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Serpent Crescent
In the small rural town of Qonda, South Africa, the power and water supplies are unreliable, property prices are down, and citizens are slowly suffocating in the acrid smoke from the municipal dump. Recently retired English teacher Megan Merton has lived here all her life, most of it at No. 8 Serpent Crescent. So who better than this self-styled pillar of society to shine a spotlight on the decline and dysfunction, not to mention the dubious activities, past and present, of many of her neighbours. Nefarious deeds and bad behaviour deserve harsh treatment and appropriate retribution, if not consignment to one of Dante’s fiendish nine circles of hell. At least that’s what Megan believes – in fact she’s been taking matters into her own hands, unnoticed, for years. And now she has decided to write it all down, to shake all of the skeletons loose, and rejoice in the inventive punishments she devised and personally delivered to the wicked.
Then her neighbour Elizabeth Cardew, a lecturer in Classical Studies, suffers a stroke and Megan is entrusted with the keys to No. 9. While Elizabeth begins a long recovery at the local care facility, Whispering Pines, Megan relishes the chance to snoop. Curious as to ‘what a stroke victim looks like’, she decides to visit and see for herself.
A bond develops between the two women – one a cold and calculating sociopath, the other a courageous and lonely academic – something that takes both of them by surprise.
Vivian de Klerk’s sharp observations and brilliantly acerbic satirical wit make this multi-layered novel at once horrifying, shocking and poignant – and very, very funny.
Then her neighbour Elizabeth Cardew, a lecturer in Classical Studies, suffers a stroke and Megan is entrusted with the keys to No. 9. While Elizabeth begins a long recovery at the local care facility, Whispering Pines, Megan relishes the chance to snoop. Curious as to ‘what a stroke victim looks like’, she decides to visit and see for herself.
A bond develops between the two women – one a cold and calculating sociopath, the other a courageous and lonely academic – something that takes both of them by surprise.
Vivian de Klerk’s sharp observations and brilliantly acerbic satirical wit make this multi-layered novel at once horrifying, shocking and poignant – and very, very funny.
- GenresFiction
Paperback
Published February 28, 2022
9 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Vivian De Klerk
8 books11 followersI love language, and after a 30-year career as an academic - Professor of Linguistics & English Language at Rhodes University - I took early retirement and decided to try my hand at fiction.
It's been a wonderful experience, inventing characters, developing plots that I didn't know I had in my head, and generally having fun. "Not to Mention" is my debut novel, and I'm already hard at work on the next one.
For info on my academic publications please see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...
It's been a wonderful experience, inventing characters, developing plots that I didn't know I had in my head, and generally having fun. "Not to Mention" is my debut novel, and I'm already hard at work on the next one.
For info on my academic publications please see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 2, 2022
"Confession. It has to be a tad uncomfortable, because without the discomfort there won't be any catharsis or purification."
Serpent Crescent is a very difficult novel to rate - the writing is sublime, the observations are razor-sharp and the premise very original. Retired English teacher, Megan Merton, lives in Qonda, a small town in Eastern Cape, South-Africa. Megan, an undiscovered and well-intentioned sociopath, believes that all bad deeds deserve appropriate retribution. Through her memoirs we get a glimpse into the lives and transgressions of Qonda residents as well as the creative punishments meted out by her. The reason I'm struggling to assign a rating is because even though the story is told with sharp humor - some of the misdeeds are very upsetting and described in some detail. I am not normally a sensitive reader, but felt uncomfortable and disturbed while reading most of Serpent Crescent. I do realize though that this was probably the author's intention, which makes this is an excellent piece of literature.
Serpent Crescent is a very difficult novel to rate - the writing is sublime, the observations are razor-sharp and the premise very original. Retired English teacher, Megan Merton, lives in Qonda, a small town in Eastern Cape, South-Africa. Megan, an undiscovered and well-intentioned sociopath, believes that all bad deeds deserve appropriate retribution. Through her memoirs we get a glimpse into the lives and transgressions of Qonda residents as well as the creative punishments meted out by her. The reason I'm struggling to assign a rating is because even though the story is told with sharp humor - some of the misdeeds are very upsetting and described in some detail. I am not normally a sensitive reader, but felt uncomfortable and disturbed while reading most of Serpent Crescent. I do realize though that this was probably the author's intention, which makes this is an excellent piece of literature.
