the essex serpent: mythology and science
- paigenherbooks
- Oct 1, 2022
- 5 min read
4/5
Sarah Perry's novel "The Essex Serpent" was genuinely a delight to read. It was full of dynamic characters, interesting scientific findings, with a hint of old Victorian myth that made the story quite enjoyable. With a slow burn romance that turns out quite differently than I would have expected, as well as the eventual finding of the "Essex Serpent" Perry delivers a story that wasn't only engaging but reflective on the themes of friendship, love, and superstition.
Synopsis: London, 1893. Seeking refuge after the death of her husband, Cora Seaborne departs for coastal Essex. Once there, she hears rumors that after nearly three hundred years, the mythical Essex Serpent, a fearsome creature that once roamed the marshes, has returned. Eager to investigate, Cora is introduced to parish vicar William Ransome. As they attempt to discover the truth, these seeming opposites find themselves inexorably drawn together, and as their pursuit becomes more urgent, Cora's London past follows her to the coast, with striking consequences.
Alright, let's get into it.
The first thing I want to touch on is that this story did not go anywhere where I thought it was going to. Initially, I was finding it hard to start the story, I just felt that none of the characters were truly grasping me, but after about 120 pages in, the story started to complicate in a way that had me, quite frankly, glued to my bed until the late hours of the evening. My reading candle is dead. This story is one that follows several different characters from a third person view that aids in giving us, as the readers, a holistic and well-rounded view of the story. I really enjoyed this as I was able to understand and get to know each character in a way that was almost as if watching their own side quests compared to the central plot line following Cora Seaborne.
Which leads me to our main character: Cora Seaborne. I was intrigued by her almost right off the bat. A widow who truly isn't in mourning, a woman who prefers dressing and behaving like a "man" and has a vivacious fascination with science that is often looked down upon by others. Her character was a breathe of fresh air. By this time you guys should know I love a good strong female lead--especially when they are written explicitly well, which Cora was. She has this child-like bubbly personality and is often remarked by others as not being "beautiful" but intoxicating to be around. I LOVE THAT. She is more than just her body or her feminine attributes. Men and women alike love her for her intelligence, her wit, and her stubbornness to her morals and thoughts. I was joyed to see a character whom I could find myself in within these pages.
The other characters within our story was a wild deck, all with their own personalities and ties to Cora.
We had Luke Garrett, the Imp who was undoubtedly in love with her. He was a character I enjoyed while also sometimes was disgusted with. His fascination with science was fascinating, though his attitude always wasn't. He was a troubled man whom relished in things of the dead. Though, watching him discover and use modern medicine in London at the time, was an interesting perspective. To see how much people truly distrusted medical procedures that are common today.
Then there's Martha, the ever present companion of Cora. I enjoyed Martha's character for the side details she provided as well as her judicious dedication to making London a better place. It was an interesting side story that was enlightening into some of the social issues of the time.
William Ransome, the parish priest with the loving wife and children. William was another interesting character for me. His devotion to his faith was strong and I longed for his heated debates with Cora on the subject. His dialogue with hers was witty and often sarcastic enough that I found myself laughing or contemplating on the points that he brought up. Cora and his slow burn romance was something I expected but did not go the way that I thought it would, which I think I liked inherently bette, since , he IS a married man...That one scene though...whew.
Our other side characters, such as the children of the families, or Stella Ransome, (Williams' wife) all did a great job in providing details to crescendo out the finding of the Essex Serpent and showcase life in the time period. With struggles of superstition, illness of the body and brain, as well as the education of both genders, it was a nice addition to the story.
The one thing that stuck out to me about this novel wasn't the adventure of looking for a mythical serpent that is supposedly killing goats and possibly people...no.
It was the slow burn romance of William and Cora.
This situationship, you could say, was intriguing from their first encounter. William is put off by the complexity and foreignness of Cora, as she is put off by his sturdiness and strong-willed nature. The two make quite the pair. The author did a fantastic job of crafting this ache for the reader, the want for something to happen between them, in a way that felt organic and quite normal. There was no rushing or incomplete narratives, it was complete and it felt like a cherry on top when feelings were finally divulged and their one night happened together (even though he was married UGH).
Cora was upfront about her feelings towards William, which I admired and really enjoyed.
It was freeing to see a woman, especially in her time period, confront these feelings and speak them plainly and simple. "I have feelings for you". The hardest yet bravest sentence to be uttered. Along with the banter, the letter writing, the walks together, as well as the few stolen glances here and there, were enough for my bleeding hopeless romantic heart. The ending of the two is bittersweet. I wanted them to end up together, but as I've stated, Mr. William IS married, though. I think if he wasn't the two would have made a fine pair.
Alas, to end with the Essex Serpent. This theme or pursuant of this mythical creature was light hearted enough yet still held some eeriness over the characters that was just fun to read. To see these things in the mist, and wonder if perhaps the serpent is real OR if it's just another imagination of the mind. I loved it. I think it was a great backdrop for a story that spoke about many other things, yet this mythical being held them all together--who would've thought.
The Essex Serpent was a great read, it was filled with colorful characters and plot line that was intriguing, as it was informative. I mean, who doesn't love 1800's London, because I know I sure do! I've done by research and there seems to be a TV show, staring Tom Hiddleson as our William Ransome, I may have to go give it a shot...
But, I highly suggest anyone who wants a novel that holds true to classic style writing, with witty dialogue and a roster of characters unique to the authors writing, this book is for you.
Happy reading as always
xoxo,
paige :)
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