The Crimson Petal and the White

Gripping from the first page, this immense novel is an intoxicating and deeply satisfying read. This is Faber’s most ambitious fictional creation yet and affirms his position as one of the most talented writers working in Britain today. Sugar, an alluring, 19-year-old whore in the brothel of the terrifying Mrs Castaway, yearns for a better life. Her ascent through the strata of 1870s London society offers us intimacy with a host of loveable, maddening and superbly realised characters.

But at the heart, though, of this panoramic, multi-layered narrative is the compelling struggle of a young woman to lift her body and soul out of the gutter. The Crimson Petal and the White is a big, juicy, must-read of a novel that will delight, enthrall, provoke and entertain young and old, male and female.

In your opinion, who are the sinister characters in the book? Who are the heroes and heroines? Debate these questions, and more, with the help of our Reading Group Notes.

Praise for The Crimson Petal and the White:

‘Dizzyingly accomplished.’

Guardian

A big, sexy, bravura novel that is destined to be surpassingly popular … wildly entertaining.

New York Times

Unbelievably pleasurable of narrative rides . . Faber’s take on the 19th – century English novel is a heady and intoxicating mixture of affection, respect and scabrous resistance.

The Times

An astonishing narrative sweep that encompasses Victorian society in all its colourful variety, it peels away the surface gentility and brings its world to vivid life. It’s a feast for all five senses and in spite of its weight, it’s impossible to put down.

Val McDermid