Read
February 27, 2022~Charles always used to tell me I should calm down and take things one at a time. But how else do you begin your memoir if not by rushing at it headlong, and seeing how it turns out?~
~I don't think I could tell a genital wart from my clitoris.~
~We don't really mean it when we say 'I'm fine' or 'Thank you'. The cut and thrust of etiquette. We just learn to say these things as children because otherwise we'd have got a smack. Social propriety and manners are nothing but deception on a grand scale.~
~I'm reminded that silence is not the absence of sound, but the presence of an inward-listening awareness. It is in fact a form of speech.~
~That's the thing about unhappiness: it takes something worse to come your way for you to realise that you had been experiencing happiness before.~
~I don't like travelogues either: endless accounts of what goes wrong on journeys to god-knows-where. It's actually easier to stay in one place, if you ask me.~
~I don't think I could tell a genital wart from my clitoris.~
~We don't really mean it when we say 'I'm fine' or 'Thank you'. The cut and thrust of etiquette. We just learn to say these things as children because otherwise we'd have got a smack. Social propriety and manners are nothing but deception on a grand scale.~
~I'm reminded that silence is not the absence of sound, but the presence of an inward-listening awareness. It is in fact a form of speech.~
~That's the thing about unhappiness: it takes something worse to come your way for you to realise that you had been experiencing happiness before.~
~I don't like travelogues either: endless accounts of what goes wrong on journeys to god-knows-where. It's actually easier to stay in one place, if you ask me.~
June 30, 2022
What kind of monster am I, you may well be asking: a psychopath or a sociopath? The two often get confused... Psychopaths are more likely to get in trouble with the law, get caught committing horrible crimes etc, while sociopaths work under the radar, going to extraordinary lengths to conceal their callousness and rein in their hostile behaviour so that it can be used to good effect when the right occasion comes along.
Retired teacher Megan Merton is a sociopath. But she's exceptionally good at hiding it. She loves discovering other people's secrets (she even digs through her neighbours' trash), and if someone 'misbehaves', she surreptitiously 'punishes' them. No one is safe. If her neighbour beats his wife, she'll make sure he's 'taken care of'. Or if one of her students is cruel to others, she'll make sure to embarrass them in some way somewhere down the line.
When her next-door neighbour, Elizabeth Cardew, suffers a stroke, Megan can't help but begin to sniff around. She visits Elizabeth at a care home, where the latter isn't being treated very well. Much to Megan's surprise, it's not long before she starts forming an odd kind of friendship with Elizabeth, and begins to aid in her recovery.
The book is Megan's first-person account of all her escapades, from childhood to her sixties. It's a kind of memoir, one that is a shocking story and very, VERY dark but with razor-sharp wit to lighten the mood. There are times when I felt distinctly uncomfortable, which is intentional, after all, Megan is cold, calculating and cunning, but her story is highly entertaining. No matter how horrifying what she's done, you just can't stop reading.
April 19, 2022
When Megan’s neighbour, Elizabeth has a stroke and she is asked to look after her house while she is in recovery.
It’s crazy to see how an accomplished lecturer with a PhD has been reduced to being just a other stroke victim and to see the way she is treated after the stroke. We not only get to learn about Megan’s life but we also get Elizabeth’s POV as she is trying to recover and while undergoing rehab.
Now here’s the very interesting part. Megan is a sociopath, but of course nobody knows this because she hides it so well. She comes off as the caring neighbour, but no one knows about the secrets she has been hiding. As she is writing her memoir we discover how she has taken situations and at times, the law into her own hands and meted out punishment as she sees fit.
Megan’s chapters are written as a memoir. The dark humor was an element that I enjoyed along with some vivid descriptions of questionable events which may not be for everyone.
We learn about the different neighbors as well as the town of Qonda, which is basically a dump. I also enjoyed learning about Dante’s nine circles of hell and who belongs where.
I love how Megan goes off on a tangent while telling a story before getting back to the original point or person she is talking about.
While some might feel uncomfortable reading certain parts of this novel I was completely fascinated it.
This was the first book I have read by Vivian de Klerk, but it is certainly not the last.
I enjoyed that it was written in the form of a memoir which means the MC bears it all.
I felt that the ending was just perfect.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan SA for this review copy
It’s crazy to see how an accomplished lecturer with a PhD has been reduced to being just a other stroke victim and to see the way she is treated after the stroke. We not only get to learn about Megan’s life but we also get Elizabeth’s POV as she is trying to recover and while undergoing rehab.
Now here’s the very interesting part. Megan is a sociopath, but of course nobody knows this because she hides it so well. She comes off as the caring neighbour, but no one knows about the secrets she has been hiding. As she is writing her memoir we discover how she has taken situations and at times, the law into her own hands and meted out punishment as she sees fit.
Megan’s chapters are written as a memoir. The dark humor was an element that I enjoyed along with some vivid descriptions of questionable events which may not be for everyone.
We learn about the different neighbors as well as the town of Qonda, which is basically a dump. I also enjoyed learning about Dante’s nine circles of hell and who belongs where.
I love how Megan goes off on a tangent while telling a story before getting back to the original point or person she is talking about.
While some might feel uncomfortable reading certain parts of this novel I was completely fascinated it.
This was the first book I have read by Vivian de Klerk, but it is certainly not the last.
I enjoyed that it was written in the form of a memoir which means the MC bears it all.
I felt that the ending was just perfect.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan SA for this review copy
March 20, 2022
I picked this story up because of the South African setting, and I was so pleasantly surprised. I was really pulled into the small world of a 60+ sociopathic suburban woman, it was a lot of fun!
September 21, 2025
Dark, witty, and unforgettable
Vivian de Klerk’s Serpent Crescent blends razor-sharp satire with chilling suspense. In the crumbling town of Qonda, retired teacher Megan Merton isn’t just exposing her neighbors’ sins, she’s delivering her own brand of “justice.”
