~The Ultimate Love Thief~Fingersmith~

Setting...

Victorian Era, Dickensian London ,Pickpockets, Beggar's, Night Rat Collectors, Mudlarks, Guttersnipes, Filth, Night Soil
Collectors, Pearled Gloves....And Erotic Forbidden Love of a Fingersmith and A Victorian Lady...WOW!

What have I gotten myself into this time???????

Well, saw this movie on Netflix, had an interesting title_
"Fingersmith"..never heard that word before_so I decided to rent it! Boy, my curiosity always gets me in trouble or NOT. It's always a "Learnt Experience"_ of sorts.

Then I remembered another movie with "Sarah Waters" handle on it...of which I blogged about here (near the bottom of Post):  http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/09/this-weeksermg-moments_21.html 

I said "Self"...This is gonna be interesting! ErMG!! another Sarah Waters Sapphist Story! I kept repeating...

So, the movie has Two Episodes which shed insight on the daily lives of these two main women characters. KEEP UP or you'll get entangled with which life is which and so forth & so on.... First Episode...goes like this_

The first is told from the perspective of the"Fingersmith"_Sue! 

She grew up in the dismal surrounding of a London slum_ taken in by her adoptive mother (or so she thought)_Mrs Sucksby. Mrs S. runs a prosperous business_ "A DEN OF THIEVES". Think Charles Dickens's "Oliver Twist"!

Sue is sent to help Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers seduce a wealthy heiress.Note:Gentleman is NOT really interested in women per se, unless he can get their money. Posing as a maid, Sue is to gain the trust of the lady, Maud and eventually persuade her to elope with Gentleman. Once they are married, Gentleman plans to commit Maud to a madhouse and claim her fortune for himself.

Second Episode....Enter "The Gloved One", Maud!

Maud takes over the narrative. She describes her early life being raised by the nurses in the mental asylum where her mother died, and the sudden appearance of her uncle when she was eleven, who arrives to take her to Briar (his country home) to be his secretary...where he painstakingly writes and illustrates his many books of Erotic Literature!! Very popular during that time as it is now...50 Shades Madness: http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/06/50-shades-of-greyscandalousmaybereallyn.html

Her induction into his rigid way of life is brutal; Maud is made to wear gloves constantly to preserve the surfaces of the books she is working on, and is denied food when she tires of labouring with her uncle in his library.

We're good right? Now, this is where it gets interesting!

Let me explain what the title means. A fingersmith is a petty thief. The novel/movie protagonist, Sue, makes a living as a fingersmith in London. "Fingersmith" may also refer to someone who has mastered a skill involving the use of his or her fingers_ that would be Maud & Sue_in more ways than one. It is also clearly an allusion to female masturbation and sex between women, in a similar vein to the use of the erotic term in the title_"Tipping The Velvet". Mmm,Sarah likes these quirky Victorian words & meanings alot...just sayin'... 

^{I'm thinking at this stage_ Sarah Waters_reaallllyy,likes this subject matter very much, indeed!} 
Waters attended university, and earned degrees in English literature. She received a BA from the University of Kent, an MA from Lancaster University and a PhD from Queen Mary,University of London. Her PhD thesis, entitled Wolfskins and togas : lesbian and gay historical fictions, 1870 to the present, served as inspiration and material for future books.
http://www.sarahwaters.com/

Whoa! I was only intrigued by the word Fingersmith(it's meaning) & Historical Fiction(a favorite genre of mine).

But,Waters on the other hand is in waaaay too"deep" for a"light" Friday Afternoon movie for the kid! I'm bound to see what happens....PAUSE...another glass of Petite Sirah.

Historically, while Queen Victoria, accepted homosexuality in men,it is said she was not able to believe lesbians existed. The movie/book defies that notion as it swiftly places one into the teeming life that thrived underneath the various repressions of the Victorian era. 

And, with it's various "Twist & Turns"_Watch and  Listen carefully_ I guarantee you'll be very surprised at the ending...awesome! So, should you choose to watch the movie or read the book...

