Sarah Waters's "The Little Stranger" available as eBook

[Seabound]

Any Sarah Waters fans out there? I just found out via a fictionwise email that her latest novel, "The Little Stranger", will be available as an eBook. It will be out on April 30, but available for preorder now. I've been waiting for this book since I first heard Waters announce it last year. I'm so glad it's out as an eBook. This is one I'd gladly be plunking down money for. She's a very talented writer.

Here's the blurb about her latest novel from the Sarah Waters site:

In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. Its owners – mother, son and daughter – are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own.

But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his.

Prepare yourself. From this wonderful writer who continues to astonish us, now comes a chilling ghost story.

[PDS]

Awesome I love Sarah Waters, thanks for letting us know

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by PDS

Awesome I love Sarah Waters, thanks for letting us know

Oh, there you are! I was starting to get worried that no one else at MobileRead liked Sarah Waters, which would be a shame, really. Cool blog, BTW.

[bathos]

That's great news. Thanks for letting us know.

[Ea]

Great news, I love Sarah Waters. Except "The Night Watch" - I couldn't get into it - perhaps I should try again I wish I could get her other books as ebooks, especially "Fingersmith".

[Curly]

Drat, I had never heard of her before, so went off to check out her website. I read an excerpt of 'Little Brother' and now I am hooked and will have to add it too my very long list of 'to-read' books. Thanks!

[bathos]

Originally Posted by Ea

Great news, I love Sarah Waters. Except "The Night Watch" - I couldn't get into it - perhaps I should try again I wish I could get her other books as ebooks, especially "Fingersmith".

Fingersmith is available at WHSmith's as a secure ebook in lit, mobi and pdf formats.

http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/


bathos

[Ea]

Originally Posted by bathos

Fingersmith is available at WHSmith's as a secure ebook in lit, mobi and pdf formats.

http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/

bathos

I was actually looking at WHSmith earlier today to see if the sold ebooks, and I thought did not - but now I can see they actually do - so double thanks

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by Ea

Great news, I love Sarah Waters. Except "The Night Watch" - I couldn't get into it - perhaps I should try again I wish I could get her other books as ebooks, especially "Fingersmith".

I can't help but love all her books, but if I were to choose I'd also pick "Fingersmith" as my favorite. (The BBC adaptation was darned good, too.) It's one book I lost sleep over because I had to finish it in one sitting (two at most), and it's not a small book. What I like most about Waters is that she is such an excellent storyteller. I hope you get a chance to try "Night Watch" again someday.

[PDS]

Thanks for the comment about my blog

I enjoyed all of her books including Night Watch, and I liked Tipping the Velvet, but my favourite was Fingersmith.

Dawn

[Ea]

Thought this might be a good place to ask....

I have been looking for novels with lesbian protagonists and it seem there is so little of it. Really, I can't think of anyone but Sarah Waters. At least the kind of books I'm looking for; basically "just" quality entertainment. I can find romance, and what I could call feminist-political fiction, but that's not what I am looking for. Does anyone have suggestions?

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by Ea

Thought this might be a good place to ask....

I have been looking for novels with lesbian protagonists and it seem there is so little of it. Really, I can't think of anyone but Sarah Waters. At least the kind of books I'm looking for; basically "just" quality entertainment. I can find romance, and what I could call feminist-political fiction, but that's not what I am looking for. Does anyone have suggestions?

Unfortunately, I don't think there are many books out there that match what you are looking for. I consider Sarah Waters's books as falling squarely into the literary fiction bin. (As an aside, all her books except Tipping are included in the Guardian's "1000 novels everyone must read" list, which surprised me and made me glad both. It's one measure of her novels' impact. Both "Fingersmith" and "The Night Watch" were shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, and Waters has won several awards.) I've tried picking up a couple of Jeanette Winterson's books, but I've never managed to finish them. She can be hard for me to read, but I haven't given up on her yet.

As for recommendations, well, why don't you give "The Night Watch" another go?

There are two books which I've read which I think fit the description of books you're looking for. Their setting is in the US instead of the UK. Both are well written but the styles are very different. Both are unhurried in telling the story, and, through good writing and storytelling, both pull off the seemingly impossible (for love stories) of keeping the reader's attention even without explicit sex between the main characters (i.e. don't expect anything in that department ):

* "Bittersweet" by Nevada Barr. This is historical fiction, set in the 19th century "wild west". It's a tender, slowly evolving love story of two very different women who are forced to try to make it on their own in rough country. There is a tricky plot twist past the halfway point of the story. Like the title suggests, the story is "Bittersweet". I had not heard of Nevada Barr before I read this book, but I soon discovered that she is the prolific author of the popular Anna Pigeon mystery series. But "Bittersweet" is her only gay-themed book. It is quite poignant.

