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A review by georgia59
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A dark, damp, moody book vividly evoking the marshes of Essex. It certainly put me in that place during the time I was reading and, unfortunately, mirrored (perhaps even increased) my low mood at the time.
There were many themes in this story including:
jealousy
love
co-dependency
grief and loss
being a woman in a man's world
faith & spirituality v reason & Darwinism
the poor-rich divide
housing for the poor (the Housing of the Working Classes Act)
the tension between one's (Cora's) place in polite society with its demands for decorum and small talk, and a need to be frank and truthful about one's real beliefs and feelings
There were many themes in this story including:
jealousy
love
co-dependency
grief and loss
being a woman in a man's world
faith & spirituality v reason & Darwinism
the poor-rich divide
housing for the poor (the Housing of the Working Classes Act)
the tension between one's (Cora's) place in polite society with its demands for decorum and small talk, and a need to be frank and truthful about one's real beliefs and feelings
Pros:
Historically I learnt a lot in this novel about the superstitious? belief in the Essex Serpent, the Colchester Earthquake of 1884, the knowledge at the time of surgical procedures and experimentation, the state of housing in the late C19th, tuberculosis.
The novel was even-paced and never flagged.
Excellent writing that worked very well for me.
Well drawn characters who all developed in some way during the book.
Cons:
The melancholy tone.
Although the prose was accomplished and flowing the author had a fairly frequent habit of using the same pronoun mid-sentence or paragraph when referring to a different person than the one who began the sentence/paragraph. This had the effect of pulling me up short momentarily and interrupting the narrative flow whilst I mentally sorted things out.
So, clearly more pros than cons hence 3.75 stars. Just couldn't quite bump it up to 4 stars because the tone of the book kept my mood low. This was a book with an unpredictable plot at nearly every turn, a truly new and refreshing take on the gothic historical novel.
The novel was even-paced and never flagged.
Excellent writing that worked very well for me.
Well drawn characters who all developed in some way during the book.
Cons:
The melancholy tone.
Although the prose was accomplished and flowing the author had a fairly frequent habit of using the same pronoun mid-sentence or paragraph when referring to a different person than the one who began the sentence/paragraph. This had the effect of pulling me up short momentarily and interrupting the narrative flow whilst I mentally sorted things out.
So, clearly more pros than cons hence 3.75 stars. Just couldn't quite bump it up to 4 stars because the tone of the book kept my mood low. This was a book with an unpredictable plot at nearly every turn, a truly new and refreshing take on the gothic historical novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Terminal illness