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amyv's review against another edition
4.0
Four stars for quality, three for my enjoyment. Donoghue is adept at character, human truths, and scene setting. But this was a dreary, difficult read. And though I could empathize with Mary and found her both believable and complex, for some reason I just didn't feel emotionally connected to the story. For all its tragedy, it rarely moved me at a heart level.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
That Immortal Soul the teachers harped on so much -- Mary knew she'd swap it quick as a blink for the merest inch of beauty. A single scarlet ribbon.
This was heavy and hard. When the book starts, we know how it's going to end; with young Mary in a jail cell, awaiting her death. Based loosely on a true story, it details the suffering that women of the era were often forced to endure; the desperation, the unfairness, all the little victories and defeats. I've no doubts about the likelihood of the story, and it was extremely successful in creating its characters and the setting.
As well written as this was, I can't really say that I got anything out of it. It was a bleak, intense story, by its nature and by necessity, and I knew what I was getting into, but I did expect there to be a LITTLE levity or hopefulness at times, even though that I knew how it was going to end. Maybe that was asking for too much, in a novel that clearly took its realism very seriously. Mary's life was difficult, and often incredibly unfair, and there would often be no rhyme or reason to the ugly things that happened to her. She definitely didn't always make the right decisions. Realistic as that might have been, it was a lot, and stories that bleak don't ever really speak to me much.
I'm never really a fan of books that split their POVs in the manner that this one did; omniscient is just not the kind of style I like. But I do admit that I did come to appreciate it in the second part of the book when we got Abi's POV. She's the only major black character, and because of her particular circumstances, I'd have felt weird if we hadn't gotten her perspective.
(Also I'm not sure why so many people have this shelved as LGBT? Probably because of the author. But there's no romance in here, and no queer content, unless I really wasn't paying attention. And I can't lie, that's part of why I picked this up, so I was a bit disappointed lol. ETA: I just noticed that not that many people have actually shelved this as LGBT. I played myself!!)
Undeniably very good; there's merit in these kinds of stories being told. But not totally for me.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
multiple instances of rape and sexual violence, forced prostitution, abortion, miscarriage, racism and discussion of slavery, death.cheesygiraffe's review
5.0
Mary in the end is the same girl who wanted that red ribbon at the age of 14. Sad story really.
lwvalentine55's review against another edition
4.0
Yes, it was dark, but I enjoyed reading about a person who wasn't grand or famous in her life, and whose end was just a side note in history.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
Slammerkin, like Sex and the City, is less about sex than it is about clothes, and the desire to have something pretty to wear. Mary is a girl living with her family in a two-room flat near Charing Cross in 18th century London when she is kicked out because of the allure of a bright red ribbon. Her path is never easy, but she remembers the three rules laid down by a friend; Never give up your liberty, clothes make the woman and clothes are the greatest lie ever told.
Mary's story is never boring. She may not have any material advantages or anyone to look out for her, but she's resilient and resourceful, quick and tough enough to survive anything. She's learned that compassion and pity are weaknesses to be both feared and exploited. Slammerkin reminded me of Fingersmith. It lacks Fingersmith's twists and turns, but both vividly evoke an England where only the strong survive.
Mary's story is never boring. She may not have any material advantages or anyone to look out for her, but she's resilient and resourceful, quick and tough enough to survive anything. She's learned that compassion and pity are weaknesses to be both feared and exploited. Slammerkin reminded me of Fingersmith. It lacks Fingersmith's twists and turns, but both vividly evoke an England where only the strong survive.
kschmoldt's review against another edition
3.0
This book was okay. The writing was wonderful and I can't see how Emma Donoghue could be any better. That said, I found the story distasteful and the entire character of Mary Saunders to be vastly unredeeming. There really is nothing to like about her. She's a horrible person. She doesn't fall under what I would consider to be evil, as she doesn't set out to hurt anyone on purpose, but she is completely selfish and ungrateful. It was possible to feel a little sorry for Mary as the book begins - she's simply a young girl who wants more for herself than the times she lives in will allow. She makes a bad decision, and that forces her to turn to prostitution. Perhaps it's the life of a prostitute that turns Mary to the "dark side". The first half of the book was superior to the second half, but it's worth reading if you like historical fiction and you've run out of other books to read but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.
mellabella's review against another edition
4.0
I am not a great big fan of historical fiction. But,I couldn't put Slammerkin down.I just wished it had ended with a little info on what happened to Mary Saunders mother, brother, and even Abi.I guess I thought it ended abruptly with her death.This may even be a reread.It could have been depressing. London, at that time... The poverty. The very young girl forced into prostitution. But it wasn't. Mary Saunders will and spirit made it very enjoyable.I will definitely check out the authors other books.
dayseraph's review against another edition
3.0
Probably really 3.5 stars. Slammerkin was a good, quick read. It's set in the 18th century and tells the story of a young girl whose love of clothes and color leads her into a life of prostitution. Terrible things happen, as you would expect, but this book kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next as Donoghue's writing has a touch of humor and lightness that prevents the story from being dragged down in tragedy.
readacorn's review against another edition
4.0
London 1748: Mary lernt früh, dass man mit Ehrbarkeit und harter Arbeit nicht weit kommt. Für ein leuchtend rotes Satinband wird sie zur Hure und lernt so eine Freiheit kennen, die den sittsamen Frauen ihrer Zeit vorenthalten ist.
Von der Autorin kannte ich bereits ihr hervorragendes Buch "Raum". Das Vorliegende hat zwar ein völlig anderes Thema, ist aber ebenso spannend geschrieben. Die Lebensbedingungen im ausgehenden 18. Jahrhundert Englands auf der Straße, in den Städten, den Dörfern bei Reich und Arm werden im Rahmen der Erzählung eindrücklich vermittelt. Auch die Mode ist ein zentrales Thema.
Die Geschichte der starken Mary Saunders geht unter die Haut. Ihr Lebensweg wird immer absurder ohne konstruiert zu wirken. Einziger Kritikpunkt: die Kapitel waren mir mit 60-90 Seiten etwas zu lang. Ich mache gerne meine Leseunterbrechung zum Kapitelende, das war hier kaum möglich.
Ein vernachlässigbares Manko in Anbetracht der tollen Geschichte. Im Anhang erfährt man, dass es eine historische Mary Saunders gab und welche weiteren Charaktere aus dem Roman historische Vorlagen hatten.
Von der Autorin kannte ich bereits ihr hervorragendes Buch "Raum". Das Vorliegende hat zwar ein völlig anderes Thema, ist aber ebenso spannend geschrieben. Die Lebensbedingungen im ausgehenden 18. Jahrhundert Englands auf der Straße, in den Städten, den Dörfern bei Reich und Arm werden im Rahmen der Erzählung eindrücklich vermittelt. Auch die Mode ist ein zentrales Thema.
Die Geschichte der starken Mary Saunders geht unter die Haut. Ihr Lebensweg wird immer absurder ohne konstruiert zu wirken. Einziger Kritikpunkt: die Kapitel waren mir mit 60-90 Seiten etwas zu lang. Ich mache gerne meine Leseunterbrechung zum Kapitelende, das war hier kaum möglich.
Ein vernachlässigbares Manko in Anbetracht der tollen Geschichte. Im Anhang erfährt man, dass es eine historische Mary Saunders gab und welche weiteren Charaktere aus dem Roman historische Vorlagen hatten.