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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.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
2.0
Too depressing to finish right now, maybe someday.
readacorn's review
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.
jennerator828's review against another edition
4.0
This book actually got better as it went along, and I was particularly pleased with the ending. It's also MUCH better than Frog Music, though it still doesn't hold a candle to Room to me--although I do wonder if it's fair to compare Donoghue's historical fic with her contemporary work. In any case, this was a good book and I would recommend it to any Neo-Victorian fan.
mcfade28's review against another edition
4.0
Emma Donoghue is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Everything I've read of hers has been a real treat, aside from her lacklustre debut Stirfry. She is a historian, and I think this book is an example of what she does best... take a very vague historical account and flesh it out into a novel.
Slammerkin follows Mary Saunders, a teenager who is abandoned by her mother after a rape, and stumbles into a life of prostitution in 18th century London. Donoghue paints a very clear picture of my beloved London in this time frame( and I very much enjoyed several mentions of the Cheshire Cheese pub which is still open today and I've visited on many occasions), and our young protagonist inspires pathos. It's hard not to get swept away in this story, and I forgot on several occasions that poor Mary was only really a child.
I won't spoil the ending but I was enthralled throughout. This book isn't for the faint hearted and it doesn't shy away from seedy scenes, but I would thoroughly recommend it to any historical fiction fan who doesn't balk at the prospect of a detailed look at prostitution in 18th century London.
Slammerkin follows Mary Saunders, a teenager who is abandoned by her mother after a rape, and stumbles into a life of prostitution in 18th century London. Donoghue paints a very clear picture of my beloved London in this time frame( and I very much enjoyed several mentions of the Cheshire Cheese pub which is still open today and I've visited on many occasions), and our young protagonist inspires pathos. It's hard not to get swept away in this story, and I forgot on several occasions that poor Mary was only really a child.
I won't spoil the ending but I was enthralled throughout. This book isn't for the faint hearted and it doesn't shy away from seedy scenes, but I would thoroughly recommend it to any historical fiction fan who doesn't balk at the prospect of a detailed look at prostitution in 18th century London.
arielle17's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Slammerkin, and thought it was really beautifully written. Donoghue has an excellent way of getting involved in the minds of very young people and writing from the perspective of very damaged children. This is definitely a very complex book, especially because it deals much less blatantly with the abuse involved than 'Room' (which I read first) did, so for me it was sometimes a struggle to remember precisely how young the main character was and to see her actions in light of that. It seemed remarkably well-researched, and the details of the setting are rich and wonderful - it's a good book to sink into.