
The Essex Serpent
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Juanita McMahon
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By:
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Sarah Perry
About this listen
Costa Book Award Finalist and the Waterstones (UK) Book of the Year 2016
An exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this rapturously acclaimed historical novel, set in late 19th-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar, and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love.
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 not a happy one. Wed at 19, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive 11-year old son, Francis, and the boy's nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.
While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year's Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief.
These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart - an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected.
Hailed by Sarah Waters as "a work of great intelligence and charm, by a hugely talented author," The Essex Serpent is "irresistible...you can feel the influences of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and Hilary Mantel channeled by Perry in some sort of Victorian séance. This is the best new novel I've read in years." (Daily Telegraph, London).
©2016 Sarah Perry (P)2017 WF HowesListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
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Beautiful story so Relevant to our Present
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A Rich Tapestry
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Otherwise, excellent read.
Great book odd reading
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Disappointed
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Loved the narration. Just enough acting to bring the story alive. Wonderful voices.
Wonderful story / superb narration
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A slog of a tale
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"Sometimes I think I sold my soul, so that I could live as I must. Oh, I don’t mean without morals or conscience—I only mean with freedom to think the thoughts that come, to send them where I want them to go, not to let them run along tracks someone else set, leading only this way or that…"
There's so much to unpack -- it's terrific
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Any additional comments?
I liked the book. Engaging story, well written, held my attention. The female voice was excellent. But casting for the male voices was odd. Their characters grew up under tough circumstances in New York's outer boroughs but the readers' voices sounded like midwest gentle and polite. I actually didn't realize until starting to write the review that there were two separate male readers. They sounded so much alike, I guess, that I couldn't tell them apart. This may in part have been a director's choice, to make them sound normal and relatable, but it came across as a bad fit that detracted from the story. Not that I would have wanted over the top New York accents and tough guy posing, but the voices did at least need an edge, a little sharpness to convey a clearer sense of the milieu.Good book but odd casting choice for the readers
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A favorite of my 2018 listen list
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The best Audible title I have listened to.
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