                    <sup>aka.. Sarah's:  "Victoria's Secret"

 As a result of this movie (haven't read the book)_I've become interested in reading about the Victorian Underworld...found this on Amazon.com.</sup>

Here we go...I'll probably share some stuff with y'all on the subject matter.

Anyway...so much for my "Friday Afternoon" Movie Day.A combination of _

Pearls,Gloves & Ladies

^PLUS...

              The Delicate Art of Love Fingers

I'm re-naming that Movie_

      "Love In The Time Of FingerSmithing"

Here's a Peek_

Pam's,"Swimsuit Illustrated Issue" (2012)

Call it_Togs,Bathers,Cossies,One-Piece Bikini,Thongs,Burqini,Tankini,Monokini,Classic
Era Nude,etc.._
Women's bathing suits have reaallllly evolved from this 1855 Women's bathing Suit!

                                      Bloomers & Black Stocking
Wow..Well Dressed Swimmer,Indeed! Considering early History shows the Romans and Greeks Ala' Nude!However,I'm thinking History is repeating itself nowdays_considering some of the swim attire or lack of fabric on today's swimwear.In various cultures,one swims, if not in the nude, in a version of suitable material,a garment or undergarment commonly worn on land, i.e.loincloth such as the Japanese man's Fundoshi..in other words a strip of fabric surrounding the "private areas"of man or woman!

 Female bathing costumes were derived from those worn at Bath,England and other spas.During the 1670s nude female bathing in the spas was the norm.Nude swimming was ban in the UK in 1886.Women had to wear "A Decent Shift" on their bodies after 1886.And,the fabric of chioce for these poor souls was Flannel! It was believed the warmer fabric was necessary in cold water...mmm there would be some dead bodies floating around here in Texas in flannel!

In the Victorian Era, popular beach resorts were commonly equipped with "bathing machines" designed to avoid the exposure of people in swimsuits, especially to people of the opposite sex.

Beauty Contest in America of women in bathing costumes became popular from the 1880s.However, such contests were not regarded as respectable.These Contest became more respectable with the first modern "Miss America"contest held in 1921.Norman Rockwell was a Judge in 1922.Now here's a one-piece number for you thong wearing,bikini lovers:

Aussie Annette Kellerman in 1907 was arrested for "INDECENT EXPOSURE" because her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck. Kellerman changed the suit to have long arms and legs and a collar, still keeping the close fit that revealed the shapes underneath.What The What??????

These form fitting garments and glamour photography(1940's& 50's) which often featured people wearing swimsuits made this style popular.Aka,"Hour-glass figure","Coca Cola Bottle figure"Syndrome!!! This evolved into swimsuit photography exemplified by the annual "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue".Beauty contests also required contestants to wear form-fitting swimsuits. The 1980's brought the "Thong" from Brazil...and as they say the rest is History.....Here's a look at some icons in swimsuits...

                                                   1930's Jean Harlow

                                                  1950's Esther Williams

                                                   1951 Marilyn Monroe

                                                    1956 Bette Page

                                                    1976 Farrah Fawcett

                                                     1979 Bo Derek

                                                    2001 Angelina Jolie

                                                   2002 Halle Berry

                                                    2007 Beyonce

                                     2008 Helen Mirren at 63 yrs young!

           And,what's an Olympic Game without controversy...

Keeping up the Aussie Tradition_Stephanie Rice_Australian Olympic Swimmer Tweet Pic!

Ah,I have not forgotten about the Guys...but coming off "Magic Mike Opening Weekend"...enough said!Nothing could possibly compare to Magic Mike..heard the lines in DC were 2 Blocks thick!

Now here's _"My Style" of swimwear with a couple bottles of Shiraz & a good book.....

So,Ladies_Start Your Engines..mmm wrong one_Start Your Itty,Bitty,SwimSuit Wearing..& Let The Games Begin!As for me,Bob says it best.....


~Well me don't swim too tough so me don't go in the water too deep~Bob Marley~