Review - The Paying Guest by Sarah Waters

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book really surprised me ... I didn't read anything about it before picking it up except that I'd heard it was 'good.' I think this is one that is best read with little information going into it. Sarah Waters is such a brilliant writer - that is what made this book so special! The pacing of the novel was perfection! I literally felt like I was walking around the early 1920s as I read this novel. The characters were spot on, the story was wonderful and the novel slowly pulls you in and makes you feel unable to stop reading. I felt like the prose was dense but not in a bad way, just in that way you need to savor each and every word. It isn't, in any way, a quick read. It's a novel you should throw yourself into and just live there for the duration. I think you'd lose something of the impact the narrative has if you tried dipping in and out rather than just submerging yourself in the novel. I highly recommend this if you enjoy dense fiction that is well written. If you're looking for something fast paced that reads quickly, you may want to look elsewhere. All in all, I really enjoyed this novel! Great read!