The third novel by British author Sarah Waters,
Fingersmith tells the story of
Victorian thief Sue Trinder, who agrees to help con sheltered heiress Maud Lilly out of her inheritance, but the plan begins to go awry when she finds herself falling in love with the innocent and beautiful Maud.
The book was later turned into a popular
BBC miniseries.
- Ambiguously Gay: Gentleman. He's a well-dressed dandy who can effortlessly charm the ladies, but has no actual sexual interest in them. It's left rather unclear in the book, though, whether he's actually a Depraved Homosexual (Word Of God confirmed that he is indeed gay).
- Anti-Villain: Mrs. Sucksby is remarkably sympathetic for someone who condemned her adoptive daughter to a Fate Worse than Death in order to get her biological daughter back, as well as a whole lot of money. It helps that she seems to feel regretful almost immediately, and that she takes the blame for the murder of Gentleman
- Becoming the Mask: Both Maude and Sue.
- Bedlam House: Sue ends up here.
- Broken Bird: Maud... oh so much. Sue as well
- Broken Pedestal: Both Sue and Maud have this done to them numerous times.
- Depraved Homosexual: Gentleman fits this trope surprisingly well for being written by a putatively gay-friendly author.
- Double Entendre: The title.
- Earn Your Happy Ending.
- Gambit Pileup: What starts as a Xanatos Gambit on the part of Gentleman and Sue turns out to be part of Gentleman and Maude's plan. Which, in the end, was all orchestrated by Mrs. Sucksby, unbeknownst to anyone.
- Gene Hunting: Inverted and deconstructed. Mrs. Sucksby tries to exchange her adoptive daughter for her biological daughter who's been raised by a rich family (she thinks the girl will love her just by virtue of being her biological daughter — she's wrong).
- Genre Savvy: Maud's read enough lesbian erotica to know how to pretend to be seduced.
- Yuri Genre: Sue and Maud. Yes, they go all the way ...and survive.
- Go Among Mad People
- Manipulative Bastard: Mrs. Sucksby. And how. Also, Gentleman, who understands other people very well and uses the insights against them.
- Ominous Fog
- Smug Snake: Gentleman.
- Victorian London
- Xanatos Gambit
- Unwitting Pawn: Subverted with Maude and Sue.
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