I have wanted to read this for a long time because I liked the goodreads synopsis and the title was mysterious and slippery. I have to grudgingly admiI have wanted to read this for a long time because I liked the goodreads synopsis and the title was mysterious and slippery. I have to grudgingly admit that it was a wonderful read. Cora Seaborne an amateur naturalist is newly and luckily widowed from an abusive marriage .She has an only son Francis who displays eccentric behaviour patterns ad who has isolated himself from his mother's emotions and feelings.Mother and son are under the care of Martha , a fierce woman with socialist leanings ever since Francis is born and the two women have become friends over the years.Luke and Spencer are doctors who are in love with Cora and Martha respectively and who are biding their time to gain approval from the ladies. Meanwhile , there are reports of the sighting of a leviathan creature from the middle ages called the Essex serpent which is terrorizing the little parish village of Essex.So, Cora who needs a change badly goes to Essex with Francis and Martha, to search for the creature where she meets William Ransome , the vicar and his family.They both have different ideologies but are drawn towards each other . The prose is deliciously intelligent and articulate.For example , Cora describes her mourning state as ,"It was a kind of draining sensation ,as if a vital organ had been shared with the man who died and was atrophying slowly from misuse ". Perry has a way with words and she uses them wisely .She is also very successful in bringing the sights and smells of Victorian London and rural England to the readers.You can imagine your feet in the deep , dark Essex mud and feel the cold stinking breeze from the blackwater estuary and taste the salt on your lips by the time you finish the novel. The best part however is the way she has built her characters , their emotions, their feelings for each other and their interactions.All of them are strong with particular likes and dislikes and you begin to know how they think and you are drawn into the story.I found myself disapproving of Francis and trying to find a reason for his behavior, pitying Luke Garrett in so many instances, praying that Martha will somehow see the kindness in Spencer's heart and shaking my head in anguish and wondering why ,or why is Stella not fighting for her husband at all?Is is to so easy to give up or is she so confident of him ? This is a wonderfully told Victorian Gothic tale with so many complex layers in the story and in the end you realise that the serpent is also a metaphor for all the secret and forbidden desires the characters have in their hearts which lead to tragedy and pain. To summarize ,Stunning,intelligent and articulate prose,well developed strong and ferocious characters,a narrative that brings the sights and smells of Victorian London and the countryside to the reader,a wholly independent and unapologetic female protagonist and a search for a mythical creature all make this a wonderful read .A four star read for me and the reason why I did not give five stars although it is wonderfully written ,is that forgive me if I sound prudish ,but I was not very comfortable with William and Cora getting together especially when his wife was so ill,even though it was a marriage of two like intellects with different ideologies ....more
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