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A review by anitaofplaybooktag
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
3.0
This book is an engaging story about a young prostitute set in mid 16th century London.
I loved the book initially as it paints the picture of a young woman, Mary, who gets sucked into prostitution who finds a way to survive by her wits and with the help of an older, more experienced prostitute. Mary is not a typical fictional character; she has more than her share of flaws - - not merely in her judgement, but also in her character, yet she is portrayed sympathetically.
Unfortunately, Mary ultimately leaves London and goes into "service" under false pretenses to a family in the countryside.
Here is where one might hope that Mary would rise above her early circumstances and go on to live a happy life. Needless to say, that's not what happens. Not by a long shot.
This book really had a lot of four star qualities in that it was well written and suspenseful, but even I, who really LIKE dark books, found it just didn't have enough hope or uplifting qualities to contrast against the unrelenting darkness. For me, dark books can make even the smallest bit of humanity shine brightly, and I read them for those moving moments. The contrast is what engages my mind and my emotion.
Slammerkin just didn't quite deliver on that promise and while I admired the author for not taking the easy route with her characters, I also ended up feeling that the book really didn't develop that elusive theme that elevates an ordinary read to the four and five star levels.
I loved the book initially as it paints the picture of a young woman, Mary, who gets sucked into prostitution who finds a way to survive by her wits and with the help of an older, more experienced prostitute. Mary is not a typical fictional character; she has more than her share of flaws - - not merely in her judgement, but also in her character, yet she is portrayed sympathetically.
Unfortunately, Mary ultimately leaves London and goes into "service" under false pretenses to a family in the countryside.
Here is where one might hope that Mary would rise above her early circumstances and go on to live a happy life. Needless to say, that's not what happens. Not by a long shot.
This book really had a lot of four star qualities in that it was well written and suspenseful, but even I, who really LIKE dark books, found it just didn't have enough hope or uplifting qualities to contrast against the unrelenting darkness. For me, dark books can make even the smallest bit of humanity shine brightly, and I read them for those moving moments. The contrast is what engages my mind and my emotion.
Slammerkin just didn't quite deliver on that promise and while I admired the author for not taking the easy route with her characters, I also ended up feeling that the book really didn't develop that elusive theme that elevates an ordinary read to the four and five star levels.