Fiction | Book Chatter

The Essex Serpent
By Sarah Perry
Custom House, 9780062666383, 2018, 464pp.

The Short of It:

Not exactly what I expected but entertaining nonetheless.

The Rest of It:

London, 1893. When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was an unhappy one, and she never suited the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space, she leaves the metropolis for coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year-old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend. ~ Indiebound

What makes this story interesting is that it also includes a mythical creature, the Essex serpent. After years of rumors, a man shows up dead and once again the town is convinced that the serpent is back to its tricks.

As you’re reading though, whether or not this creature actually exists is left up to the reader. Does the creature represent something or more specifically, someone in the story? I found this story to be very readable and read it in one afternoon but I found the characters to be unremarkable. We picked it for book club and there wasn’t that much to discuss but some of the members have seen the series adaptation and so had some good comparisons to share.

Have you read it? I think I expected it to be more adventurous.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Dinosaurs
By Lydia Millet
W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324021469, October 2022, 240pp.

The Short of It:

Brief but packed with meaning. The kind of read you keep thinking about long after turning that last page.

The Rest of It:

Her exquisite new novel is the story of a man named Gil who walks from New York to Arizona to recover from a failed love. After he arrives, new neighbors move into the glass-walled house next door and his life begins to mesh with theirs. ~ Indiebound

I have high praise for Dinosaurs. Millet tells the simple story of a man suffering from loss, but it’s not at all sad. It’s hopeful. It’s hopeful in the way Gil interacts with other humans. His quiet observations and his easy going manner, allow him to guide and inform those around him, but completely without judgement.

After his long trek from NY to Arizona, the hours spent walking in solitude allowed him to process the past so he could step into the future. He arrives at his new home with no expectations but when he sees that his new neighbors have a glass house, he realizes that he will probably get to know them quite well. Giving full transparency a whole new meaning.

It’s hard to tell you exactly why I loved it so much. Not a lot happens but through Gil’s observations, we see what drives and motivates humans to do what they do. To know someone who can so seamlessly step into your life, offer support and much needed friendship, without judgement, is rare. I throughly enjoyed these characters. They aren’t perfect but they are good people trying to do their best.

Highly recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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