matter? I could see the pages of research in every frame of this book, but I wanted more than that. I wanted a deeper examination of the characters, and a plot. It felt as if he didn't know what to do with the characters other than describe their actions, and the environment they inhabit. All except for Agnes, whose desires are painfully, mournfully clear.
Rating: 
Summary: The Crimson Petal and the White: stereotyped, and despite th
Review: After reading a review on this one, I was interested enough to place a hold on it at the library, and started reading it last weekend. I have a rule where novels are concerned: if I can't get into it after two hundred pages, back it goes or into the sell box. This is an ambitious novel, full of small details and literary allusions, all done with a rather modern style of prose. We're lead through the seedy, grim side of London of the 1870's, telling the tale of a prostitute named Sugar. Sugar is infamous in her own way, being a girl who can handle just about anything, and so, very popular with her clients. One of her clients, William Rackham, is tettering himself on the edge of poverty; he's the younger son of a perfume manufacturer who's done quite well for himself. Saddled with an ailing wife, Agnes, he hungers for wealth and respectability. In Sugar, he finds a woman that matches his own desires, and with a mind that can easily outstrip the obstacles around her. How this pair comes to their mutual destruction is detailed in this very long novel. And that's where the trouble lies in this one. ...[] Author Michel Faber takes great delight in describing bodily functions in this book with all the glee of a twelve year old boy who's discovered the dictionary. Worst still, none of the characters are that likeable, with the possible exception of a widow, Emmaline Fox, who happens to be the daughter of the Rackham's physician. She at least seemed to rise out of the stereotypes of this book. It's a crashing bore of a novel, droning on over tea table, a harlot's bedchamber, or simply thinking on how superior each character is or is not to his or her neighbors, and sinks throughout to the lowest common denominator. It might appeal to some audiences, but I didn't care for it all, even after forcing myself to keep reading to the end -- which is rather flabby and anticlimatic. I would suggest instead that you find the original novels of Victorians, such as Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens, and Anthony Trollope to name just a few. They're not nearly as offensive, but much more interesting.
Rating:
Summary: A Glorious Read
Review: This is the best book I've read in years, and I'm an voracious reader. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates fine literature and a rousing good time with your nose in a book. Enjoy! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: An engrossing read!
Review: Not "lofty" literature by any means, but a really engrossing and lively read. Faber tells a good story and provides vivid details of daily life in Victorian England.
Rating:
Summary: Questions. Any Answers?
Review: Don't read this if you haven't read the book.
I've already written a review stating how much I enjoyed this book and why. In reading the reviews of others, I've noted that many, including myself, wonder what will become of Sugar and Sophie. My background in Victorian England is sorely lacking. So for those with greater historical background,my questions are these.What occupations are available for a young woman with a truly "varied" education in Victorian England?
What occupations are available in England's countryside?
What is Sugar qualified to do that would allow her to keep Sophie with her? Would Sugar be convincing enough to pass as a middle class lady?
Anyone have any thoughts on how she'll make it?
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