The Essex Serpent

I love the central female character in this book, Cora Seaborne, who can swing between admirable and ridiculous over the course of a page. I love the dark atmosphere created by the marshes of the Blackwater, where Cora is determined to find evidence of a mysterious creature presumed by locals to be malevolent.

The estuary is a menacing presence in reality (people and animals are sucked in and lost in times of bad weather) and in the imaginations of the villagers. I also love the way that this provides a backdrop for various tumults of the soul experienced by the… show more.

The Essex Serpent entices rather than seances, and we are treated to a downright clash between science and religion, all played out against the backdrop of the Essex marshland and the possible reappearance of a winged creature that has haunted those shores for some several hundred years.

A backwoods town in England suspects that an ancient sea monster lives in its estuaries; hysteria ensues.

The electricity in the story comes from Cora, a newly widowed amateur scientist, and her growing chemistry with a local priest… as they try to navigate the path between belief and superstition, facts and faith. A fun and romantic read while also having some deep questions at its heart.

In The Essex Serpent, Perry’s prose marvelously evokes both the prejudices and ignorance of the times (late 19th century), and the settings (the bleak estuarine marshes of east Essex, as well as Victorian London). Her characterisation is also excellent (you don’t always like the main protagonist, but you relate to her and feel her pain, as you do with many of the more peripheral characters). Plus, the storyline includes fossils (I like fossils, but that’s just me!). Perry also successfully applies modern ideas to the Victorian world, something to be avoided by all but the most skilled… show more.

Forget the mini-series. Read the book! Perry’s The Essex Serpent is gothic and atmospheric and oh so beautifully executed. It contains one of the best-written sex scenes I have ever read. Nominated for both The Women's Prize and The Costa Book Award, it explores the boundaries between science and superstition, friendship and love. Highly recommend.