"A prostitute in Victorian London is caught up in a relationship with a man who makes her his mistress. Eventually he brings her to live in his house to take care of his daughter and to help him cope with his crazy wife.
She ends up helping his wife escape to a convent in the country and then runs away with his daughter who she feels that she loves as he is not truly capable of doing."
Kim Gradel, Resident Scholar
"The story centers on Sugar, a 19-year-old girl bred for prostitution in 1875 London. Intrigued by her description in a directory of city brothels, William Rackham – the heir to a perfume fortune – is drawn to, and quickly becomes obsessed with, Sugar. He purchases her from the brothel's madam, first ensconcing her in a London flat and later bringing her into his home under the guise of a governess for his 6-year-old child. Within the Rackham household, Sugar becomes entangled with William's child-like, mentally unstable wife; his pious, insecure brother; and his needy, sorely-neglected daughter."
Jennifer Martin-Romme, Resident Scholar
"Meet Sugar, a nineteen-year-old prostitute in nineteenth-century London who yearns for escape to a better life. From the brothel of the terrifying Mrs. Castaway, she begins her ascent through society, meeting a host of lovable, maddening, unforgettable characters on the way. They begin with William Rackham, an egotistical perfume magnate whose empire is fueled by his lust for Sugar; his unhinged, child-like wife Agnes; his mysteriously hidden-away daughter, Sophie; and his pious brother Henry, foiled in his devotional calling by a persistently less-than-chaste love for the Widow Fox. There are also preening socialites, drunken journalists, untrustworthy servants, vile guttersnipes, and whores of all stripes and persuasions.
"
Bill Car, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of The Crimson Petal and the White
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 19th century
Life of a profession:
- prostitute/stripper/porn
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- prostitute
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- quite fatty
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 8 (a significant amount)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- impregnation/reproduction
- actual description of hetero sex
- descript. of female anat. (the big B's)
- descript. of female anat. (the big V)
- descript. of nude males (the big P)
Lot of foul language?
Yes
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