Sarah Perry was born in Essex in 1979. Her first novel, After Me Comes the Flood, was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Folio Prize. She lives in Norwich. The Essex Serpent is her American debut.
London, 1893. When Cora Seaborne's brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was an unhappy one, and she never suited the role of a society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space, she leaves thee metropolis for coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year-old son, Francis, and the boy's nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. Once there, they hear rumors that after nearly three hundred years, the mythical Essex Serpent, a fearsome creature that once roamed the marshes, has returned. When a young man is mysteriously killed on New Year's Eve, the community dread transforms to terror. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, is immediately enthralled, certain that what locals think is a magical sea beast may be a precious undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to parish vicar William Ransome, who is equally suspicious of the rumors but for different reasons: a man of faith, he is convinced the alarming reports are caused by moral panic, a flight from the correct and righteous path. As Cora and William attempt to discover the truth about the Essex Serpent's existence, these seeming opposites find themselves inexorably drawn together in an intense relationship that will change both of them in ways entirely unexpected. And as they search for answers, Cora's London past follows her to the coast, with striking consequences.
This book takes place over the course of a year, and it is organized as such. I felt that this organization did not best support the large cast of characters. I was very confused on who everyone was, because in some chapters we would switch to a different point of view in the middle (and sometimes multiple times). This meant I also had a hard time caring about the characters themselves because I couldn't keep track of them. Had the novel retained its year organization while implementing different chapters per character, I might have found it easier to keep track, and thus more enjoyable overall.
I was under the impression, based on the cover, that this would be a historical fantasy read. That is not necessarily the case. I expected something akin to the Outlander series, but The Essex Serpent is not like that. The story focuses more on the conflicts between religion/faith and science, and the obvious tension of that when religion was more prominent inn culture and science was just discovering its revolutionary finds. Had I known this would be the main focus (next to the relationships of the characters), I probably would have read the book a different way. But the title misled me and I assumed there would be more fantasy and mythology involved than there actually was, so I say all of this in the hopes that future readers don't get confused the same way I did!
I did enjoy how there were letters to break up the prose. The letters between characters and the later addition of diary entries from one character helped build an "off-the-screen" foundation for relationships, and provided context on some situations. I appreciated that, as a fun creative way to break up the prose and keep readers interested in the characters' lives especially when times jumps are involved.
I didn't feel like I got what I expected, and so it overall made for a less enjoyable reading experience. However, The Essex Serpent does have some strengths, so as long as you know what you're getting into when you start this one, you may enjoy it more than me!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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