Brilliantly written and unexpectedly poignant, the uneasy bond between Megan and Elizabeth Cardew gives this dark comedy real emotional depth. Perfect for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh and Shirley Jackson, Serpent Crescent is wickedly funny, morally complex, and impossible to put down.
Vivian de Klerk’s Serpent Crescent blends razor-sharp satire with chilling suspense. In the crumbling town of Qonda, retired teacher Megan Merton isn’t just exposing her neighbors’ sins, she’s delivering her own brand of “justice.”
Brilliantly written and unexpectedly poignant, the uneasy bond between Megan and Elizabeth Cardew gives this dark comedy real emotional depth. Perfect for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh and Shirley Jackson, Serpent Crescent is wickedly funny, morally complex, and impossible to put down.
July 13, 2022
Tricky to get into this book, but once you’re in main character manages to make you love and hate her at the same time.
Actually a lot of comment on social issues, carefully intertwined in the storyline.
An excellent read and the alternative storyline that was introduced pulled it together for me.
Loved the linguists words as well!
Actually a lot of comment on social issues, carefully intertwined in the storyline.
An excellent read and the alternative storyline that was introduced pulled it together for me.
Loved the linguists words as well!
February 23, 2023
Excellent book! I loved the plot and the writing style, which was crisp, witty, and perfect for the subject matter. Some of the scenes/descriptions are very graphic - this didnt put me off, but it might be a bit intense for sensitive readers. Hoping to read more books by this author soon!
May 22, 2022
Far too crass for no reason. I slugged through till the description of child pornography and I just couldn’t continue anymore. Nope not for me unnecessarily disgusting
February 21, 2023
DON’T be fooled by the bright cover of Vivian De Klerk’s Serpent Crescent. It is by far one of the darkest and grimmest books I have ever read. However, the book captured my attention from the minute I read the unusual plot, and it did not disappoint.
It definitely won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, as there were moments that left me horrified and uncomfortable. But, I just could not stop turning the pages.
Between the South African-born author’s writing style, which is nothing short of superb, and her razor-sharp wit, I was enthralled.
The novel centres around the lives of a small group of people living in a decaying cul-de sac - the Serpent Crescent - located in a small rural South African town.
However, the story is narrated by two women: Megan Merton, a retired English teacher and self-diagnosed sociopath, who has – for years – taken it upon herself to dish out punishment to the wicked in her community, and her neighbour, Elizabeth Cardew, a renowned classical studies professor who has just suffered a violent stroke.
Megan’s perverse curiosity prompts a visit to her debilitated neighbour, and soon, to the surprise of both women, a platonic friendship begins to blossom between them.
As Elizabeth embarks on her painfully slow recovery at the local (and poorly run) care facility, Megan begins to chronicle all her vigilantism, and as the chapters rotate between Megan and Elizabeth, we are slowly introduced to the other neighbours and their secrets which have been hidden behind closed doors.
In my opinion, Megan is the novel’s pièce de résistance .
De Klerk managed to weave this incredibly complex character, who is both unimaginable, yet somehow relatable at certain times. Throughout the book, she does some unforgivable things, and while you ought to despise her, you find yourself empathising with her.
Megan’s stories were also so beyond belief that I often wondered what, if anything, she was revealing to the reader was actually true.
The book is an enigma that will leave you reeling for days after you’ve finished it. The ending is also a poignant masterpiece that’ll stir a flurry of emotions.
It definitely won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, as there were moments that left me horrified and uncomfortable. But, I just could not stop turning the pages.
Between the South African-born author’s writing style, which is nothing short of superb, and her razor-sharp wit, I was enthralled.
The novel centres around the lives of a small group of people living in a decaying cul-de sac - the Serpent Crescent - located in a small rural South African town.
However, the story is narrated by two women: Megan Merton, a retired English teacher and self-diagnosed sociopath, who has – for years – taken it upon herself to dish out punishment to the wicked in her community, and her neighbour, Elizabeth Cardew, a renowned classical studies professor who has just suffered a violent stroke.
Megan’s perverse curiosity prompts a visit to her debilitated neighbour, and soon, to the surprise of both women, a platonic friendship begins to blossom between them.
As Elizabeth embarks on her painfully slow recovery at the local (and poorly run) care facility, Megan begins to chronicle all her vigilantism, and as the chapters rotate between Megan and Elizabeth, we are slowly introduced to the other neighbours and their secrets which have been hidden behind closed doors.
In my opinion, Megan is the novel’s pièce de résistance .
De Klerk managed to weave this incredibly complex character, who is both unimaginable, yet somehow relatable at certain times. Throughout the book, she does some unforgivable things, and while you ought to despise her, you find yourself empathising with her.
Megan’s stories were also so beyond belief that I often wondered what, if anything, she was revealing to the reader was actually true.
The book is an enigma that will leave you reeling for days after you’ve finished it. The ending is also a poignant masterpiece that’ll stir a flurry of emotions.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews