The Essex Serpent- A Novel by Sarah Perry
Product Details
Web ID: 55962141.5 stars
THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry Set in the 1890s this story juxtaposes science, religion and superstition with feminism, politics and socialism. Recently widowed Cora Seaborne is finally free of her abusive husband. She decides to take her eleven year old son (Francis) and his nanny (Martha) to rural Essex. Fancying herself an amateur naturalist, she plans to go trudging through the mud to look for fossils and possibly solve the mystery of a serpent who resides within the Blackwater estuary. Lovely writing and prose, but there were too many characters, too many subplots, not enough tension, dread or drama. The third person omnipresent narration didn’t work for me. It was too much explaining/telling and little showing. I was expecting a Victorian gothic story with an unconventional heroine. What I got was a dense, drawn out love triangle (quadrangle mostly) romance with Cora at the center of it - yawn. Rating: 1.5/5 ⭐️
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not exactly what I expected but entertaining.
What makes this story interesting is that it also includes a mythical creature, the Essex serpent. After years of rumors, a man shows up dead and once again the town is convinced that the serpent is back to its tricks. As you’re reading though, whether or not this creature actually exists is left up to the reader. Does the creature represent something or more specifically, someone in the story? I found this story to be very readable and read it in one afternoon but I found the characters to be unremarkable. We picked it for book club and there wasn’t that much to discuss but some of the members have seen the series adaptation and so had some good comparisons to share. Have you read it? I think I expected it to be more adventurous.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful writing but extremely tedious pacing
After the death of her controlling husband in 1893, Cora Seaborne and her 11-year-old son Francis depart London for the Essex coast; believing fresh air and new surroundings will benefit them both. A keen amateur naturalist, Cora is fascinated when she hears rumours of a mythical beast, the 'Essex Serpent', prowling the marshes. Convinced no such creature exists, she sets out to prove it must be an undiscovered new species. The Essex Serpent is a beautifully written book with wonderful descriptions transporting the reader to Victorian England. Although the characterisation is faultless, I found the pacing extremely tedious; which ultimately left me disappointed when I so much wanted to love it. For a book well in excess of 400 pages, not a lot actually happened. I wanted more focus on the terrifying marsh creature but instead got what appeared to be a Victorian love triangle. Yes, I adored the writing but for me the lack of any meaningful plot let it down.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Power of the Imagination to Terrify
I am not a fan of Victorian Gothic literature - other than "Jane Eyre." It's not scary, and it doesn't move very quickly. So why did I read "The Essex Serpent?" Because I fell for all the hype. Again. Cora is an abused wife, who doesn't understand that love should not be accompanied by pain. She has a "strange" son; I think we'd say today that Frankie is on the autism spectrum, but that was unknown in the 1890's. Martha is their housekeeper/Frankie's "sitter." Cora's husband's doctor, Luke, is a brilliant, risk-taking surgeon, whom most people avoid b/c of his risk-taking and b/c he is a little person. Luke reminds me a lot of Tyrion Lannister from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George RR Martin, which therefore, makes him my favorite character in this story. Through a friend of Luke's, Cora, Martha, and Frankie are invited to the countryside in Essex by a local parson and his wife. The threesome decide to go, since they are at loose ends since Cora's husband died. Thus begins the strange friendship of Cora and Will, the parson who is also interested in fossils and evolution -- also avid interests of Cora's. The local townsfolk are all upset over "the Essex Serpent," some hideous sea monster that they blame for anything untoward happening in their village. A "love" triangle (quadrangle? b/c Martha is involved too...) develops between Cora, Will, and Luke who holds unrequited feelings for Cora. How does the Essex Serpent influence the foursome, Frankie, Will's wife, and his children? IS there an actual monster? Or is the monster actually inside all the humans? Hmmm.... As above, this type of book is just not my cup of tea. I will say that the author has great descriptive powers: I can actually see the Essex seashore in my mind! She can also turn a phrase. But honestly, I just had to power through this disappointing read. Rounded up to 3 stars, b/c I couldn't figure out if the story was disappointing or if I just don't like the genre.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
What would you do, if you were free?
Is there a mysterious, mythical serpent living in the waters outside Essex? Really, it doesn't matter. (Or does it?) The titular serpent serves as a backdrop for an exploration of personal liberty in the form of a recently widowed woman exploring life for the first time. Set in 1893, the story follows the life of Cora Seaborne. Everyone falls in love with Cora; you will too. Yet Cora quickly discovers that her foray into the world, her first sip of life leaves chaos in her wake wherever she goes. At the heart of the story lies an affair that cannot be, and the effects that frustrated love has on the characters. Who will love this book? If you like romance but don't care for Romance; if you love words, and love, and have ever experienced the secret pinings of the heart, this book will speak to you on a spiritual level.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com