Fingersmith
by Sarah Waters
★ Top 10 book of 2002 · #8 on Best Books of 2002
Orphan Sue Trinder, raised among London thieves, agrees to help a con man deceive a gentlewoman out of her inheritance. But she grows protective of her target, and nothing proves to be what it seems in this Dickensian tale.
Best for: Readers who enjoy Dickensian settings full of cons, schemes and sudden twists
Fingersmith is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 2002, out of 32 2002 books that cleared our data bar.
What Fingersmith is about
Sue Trinder grows up in a London den of thieves, raised by Mrs Sucksby, who takes in babies for money. When a charming con man known as Gentleman offers her a job, she agrees to become maid to Maud Lilly, a young woman living at a remote country house under her uncle's watch. But Sue and Maud grow close, and what begins as scheming turns into something Sue did not plan for.
Sarah Waters sets this Victorian crime novel in a world of class divides, secrets and hidden appetites, with a gothic, atmospheric feel. The publisher calls it Dickensian, full of thrills and reversals where no one is quite what they seem. It suits readers who enjoy a twisty historical tale with a love story at its centre.
Fingersmith on the Best Books of 2002
Fingersmith came out in 2002. Of the 32 books first published in 2002 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #8 on our Best Books of 2002 list.
Why it made the list: 304 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (16 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2002 list
- Stories of Your Life and Others Ted Chiang, #6
- 2Nd Chance James Patterson, #7
- The Theory of Everything Stephen Hawking, #9
- Tithe Holly Black, #10
See all Best Books of 2002 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2001 Best Books of 2003.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 264 want to read it, 10 are reading it now and 30 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 16 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 78 | 55% |
| Reader love | 72 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 56 | 20% |
Questions about Fingersmith
When was Fingersmith published?
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters was first published in 2002.
Was Fingersmith one of the best books of 2002?
Fingersmith is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 2002, out of 32 2002 books that cleared our data bar. 304 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (16 ratings).
Why is Fingersmith on the Best Books of 2002 list?
304 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (16 ratings).
More of the best books of 2002
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton Julia Quinn, #1
- Coraline Neil Gaiman, #2
- Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson, #3
- Why Does He Do That? Lundy Bancroft, #4
- Everything's Eventual. 14 Dark Tales Stephen King, #5
- Stories of Your Life and Others Ted Chiang, #6
See the full Best Books of 2002, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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