Scan barcode
A review by bookwoods
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
5.0
Second read, 4.2021, 5/5
I'm so happy to report that The Essex Serpent was just a delightful as I remembered! Set in England in the 19th century, the story centers around a recently widowed Cora Seaborne as she explores her newfound freedom by settling into the country to follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning and other female naturalists, searching for the mystical serpent that has haunted the minds of the Essex people for decades. Sarah Perry has the most atmospheric prose and has created such a lovable cast of characters - I'm certain this isn't the last time I follow their lives! What I appreciated even more this time around is the focus on friendship instead of purely romantic relations, and what fantastic friendship the book is filled with...
First read, 5.2017, 5/5
This is in all honesty the perfect book for me, combining so many things I love to read about in the best way possible. I thought I´d just list some things I enjoyed the most as I have nothing negative to write. Nothing at all.
- The Essex Serpent deals with a wide range of very different subjects, but each is given enough time to develop, they are interesting and intertwined. A few examples...
...Love, companionship, sex - they are not addressed as black-and-white matters as they often are. Not all love or sexual intercourse are romantic, not all companionships require them. And it was fantastic to see some sexual representation in a historical novel, done in such a natural way. The book also showed how it´s okay to enjoy being alone, how some people are happier without a partner.
...Science vs. religion, evolution, fossils, woman engrossed in natural sciences - right up my alley as a biology student and dealt with brilliantly.
...The living circumstances of London´s working class - usually not something I´d be intrigued by, but it was such a integral part of the story, fit to it perfectly and with history it´s always important to take into account some of the down sides.
...Myths, family, medical advances, marriage... - I could go on for quite a while but it should be clear by now that The Essex Serpent is a truly versatile book.
- Sarah Perry´s prose is the perfect combination of poetical descriptions, neutral storytelling and fantastic dialog. Seriously, some of the best dialog I´ve ever read. Though then again, the whole novel is one of the best ones I´ve ever read.
- Lastly, the characters. Wow. The cast of characters in The Essex Serpent is wide and so very lovable, relatable, different, real. Following their relationships was such a journey and in the end I cried.
I just wish the book didn´t have to end. I´m sorry for this really rambling review of me praising everything possible. But I urge you to read the synopsis and see if it might be something you´d be interested in.
I'm so happy to report that The Essex Serpent was just a delightful as I remembered! Set in England in the 19th century, the story centers around a recently widowed Cora Seaborne as she explores her newfound freedom by settling into the country to follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning and other female naturalists, searching for the mystical serpent that has haunted the minds of the Essex people for decades. Sarah Perry has the most atmospheric prose and has created such a lovable cast of characters - I'm certain this isn't the last time I follow their lives! What I appreciated even more this time around is the focus on friendship instead of purely romantic relations, and what fantastic friendship the book is filled with...
First read, 5.2017, 5/5
This is in all honesty the perfect book for me, combining so many things I love to read about in the best way possible. I thought I´d just list some things I enjoyed the most as I have nothing negative to write. Nothing at all.
- The Essex Serpent deals with a wide range of very different subjects, but each is given enough time to develop, they are interesting and intertwined. A few examples...
...Love, companionship, sex - they are not addressed as black-and-white matters as they often are. Not all love or sexual intercourse are romantic, not all companionships require them. And it was fantastic to see some sexual representation in a historical novel, done in such a natural way. The book also showed how it´s okay to enjoy being alone, how some people are happier without a partner.
...Science vs. religion, evolution, fossils, woman engrossed in natural sciences - right up my alley as a biology student and dealt with brilliantly.
...The living circumstances of London´s working class - usually not something I´d be intrigued by, but it was such a integral part of the story, fit to it perfectly and with history it´s always important to take into account some of the down sides.
...Myths, family, medical advances, marriage... - I could go on for quite a while but it should be clear by now that The Essex Serpent is a truly versatile book.
- Sarah Perry´s prose is the perfect combination of poetical descriptions, neutral storytelling and fantastic dialog. Seriously, some of the best dialog I´ve ever read. Though then again, the whole novel is one of the best ones I´ve ever read.
- Lastly, the characters. Wow. The cast of characters in The Essex Serpent is wide and so very lovable, relatable, different, real. Following their relationships was such a journey and in the end I cried.
I just wish the book didn´t have to end. I´m sorry for this really rambling review of me praising everything possible. But I urge you to read the synopsis and see if it might be something you´d be interested in.