Tipping the Velvet
by Sarah Watersliterary work· published 1998
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Tipping the Velvet is a 1998 debut novel by Welsh novelist Sarah Waters. A historical novel set in England during the 1890s, it tells a coming-of-age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself as she journeys through the city. The picaresque plot elements have prompted scholars and reviewers to compare it to similar British urban adventure stories written by Charles Dickens and Daniel Defoe. The novel has pervasive lesbian themes, concentrating on eroticism and self-discovery. Waters was working on a PhD dissertation in English literature when she decided to write a story she would like to read.
Adaptations (1)
Tipping the Velvet was adapted into a 2002 television series.
Tipping the Velvet2002 · television series · 177 min · IMDb ↗IMDb7.7A tempestuous tale of love and life as a naïve girl discovers both romance and pain in the hidden, decadent world of bohemian London in the 1890s. Nan Astley embarks on a voyage of emotional and sexual discovery with Kitty Butler, a music hall male impersonator.
