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Michel Faber

I just ripped through this book, I was completely in love with it and never wanted it to end. When it did, I was really bought back to earth with a bump, I just sat there thinking that maybe I'd missed something and went back and re-read the last chapters over again, but maybe it was just Fabers way of reminding us that we are engaged in reading an invention, I just dont know.
In some ways it reminded me of some of John Fowles writing, that deliberate pulling back from the story into the reality of the fact that we are reading. Its about 200 years since I read anything by Fowles, but I seem to recall that The French Lts Woman employed that literary device or was it The Magus??
 
Just finished this book and I was definitely impressed. Although I can't say that I actually liked any of the characters I was completely immersed in their lives and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I loved the ending and thought it was very well done. I really like Stewart's analogy, I hadn't thought of it that way.
Also, it seemed to me that throughout the book William brought Sugar out of nothing and raised her up (not benevolently, I might add ;) ) only to pull the rug out from under her but in the end she was able to do the same to him. She stole all the women from his life. A strange sort of justice I'd say.
Anyway, I was sorry it ended and would have been happy to continue reading forever.
 
Francesca, I believe it was the French Lt.'s Woman you are thinking of. I remember a similar narrative voice, especially in the opening pages.
 
I went searching for posts about this book, since I just finished it, and found this. I'm glad it's here, because I have some questions!

Unless there is something in invisible ink on the last page that I missed, I don't see how anything is going to "click into place" for me! It did seem quite abrupt, although that's OK since I guess life can be like that.

On the whole, I thought the book was good. There were some things that did not ring true for me though, mainly everything that happened from the time
Sugar went to be the governess at William's house. It seemed totally out of character that she would give up her private and luxurious quarters so that she could move into a cramped attic room with virtually nothing of her own. If William was paying her all that money (so much that she had envelopes of it she had never even opened!), then why would she ever willingly give that up? Why would a woman who had become accustomed to fabulous clothes and a life of her own give all of that up to be a governess?
Everything from that point on when downhill for me.

The only thing I can think of is that this was supposed to be part of some grand design of Sugar's to
exact revenge on William for being a man, and that the whole kidnapping Sophie episode was somehow her master plan from the beginning (or "mistress" plan, as the case may be). I don't buy that, though. If that's the case, then why wouldn't she have just kidnapped Sophie at the first opportunity? Why wait until William cans her?

Also: William's behavior when the doctor tells him that Sugar is pregnant makes no sense. He sends her a note and tells her she can't work there anymore, then Sugar tells him she's not pregnant, but he won't reconsider? Not difficult to verify, and if in fact she's not pregnant then why would William stick to his decision?

Anyway. I liked this book, but there seem to be a lot of gaping holes in it. Comparison to "The French Lieutenant's Woman" is almost unavoidable, and to me the Fowles work is much superior. It too had a very strange ending (two of them in fact!), but they both worked and both made sense in their own ways.

Curious to know if anyone else felt the same way I did here.
 
ja9 said:
**There are spoilers here and I don't know how to code them as such - please don't read this post if you have not read this book.**
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Put [SPOILER] at the start of your spoiler and put [/SPOILER] at the end. Edit your post to include them, please. :)
 
Thank you, Stewart! Now that I've fixed the spoiler issue, will someone please tell me what this book meant, if anyone can??
 
ja9 said:
Thank you, Stewart! Now that I've fixed the spoiler issue, will someone please tell me what this book meant, if anyone can??
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I don't know that it necessarily meant anything. Books dont always have a 'meaning' as such, and in my opinion having thought about it a lot since I read it, I think the ambiguity of the ending demonstrated exactly that. For me it was a beautifully written literary experience. We are taken into a different place and time, allowed to watch the unfolding of events, and then the curtain comes down. Initially ( within the first 30 minutes of finishing the book) I was disappointed because I wanted to know more. But on reflection it was a complete experience in itself. Its on my to-read-again list, and I'm really looking forward to it.
 
I saw last night in Waterstone's that Michel Faber's new collection of stories is out in the UK, The Fahrenheit Twins, which would presumably include the third story from novella's collection that I wasn't familiar with. A handsome hardback, but I narrowly resisted purchasing... for now.
 
I loved the crimson Petal and the white, I simply could not put it down until I had finished the very last page. I didn't find the ending a disappointment - although i was a little sad that it ended :rolleyes:

How would you have preffered it to end? personally i thought it was a fitting end.
 
Let me rephrase my question: Rather than asking what this book meant, what I really want to know is whether or not I am the only one who found it full of holes. So many things seemed illogical, if not just plain sloppy. The prose style was lovely, and this is clearly a gifted writer. I know that he spent several years writing this book, and that made it all the more puzzling when the end was so (to me) nonsensical.

Shouldn't the actions of a character make sense in the context of the information that the author has provided? Sugar's actions, both at the end of the book and in the other instances that I cited above, don't seem logical, and Faber never explains himself, or Sugar.

I have nothing against ambiguous endings, and in fact I like that Faber did not feel compelled to wrap everything in a neat package.

Maybe I'll read this again in a year or so and see if I get more out of it next time.
 
So far, I've read "The Crimson Petal and the White" and "Under The Skin". And I like both. What I enjoyed from reading Faber's books are not so much the story than his style of writing, his wits and wickedness with words.

I prefer authors who don't write mainstream stuffs or who produce works meant for top 10 list, bestseller list etc...

Glad I found one such writer.

(Three of his other novellas are sitting on my bedside table, can't wait to read them...)
 
Misty said:
So far, I've read "The Crimson Petal and the White" and "Under The Skin". And I like both. What I enjoyed from reading Faber's books are not so much the story than his style of writing, his wits and wickedness with words.

(Three of his other novellas are sitting on my bedside table, can't wait to read them...)
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I've also recently finished 'Under the Skin' and 'Crimson Petal..' and i agree with all the comments, his style is instantly readable and often with subtle humour.
I will definitely read more.
Any recommendations which of his to read next?
 
To cabrasopa

Glad to find that you also like his books :)

I'm afraid I can't really recommend any right now because I haven't started on his other novellas. :eek: I've still got 2 of his novellas (not 3, i made a mistake) still pending to be read. They are "The Courage Consort' and "The Hundred and Ninety-nine Steps".

His are mostly novellas and short stories and I feel that each of them can be read on many different levels, which is what I like about his books actually.
 
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