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A review by shimmery
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
5.0
In the last decade of the 19th century Cora finds herself widowed and happier than ever. Moving with her son to Essex, for the first time she can do whatever she wants (which is mainly fossil hunting in men's clothes and eating a lot of cake).
In the village there is rumours of a serpent who comes in on the estuary and kills whatever is left out after dark. The story follows the village's inhabitants and Cora's acquaintances and all things felt but not seen.
Poetic, fun and clever, this book deserves every bit of praise it has got. It is really a beautiful read and the characters are all fantastic - the narrative is driven by them rather than the plot. It of course couldn't be a neo Victorian novel without the presence of a huge amount of desire, and this is handled expertly. The whole thing ties together really well without the the ending feeling contrived.
There's no excuse to read bad books if you haven't got round to this one yet.
In the village there is rumours of a serpent who comes in on the estuary and kills whatever is left out after dark. The story follows the village's inhabitants and Cora's acquaintances and all things felt but not seen.
Poetic, fun and clever, this book deserves every bit of praise it has got. It is really a beautiful read and the characters are all fantastic - the narrative is driven by them rather than the plot. It of course couldn't be a neo Victorian novel without the presence of a huge amount of desire, and this is handled expertly. The whole thing ties together really well without the the ending feeling contrived.
There's no excuse to read bad books if you haven't got round to this one yet.