Slammerkin in Q & A with Emma Donoghue

Oct 12, 2010 Judy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21st-century-fiction

A slammerkin can mean either a loose dress or a loose woman. Emma Donoghue is a fine writer whose most recent novel, Room, was short listed for the Booker Prize of 2010. Recently I reviewed Room for BookBrowse and since I had never read anything by Donoghue, much less heard of her, I did a little homework.

This novel is historical fiction in the sub genre of prostitute tales, of which I have read my share. Memoirs of a Geisha, The Crimson Petal and the White, Forever Amber, come to mind. I am su
A slammerkin can mean either a loose dress or a loose woman. Emma Donoghue is a fine writer whose most recent novel, Room, was short listed for the Booker Prize of 2010. Recently I reviewed Room for BookBrowse and since I had never read anything by Donoghue, much less heard of her, I did a little homework.

This novel is historical fiction in the sub genre of prostitute tales, of which I have read my share. Memoirs of a Geisha, The Crimson Petal and the White, Forever Amber, come to mind. I am sure there are more. Donoghue adds her own twist.

Mary Saunders turned 14 in the slums of London, 1760. Her father was dead, her stepfather was not happy about having to feed her, her mother was a piecework seamstress whose eyes were going. Like many impoverished children, Mary had an eye for color, for glitter and shine. And though her father's wish that she be educated had been carried out at great hardship by Mary's mother, the young girl knew that her future was bleak.

Within months of that 14th birthday, Mary ran away and soon slipped into prostitution as a means to stay alive. Despite the disgusting aspects of her life style, for the first time she was having fun, wearing colorful and glittering gowns, having a best friend. Two years later Mary died by hanging, convicted of theft.

Slammerkin is a great read, due to fine historical details, atmosphere, characters and storytelling. Never dull, never overbearing in the details, yet always realistic, the novel captivated me. The twist is this: Mary had a loving mother, education, moral training and intelligence, but even with all that, she could not rise out of poverty, servitude or oppression. This novel makes you think about why that is and how it could possibly ever change for men or women.

Doll, a seasoned London prostitute only four years older than Mary, who met with a gruesome end, taught her friend three rules: Never give up your liberty. Clothes make the woman. Clothes are the greatest lie ever told. All true; still not enough. ...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Charlie rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book. I started it because I liked Donoghue's "Room" so very much. I was surprised and impressed by how different Donoghue's writing style was in this book from that in "Room"; I never would have guessed that the two books were written by the same person. One feature that they do have in common is that they were both inspired by real historical events. Donoghue seems to love challenging her imagination by fleshing out dramatic real events with the the thoughts and feelings ...more

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May 26, 2016 Jenny rated it it was amazing

I loved everything about this book. I loved the vanity and luxury of the prostitutes. Many things that happened were somewhat expected, but they were also great in ways I can't describe. The things that weren't expected made my heart lurch out of my chest and hunger for more, and the minute it was over I started reading it again. ...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Suzyn rated it liked it

Shelves: books-that-didn-t-suck

It wasn't awful, but I don't feel like I really understood it and I had a lot of problems with the tone. The whole book was written building up to something that I had no idea it was building up to. The writing itself was good, but I really just couldn't get my head around it. ...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Jennifer rated it liked it

Where to start?...So many interesting cultural considerations to think about in the book. Socio-economic status, women's issues...This was not one of those happy ending, feel good kind of books. However, it did present lots of thought-provoking issues. If I did not know the author's name, I would never guess that this is also the author of ROOM... ...more

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