* "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith. Patricia Highsmith was the author of the popular suspense novels known as the "Ripliad" series, e.g. "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Highsmith herself was gay, but "The Price of Salt" was her only gay-themed book, and the seed for it was based on a personal, fleeting experience that she had. The book was published in 1952 under a pseudonym, and the setting of the story takes place at about the same time. It starts off in New York and then moves cross-country. It's about two (again) very different people who find each other (duh!), become unlikely friends, and struggle with their situation. Highsmith's trademark talent for suspense also manages to come through in this book, and so she manages to play with the reader's emotions. And Highsmith can also be deep. It is mellow and hopeful.

BTW, for those who don't know yet, "The Little Stranger" does not have any gay characters in it, unlike Waters's other novels. I think some of her gay fans are a little disappointed by this, but I'm thrilled about it. I think it's a really good career move for her.


Edited to add: Bittersweet is available as an eBook, The Price of Salt is not.

[Ea]

EDIT: I felt I was highjacking this thread and have moved my question to this thread

Originally Posted by Seabound

Unfortunately, I don't think there are many books out there that match what you are looking for. I consider Sarah Waters's books as falling squarely into the literary fiction bin. (As an aside, all her books except Tipping are included in the Guardian's "1000 novels everyone must read" list, which surprised me and made me glad both. It's one measure of her novels' impact. Both "Fingersmith" and "The Night Watch" were shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, and Waters has won several awards.) I've tried picking up a couple of Jeanette Winterson's books, but I've never managed to finish them. She can be hard for me to read, but I haven't given up on her yet.

As for recommendations, well, why don't you give "The Night Watch" another go?

Thanks for all the recommendations
It's funny how tastes differ, I would say Sarah Waters' books are not intellectual and/or arty enough to call it literary fiction, I'd say it was 'general', though also very high quality w. reg. to storytelling and writing style. Jeanette Winterson on the other hand, I would say is literary I like "Oranges are not the only fruit", which I think is probably her least literary and the most accessible. I've tried some of her other books, too, but they never really caught my interest.

I'll definitely give "Night Watch" a second try. In fact I just bough an e-version. I have it in hardback, but every time I look at it on the bookshelf I just think 'later' because it's such a large book

Originally Posted by Seabound

There are two books which I've read which I think fit the description of books you're looking for. Their setting is in the US instead of the UK. Both are well written but the styles are very different. Both are unhurried in telling the story, and, through good writing and storytelling, both pull off the seemingly impossible (for love stories) of keeping the reader's attention even without explicit sex between the main characters (i.e. don't expect anything in that department ):

* "Bittersweet" by Nevada Barr. ...

* "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith. ...

I wasn't specifically looking for anything in "that department" but if you have recommendations...

Anyway... I haven't heard about "Bittersweet", though I've read the Anna Pigeon series a long time ago. I'll definitely try it, looks great, definitely something I might like.
"The price of salt" I have actually read. The library had it, and even in translation. (now I'm starting to remember the books I have read). Do you know "Rubyfruit Jungle" by Rita Mae Brown?

Originally Posted by Seabound

BTW, for those who don't know yet, "The Little Stranger" does not have any gay characters in it, unlike Waters's other novels. I think some of her gay fans are a little disappointed by this, but I'm thrilled about it. I think it's a really good career move for her.

It looked like it didn't. I don't mind either - she should write what she wants to, and it's easy to be pigeonholed as that lesbian writer if she never does anything else. However with this dearth of books with interesting lesbian characters it's no wonder some could feel disappointed.

EDIT: I felt I was highjacking this thread and have moved my question to this thread

[bathos]

Fingersmith and Affinity have just arrived at Fictionwise.

http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/sa...ooks.htm?cache

bathos

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by bathos

Fingersmith and Affinity have just arrived at Fictionwise.

http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/sa...ooks.htm?cache

bathos

Finally! Thanks for letting us know, bathos! It must be a tie-in to the new novel's release.

@Ea: Thanks for your reply. I'll have a longer reply to you much later in the day since I'm finishing some work right now. I'll get too distracted if I write a long post now.