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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Significant violence including physical abuse, assault, and the brutalities of Victorian street life; graphic in some scenes
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout; Victorian slang and explicit adult dialogue
Sexual Content
Very heavy
Explicit sexual content depicting prostitution; graphic scenes are numerous and detailed — this is one of the most sexually explicit literary novels in mainstream fiction
Substance Use
Some
Moderate alcohol and laudanum use depicted in the Victorian social context
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological content including trauma, exploitation, survival, and the psychological complexity of Sugar's ambitious rise
What this book is about
Michel Faber's monumental Victorian novel follows Sugar, a young prostitute with literary ambitions who catches the eye of a perfume heir and engineers her rise from the brothels of Soho to the drawing rooms of respectable society. Exhaustively researched and richly detailed, the novel offers an unflinching view of Victorian hypocrisy, female exploitation, and class. Explicit sexual content involving prostitution is central to the narrative.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extremely explicit sexual content including graphic prostitution scenes
Physical abuse and violence toward women
Adults only; among the most sexually explicit literary novels in English
Reader Verification
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