An Awaited Sequel

My thanks to "C" for alerting me to the fact that there is a sequel to "The Crimson Petal and the White". For the last year I have been wondering what happened to Sugar. I first came to this book via one of the Radio 4 book club type things, I only caught the last few minutes but the discussion seemed intriguing.

Although the main character is called Sugar, there is no way this book could be described as sugar coated. It is set in a bleak age, and as such it is a bleak book. It is advisable not to get attached to any of the characters (although many are hard to get attached to anyway, there are not many nice people in this world). Logically, because the characters are not loveable, or often even likeable, this should not be a gripping story. But it is. It tells how people struggle to raise themselves out of the gutter and that in doing so they cannot always take pleasant choices. It explores the mind, as well as politics and religion, ostensibly Victorian but applicable to our own times.

Don't be put off by the fact it is a "big" book, around 800 pages. You will read it fst enough as you get drawn into this world. But be ready for some fairly explicit passages, be aware that this is the story of a prostitute desperate to improve her life.