The Crimson Petal and the White

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The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber is an 2002 epic postmodern novel set in Victorian-era England. The main characters include William Rackham, the unwilling heir to a perfume business; Agnes, William's brittle, long-suffering "mad wife in the attic"; and Sugar, a decidedly unconventional and strong-willed young prostitute whose intense affair with William gives her the opportunity to climb to a higher perch in the rigidly stratified class system of the time. It was generally well-received by critics, though faulted by some for what was perceived as an abrupt and unsatisying conclusion.^{[citation needed]}

As of January 2006, a movie production with the same title is slated for release in 2007, directed by Curtis Hanson.