The Essex Serpent - General Discussion (no spoilers) (Aug 2017)

[Caroline]

Here's a thread for general discussion about this month's open pick, The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.

We're off to a bit of a slow start so no questions or background info on the book yet, but feel free to discuss among yourselves, share any reviews/articles about the book, or ask any questions.

If you wish to discuss specific plot points before additional threads open up, please be kind rewind and use spoiler tags.

[Hugh]

I am more than three quarters of the way through and enjoying it more than I expected. It got so much hype last year that I was expecting to be disappointed. I also read her first book After Me Comes The Flood which was interesting but this one is much better.
Thanks for getting this started Caroline

[Neil]

I read this while on holiday a few weeks ago and it is a perfect holiday read. I really enjoyed the story and it is written with a light touch that makes the pages rush by.

[Neil]

And why is it only now that I have noticed that the main character has the same name as the main character in The Underground Railroad? Not that that is at all significant!

[Robert]

Haha true! I really enjoyed this book when i read it in April.Great characters everything

[Casceil]

I have read just the Kindle sample, and it's not what I expected. I suspect I may find it more interesting when the action moves to the Essex village. Have others found that to be true?

[Sarah]

I just started this and I am loving it. Sort of Mason & Dixon meets The Luminaries. Plus, who ever writes about pre-revolutionary New York? Am 20% in so I hope it stays good.

[Hugh]

Casceil, It is definitely worth persevering - I found the first few pages slow going but the pace picks up pretty soon and I found I was reading it in very large chunks. I have just finished it, and look forward to being able to discuss the second half freely.

[Nutmegger]

This one didn't work for me. It was a bit too luke warm or tame, or something not quite up to the mark.

[LindaJ^]

The audiobook was pretty good. I especially liked Francis, Stella, Luke, and Spenser. Lukewarm on Cora and Will. The religion versus science theme was interesting.

[Nell]

I read this one a month or two ago and really, really enjoyed it! Looking forward to discussing it when more people have gotten to sink their teeth in. The themes explored seemed extremely compelling to me, especially science vs. religion, and the natural world vs. the supernatural world, which seemed replicated in the more general male vs. female.

[Janice (JG)]

I just rec'd the book today and hope to get it started sometime this week. I'm in two groups who are reading it this month, so I am looking forward to a lot of discussion.

[Kathleen]

I'm anxious to start this, but will probably be waiting another week or so for my library to have it available. Trying to be patient ... :-)

[Ernie]

I'm so close to the end - hopefully will finish tonight. The book actually had me from the very first page. I think the language is gorgeous. Sometimes, I feel it moves slowly, but I don't even care because her use of language is so beautiful, and I can read it for days.

[Caroline]

I'm only a chapter in so far but am enjoying it.

Neil - I'd forgotten that too! I keep seeing and hearing advertisements (including on my GR homepage) for a new TV thriller with a main character named Cora. Maybe the name is making a strong comeback?

I do love a good gothic Victorian vibe so I suspect I'll have strong feelings about this book by the end - hopefully good ones! In addition to reminding me of the Luminaries, the two Sarah Waters' books I've read, The Paying Guests and Fingersmith come to mind. Both of those books were set in London and its surroundings and also featured strong relationships between women.

I'll be curious to see how the writing continues throughout the book - so far I'm enjoying the almost playful and story-time tone and rhythm Perry uses in the first few pages. The altered lines from the English "Oranges and lemons" nursery rhyme, plus the insertion of familiar London locations, landmarks, and icons (the Circle Line, the Times, etc.) paired with the glimpse into Cora's back story and relationship with her husband suggest that this world should be familiar to us but off somehow (just as "Westminister's division bell was dumb").

[Hugh]

Some reviews (these may contain spoilers):
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
https://www.ft.com/content/e946127a-2...
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/bo...
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/10/5307943...
http://www.startribune.com/review-the...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/b...

[Peter]

I wasn't particularly encouraged by the Kindle free sample (which seemed to have rather little to do with the book's description), but I persevered and the book got more interesting. Now about 1/6th of the way in and enjoying it, and I expect to make some significant progress over the weekend.

[Kay]

I finally started this book - and I am not sure about it yet. I love the writing, but cannot get into the story somehow, and don't feel compelled to pick it up. Some of you wrote that it picks up eventually, so we'll see. Although I see Neil liked it, which means it will probably not be for me :)

[Casceil]

Kay, I found the first 100 pages a bit slow. I didn't mind reading it, but when I put it down I didn't feel any urgency to pick it up again soon. Now I am a little more than half way through, and the book has gotten much more interesting. It continues to be a series of little episodes, some of which are much more interesting than others, but there are larger themes coming together now. Watching the relationships between the characters form and change is also becoming increasingly interesting.

[Janice (JG)]

I'm really enjoying the writing, it is very clever. I'm just hoping I don't get tired of the cleverness before there's a good story & interesting characters to get my teeth into.

[Kay]

Casceil wrote: "Kay, I found the first 100 pages a bit slow. I didn't mind reading it, but when I put it down I didn't feel any urgency to pick it up again soon. Now I am a little more than half way through, and t..."

Thanks, Casceil - I am persevering!

[Beverly]

I read this book is a little while ago and what drew to the book was the cover. I thought the cover was beautiful, especially since I do not consider myself a cover person.

I too found the beginning a little slow and then I could not put the book down. I was drawn in my the characters and the period details.

[Kirsten]

I am SO very sorry I haven't been able to moderate.

When I was doing prep for this discussion, however, I did find the following links:

Essex Serpent among books inspired by snakes, owl men and demon dogs from folklore
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england...

Confronting The Possibility Of Monsters In 'The Essex Serpent'
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/14/5328188...

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry review – a compulsive novel of ideas
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

A Spirited Widow and a Monstrous Serpent Propel a Lush Novel
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/bo...

Sarah Perry's novel The Essex Serpent
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/p...

On the trail of the Essex Serpent
http://blogs.bl.uk/living-knowledge/2...

Snakes on a plain: the gloriously eerie boglands of Essex Serpent
Sarah Perry's new novel uses stylistic mastery to rework a potent mythological inheritence.
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/b...

Essex Serpent (Perry)
http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guid...

Richard and Judy Introduce The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
https://blog.whsmith.co.uk/rjsu17-the...

Hope these links help!

[Hugh]

Thanks Kirsten. Good to know you're back here...

[Caroline]

Thanks for the links, Kirsten!

[Stormie ~ Book Dragon ~]

I am late in getting started, I was on the hold list for a while at the library.

[Caroline]

No worries, Stormie - the discussion might not be so lively anymore but the threads aren't going anywhere!

[Joy D]

I have mixed feelings as I read this one. I love the eloquent writing, especially the descriptions of nature, and find the characters extremely interesting; however, it feels very slow-paced and there doesn't seem to be much of a plot. Perhaps it will become more evident to me as it goes along.