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The Essex Serpent

from the Booker-longlisted author of Enlightenment
3.52 goodreads logo

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( 67,759 ratings, 8,544 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is set in Victorian England and follows Cora Seaborne, a widow with a passion for palaeontology. She relocates to Essex, intrigued by rumours of a mythical serpent terrorising the local marshes. As she becomes entwined with the village and its inhabitants, particularly the charismatic vicar, the novel explores themes of science, faith, and community.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This enchanting novel might captivate you if you are intrigued by the mystical clash of science and superstition in Victorian England. With richly drawn characters and an atmospheric setting, the story beautifully explores themes of love, fear, and the pursuit of truth. Perfect for readers who appreciate historical fiction steeped in mystery and emotional depth.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

2016's literary sensation, a thrilling and unforgettable historical novel of love and intrigue now out in paperback.

The literary sensation and Waterstones Book of the Year: a thrilling and unforgettable historical novel of love and intrigue now out in paperback

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The number one bestseller and British Book Awards Book of the Year

London 1893. When Cora Seaborne's controlling husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness. Along with her son Francis—a curious, obsessive boy—she leaves town for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge.

On arrival, rumours reach them that the mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming lives, has returned to the coastal parish of Aldwinter. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for superstition, is enthralled, convinced that what the local people think is a magical beast may be a yet-undiscovered species. As she sets out on its trail, she is introduced to William Ransome, Aldwinter's vicar, who is also deeply suspicious of the rumours, but thinks they are a distraction from true faith.

As he tries to calm his parishioners, Will and Cora strike up an intense relationship, and although they agree on absolutely nothing, they find themselves at once drawn together and torn apart, affecting each other in ways that surprise them both.

The Essex Serpent is a celebration of love, and the many different shapes it can take.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is lauded as a captivating blend of Gothic and Victorian elements, drawing comparisons to classics by Dickens and Stoker. Critics praise its lush prose, rich character development, and vivid evocation of both landscape and period. The novel explores themes of science, faith, and love with originality and depth, making it a charming and intellectually engaging read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781781255452

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 April 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Serpent's Tail

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 194.0mm

Weight: 342g

Pages: 448

About the Author

Sarah Perry was born in Essex in 1979. She has a PhD in creative writing from Royal Holloway, and has been the writer in residence at the Gladstone Library and the UNESCO World City of Literature Writer in Residence in Prague. Her first novel, After Me Comes the Flood, was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Folio Prize, and won the East Anglian Book of the Year Award in 2014. She lives in Norwich.

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