by Sue,
Set mostly in late Victorian England, this is a story that covers so many ideas: superstition, religion and science; the similarities between English society now and then; and, of course, relationships. The author describes it as a Gothic novel. So, expect a focus on imagination, emotion and extreme passion as well as destruction, decay, death, terror and torture alongside villains, monsters, and trapped heroines. A lot to look forward to, then! My copy has questions at the back. Perhaps we could think about the last one: The novel sets up Cora to choose between two men and in the end she chooses neither. Do you think this is a comment on traditional literary plots? Do you think the novel sees friendship as more valuable and enduring than romantic?
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI noticed our book list is getting a little skinny so here are a few suggestions, please let me know what you think.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
There There by Tommy Orange
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
much love,
Nancy
Interesting choices you've made, Nancy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to suggest the following titles:
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Warning: quite a big book!)
The Children Act by Ian McEwan
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Thanks for keeping an eye on things, Nancy.
Much love to you both
Sue
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your families are thriving. Jay has supervised a series of BBQs, all of which he has cooked in good weather. Given the frequency of rainfall over this last month, this is nothing short of miraculous. We expect visitors in the next few weeks, so hope for more generosity from whoever/whatever is i/c the weather. The country has another new prime minister, who enjoys a majority of one. These are, to say the least of it, interesting times.
Well, having read the novel, I have my own question: what is the significance of the prologue, New Year’s Eve? That humanity’s foolishness is at the root of all things? Wonderful piece of writing, which makes me all the more certain it must have a purpose and I’ve completely missed it.
That aside, I enjoyed the novel much more than I expected to. I have never been wonderfully keen on Gothic novels (though Frankenstein is brilliant). But this made me feel that the gothic tradition is just one valid aspect of life alongside all the rest. What we need is balance.
To try to answer my own question, I’m not entirely sure that Cora does not choose Will. In the novel her final words to him are ‘Even so, come quickly!’ suggesting that she might be content without him, but she’d rather be with him. But surely, aside from any physical passion, that’s because she sees him as a friend? We’re not supposed to interpret the relationship between Cora and Will as one based on romantic love are we? Given their introduction in the sheep incident, perhaps.
Another problem in answering the question is Cora’s rescue of Stella from beneath the boat. Is this as a demonstration of her friendship for Will’s wife? It might be that Cora is not rescuing Stella so much as protecting Frankie. So, I’d have to look elsewhere for evidence that friendship is more enduring than romantic love.
The relationships between Spencer and Luke, between Martha and Edward and also Joanna and Naomi, do suggest friendship is more enduring than romantic love. Spencer is the reason Luke does not commit suicide. And the friendship between the Ambroses and the Ransomes is remarkable. To take on the care of the Ransome children while Stella is dying is truly a wonderful thing to do.
Actually, now I think about it, the question is ridiculous. If romantic love is not at some point underpinned by common goals, mutual support, shared interests, etc. then it won’t last anyway will it? So friendships, as the relationships in the novel suggest, are bound to be more enduring and valuable.
I enjoyed this novel enormously: wonderful descriptions of London and Essex, well drawn and interesting characters, considering ideas and concerns that address those of my own society. I just wish I hadn’t bothered with the question.
Was the novel relevant to your societies, too, ladies?
Much love to you and your families
ReplyDeleteHello Ladies,
Hope all is well with you both. Sue it sounds like you and Jay are certainly making the most of the Summer weather.
How about you Katie ?
I bet there are lots of fun Summertime activities with the children.
I have just spent a few days in Melbourne with Gracie, it was wonderful. We spend a lot of time talking on FaceTime and phone calls but to be able to be with her and hug her and just absorb being with her made me so happy. Being Melbourne we seemed to spend a lot of time in food comas. She is vegetarian and the food options down there are amazing and so delicious.
In a few weeks Ivars and I are going to Uluru for a week. I’m really looking forward to this and the hikes are supposed to be superb. Loads of sunset and sunrise photos will be taken I’m sure.
I very much enjoyed our novel this month, thank you so much Sue for your suggestion.
The visual images were very stimulating and I found I was often picturing scenes in my mind and thinking that would be so good in a film, but I don’t think a film could capture all the atmosphere the novel evokes. So good.
When I was reading about the awful smell of the dead fish, it brought back a memory of a beached whale carcass we found on the beach one morning. I have never smelt something so terrible it saturated our nostrils, invaded our tastebuds and permeated our clothes so that long afterward I could still smell it. The writing in the novel was so good it sparked such a visceral reaction.
I loved the story of the serpent and how it was wonderfully interwoven to highlight our collective fear of the unknown and how we allow fear and shock to unite us. Something that is being used against us still by politicians and religious leaders to push their hate agendas, shock politics and brick wall religion.
I believe friendship was one of the major themes of the novel. There was such deep affection and love in the relationships between characters. It felt it was a very loving book and in many ways highlighted the best of human nature. Our capacity to care and help our fellow man. I guess that is a part of Victorian novels to fight together against the establishment, together we stand and all that.
To answer your question Sue, yes I found this novel very relevant to our time and Australian society presently.
Much love,
Nancy
Hello Ladies!
ReplyDeleteI apologize for my lateness in posting for last month’s book. Things have been quite busy with home and work. We are getting busy preparing for the new school year. Lillian starts her first year of preschool and Benjamin is about to enter first grade. We also had some beach time to celebrate Benjamin’s 6th birthday. And work has been crazy. Sue, lovely to hear you got to have some good weather, good food and good company! I do love a BBQ. Nancy, glad to hear about your time with Gracie! I hope you also enjoyed your time in Melbourne. Your food adventures sound wonderful!
Sue, I loved your description in the introduction as to what should be expected in a gothic novel. I don’t feel that The Essex Serpent had quite all those elements although it was still an enjoyable tale. Maybe there was more terror to the people of Essex but there was not so much for the reader. I agree with your thoughts on Cora. I wouldn’t say she didn’t chose Will. I believe that the door of romance is completely open on Cora’s end. Maybe the reader is to believe that they will join up once Stella has passed. One can only be deeply certain that Cora rejected Luke.
I really appreciated your views on friendship within the novel: Sue’s comments on the relationships between various sets of characters; Nancy’s comments about friendship highlighting the best characteristics of human nature. You both wrote so eloquently here. As I was reading the novel, I do not believe I associated such deep levels of friendship between the characters. Now hearing from you both, I think back and see it more clearly. Thank you both for such wonderful views!
As for your final question, I believe fear will always be an emotion that leads humanity to do extreme things and I would say fear was another theme within this novel. Fear during the Salem witch trials led to the burning of innocent people in the U.S. Fear during WWII led to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans. Fear will always motivate a society to ban together, whether positively or negatively. Luckily for the characters in our novel the fear did not drive the towns folk into drastic action. But the themes of friendship and fear I believe are relevant to any society, past or present.
I am open to all of your book recommendations. I will try to add a few novels into the rotation when I post for August. Again please forgive my tardiness. I will try to do better with Dirt Music!
Much love to you both!
Katie