Book · 1999 · Spiritualism
Affinity
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I would actually point them to Affinity by Sarah Waters. It is genuinely frightening in the way of a Victorian ghost story. It's about a woman who is deeply troubled and kind of to do good works and give her life purpose.
The best things said about it
I would add to that Affinity another of her spookier ones which yes is about spiritualism also a perfect book which you have to read.
Why people recommend it
Sarah Waters's Affinity is a gothic historical novel set in a Victorian women's prison and spiritualist circles, chronicling the intense relationship between a wealthy volunteer and an imprisoned spiritualist medium. Leigh Bardugo recommended the book on The Book Review as a genuinely frightening introduction to horror for readers who enjoy atmospheric gothic and literary fiction, highlighting its portrayal of a troubled woman seeking purpose through charitable works. Sadie Stein also endorsed the novel on the same podcast, categorizing it among Waters's spookier literary contributions and insisting that it stands as an absolute must-read. The book weaves themes of class, confinement, and the Victorian obsession with spiritualism into a deeply unsettling narrative that keeps readers guessing about the boundary between supernatural forces and psychological delusion. Through its meticulous period detail and complex characterizations, the novel captures the suffocating constraints placed on women during the nineteenth century. Podcast contributors frequently return to Waters's bibliography when discussing sophisticated scary stories that prioritize psychological tension and historical depth over cheap thrills, cementing Affinity as a high-water mark of modern historical gothic fiction.
Every mention
Leigh Bardugo I would actually point them to Affinity by Sarah Waters. It is genuinely frightening in the way of a Victor… 1
“I would actually point them to Affinity by Sarah Waters. It is genuinely frightening in the way of a Victorian ghost story. It's about a woman who is deeply troubled and kind of to do good works and give her life purpose.”
Sadie Stein I would add to that Affinity another of her spookier ones which yes is about spiritualism also a perfect bo… 1
“I would add to that Affinity another of her spookier ones which yes is about spiritualism also a perfect book which you have to read”