What do readers think of The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry? Write your own review.

A smash 2016 best-seller in Britain, The Essex Serpent should be equally popular in its American edition. Though set in the late 19thth century, Cora Seaborne, the novel's central character, is engagingly modern: independent, opinionated , forever striding off for ten mile walks down muddy lanes. The story largely takes place in Essex, the flat, windswept county northeast of London. A deft, witty writer, Sarah Perry fills Cora's world with a dozen intricately drawn personalities who, along with Cora, illuminate many fascinating aspects of the late Victorian era. One learns that that world was not so very proper after all.

What a delicious pleasure to read. Not only do you feel that you have stumbled on an authentic antique-of-a-story written just before the turn of the last century, you are able to identify with each of the various characters, who, central or peripheral, are all slowly developed into complete people, so complete you'd swear you knew them. The writing is poetic, Victorian, and yet never clingy or syrupy. The ending is not "happily-ever-after" juvenile, but gives you hope for those you have learned to know and care for. As in a good piece of theatre, these are the things to look for in a great novel. What a terrific debut in America for a new British author. Well done, Sarah Perry! There are no plot details in this review because I think that is grossly unfair to readers. I will likely try to buy several for family members. SO sorry I can't share this one with my mother and my sister, as I did The Da Vinci Code :( some years back.
The book came with a reproduction of a pamphlet from early times (discussed in the story) and, as well, the divisions of the story were typeset in a Victorian font - not the whole book, which would have been difficult to read, but just enough to make you feel you were there - like a great stage setting for a great play.

This book touches on many topics - science, medicine, religion, superstition, socialism, autism. The author writes in such a marvelous fashion and has created characters and backdrop that feel real. Highly recommended.

A graceful ingeniously written historical fiction set in the 1890s Victorian England that delightfully simmers with suspense, and defying the known sensibilities of the times. The mystery of the reappearance of an elusive beast, a cerebrally-minded young widow, and a compassionate vicar are the drivers that lead the reader into the conversations of science & progress vs superstition & belief. While the beginning was a little slow for me, the intertwined complexities of the relationships made this an addictive read for me. The beautiful cover foreshadows the awesome descriptive language of the landscape, along with the stellar storytelling drawing the reader into the world in which these characters live makes for an entertaining read.

Extraordinary writing, fascinating characters, a sense of other-worldliness throughout. If Charles Dickens was still alive, he would give this book a big "Thumbs-Up". I did get bogged down and confused a couple of times, but on the whole, it was great.

I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but... It is a beautiful story. The characters are so well developed and their stories are so rich. Susan Perry did a great job of developing the characters in this book that they practically come right out of the book. She captured the human spirit in the search to dispel a myth.
I liked how Perry included letters written by the characters to each other. I recommend this book. I believe it to be a most beautiful read.

The Essex Serpent in many ways, like Strout's "Olive Kitteridge", details the human element in the characters as they relate to one main character. In this case it is Cora, a recent but not totally unhappy widow. Each character seems to have a story, and Cora becomes entangled in each of their lives to various degrees. This cast of eclectic characters is well developed and humanly flawed. Cora interacts with each in her own unique style, she is flawed and often without direction. The serpent, woven into the scenic historic background of the story, is in many ways a main character too, representing the social and political tide of the times, and wrapping itself around the characters.

While some readers found themselves focused on the social, religious and political belief systems of this time, I focused on the plight of the beautifully developed characters. Satisfying to the end.

Religion and reason sent against the backdrop of Victorian England provide the setting for a novel of mystery. While the story is interesting, I just couldn't get into the characters.