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innerweststreetlibrarian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This feels less like a novel and more like an observation of the intersecting lives of the characters over a period of time. The presence and fear of the serpent is pervasive, it changes people’s behaviour and impacts the way they live their lives. The writing is excellent, the narrative interesting enough to be unpredictable and it held my attention, but not engrossing enough to read it fast. I could have happily read a chapter a month and kept pace with the passage of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Medical content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse and Infidelity
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I went into the book not really knowing what to expect (it's a book that I've seen recommended many times and wanted to give it a try) and now that I've finished it I can say that it was a nice enough read and clearly well written and researched but it just fell a bit flat for me in terms of story.
Unfortunately, I did not care much about the two main characters and their relationship and I was more intrested in the various side characters, their portrayal and plot lines. Also, on various occasions, the
choices and actions made by the characters left me very perplexed and just felt a bit out of place.
Overall, I quite appreciated the writing stlye/prose, although there were some segments where the author narrated in a sort of sequence each characters' progress within the story and those parts I found a bit dragging.
Also, I didn't particularly enjoy the detailed description of injuries and medical procedures, maybe they seem quite tame for many people but I am squeamish and so I found it really difficult to go through those parts.
Unfortunately, I did not care much about the two main characters and their relationship and I was more intrested in the various side characters, their portrayal and plot lines. Also, on various occasions, the
choices and actions made by the characters left me very perplexed and just felt a bit out of place.
Overall, I quite appreciated the writing stlye/prose, although there were some segments where the author narrated in a sort of sequence each characters' progress within the story and those parts I found a bit dragging.
Also, I didn't particularly enjoy the detailed description of injuries and medical procedures, maybe they seem quite tame for many people but I am squeamish and so I found it really difficult to go through those parts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Body shaming, and Sexual violence
maddiehansen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
nnniro411's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I am unsure how to feel about this book. I think if I was trying to read it I wouldn't have been able to get through it. Even listening to the audiobook was a struggle. It was a bizarre story that I wish had more action. Honestly I think I went into it thinking this was going to be more of an creature searching adventure when in reality it was much more slower paced with more of a metaphorical plot than an actual creature. I tuned out a lot listening to this and still feel completely at a loss on what I think of this book.
It honestly feels more like a book I would have been forced to read for English in high school than a book I would have read on my own.
It honestly feels more like a book I would have been forced to read for English in high school than a book I would have read on my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Infidelity
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
evmb_c's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What I actually thought would be a fantasy book was in fact just a historical fiction.
The book essentially follows Cora, a brand new widow, in the journey she goes on for the year after her husband died. It involves the people she meets and how all their lives intersect.
This is a story which people & characters are at the core. You follow the main group of characters through their year and really get an insight into their lives and what makes each tick.
There’s romance, adventure, tragedy & death - all the things that make up a real life.
It was a bit slow to begin with but after the first 100 pages I got used the the writing style and found myself really consuming the book.
It’s lots of different romances at play I found myself I tricked to who may end up with who.
I did think though that I really couldn’t actually tell you what this book is about 😂 I think it’s maybe one of those ones which means something different to everyone who reads it.
Sometimes very descriptive which I found hard to follow as I really am not someone who pictures things easily in their heads.
TW: spousal death, infidelity, suicidal intent and attempt via hanging
The book essentially follows Cora, a brand new widow, in the journey she goes on for the year after her husband died. It involves the people she meets and how all their lives intersect.
This is a story which people & characters are at the core. You follow the main group of characters through their year and really get an insight into their lives and what makes each tick.
There’s romance, adventure, tragedy & death - all the things that make up a real life.
It was a bit slow to begin with but after the first 100 pages I got used the the writing style and found myself really consuming the book.
It’s lots of different romances at play I found myself I tricked to who may end up with who.
I did think though that I really couldn’t actually tell you what this book is about 😂 I think it’s maybe one of those ones which means something different to everyone who reads it.
Sometimes very descriptive which I found hard to follow as I really am not someone who pictures things easily in their heads.
TW: spousal death, infidelity, suicidal intent and attempt via hanging
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Death
Moderate: Infidelity
vonmonsta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"Not even knowledge takes all the strangeness from the world"
I've heard such polarising views on The Essex Serpent that I didn't really know what to expect but having been sat on my to-read pile for a good few years, it was about time I picked it up.
Inspired by tales of a serpent lurking in the saltlands, newly widowed amateur naturalist Cora Seaborne moves to Essex, chasing after the idea of the fabled Essex Serpent.
Set in the late 19th Century The Essex Serpent is lyrically written & evocative, slightly gothic at times; there were so many descriptions and phrases which delighted me with how beautiful they were! It all moved so easily!
It's a beautiful story exploring faith, superstition and scientific fact, friendship and romantic love, the boundaries of which keep blurring, liminal like the landscape it's set in.
It was rather a slow book, with the plot not really kicking in until the last third, however it didn't prevent my absolute enjoyment of it; I was really charmed by the protagonist, (in fact all of the characters were really interesting & charming in their own way, & I enjoyed reading elements of the tale from their point of view), the way the narrative was woven together, the mounting panic & fear of the townspeople & there was enough of a slight unease running through the novel to keep me reading.
The menace is, however, never quite fully formed and remains a little misty and vague at times & I did feel that there were sparks of potential subplots but they either fizzled out or didn't altogether properly manifest, but it remains an absorbing tale that I throughly enjoyed!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I've heard such polarising views on The Essex Serpent that I didn't really know what to expect but having been sat on my to-read pile for a good few years, it was about time I picked it up.
Inspired by tales of a serpent lurking in the saltlands, newly widowed amateur naturalist Cora Seaborne moves to Essex, chasing after the idea of the fabled Essex Serpent.
Set in the late 19th Century The Essex Serpent is lyrically written & evocative, slightly gothic at times; there were so many descriptions and phrases which delighted me with how beautiful they were! It all moved so easily!
It's a beautiful story exploring faith, superstition and scientific fact, friendship and romantic love, the boundaries of which keep blurring, liminal like the landscape it's set in.
It was rather a slow book, with the plot not really kicking in until the last third, however it didn't prevent my absolute enjoyment of it; I was really charmed by the protagonist, (in fact all of the characters were really interesting & charming in their own way, & I enjoyed reading elements of the tale from their point of view), the way the narrative was woven together, the mounting panic & fear of the townspeople & there was enough of a slight unease running through the novel to keep me reading.
The menace is, however, never quite fully formed and remains a little misty and vague at times & I did feel that there were sparks of potential subplots but they either fizzled out or didn't altogether properly manifest, but it remains an absorbing tale that I throughly enjoyed!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Suicide, and Terminal illness
tqlikesbooks's review against another edition
relaxing
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I haven't got much to say about this. Though I recognise it is a very well written and crafted novel, it just didn't work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Miscarriage and Infidelity
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