Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
Set in Victorian London and an Essex village in the 1890's, and enlivened by the debates on scientific and medical discovery which defined the era, The Essex Serpent has at its heart the story of two extraordinary people who fall for each other, but not in the usual way. They are Cora Seaborne and Will Ransome. Cora is a well-to-do London widow who moves to the Essex parish of Aldwinter, and Will is the local vicar. They meet as their village is engulfed by rumours that the mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming human lives, has returned. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist is enthralled, convinced the beast may be a real undiscovered species. But Will sees his parishioners' agitation as a moral panic, a deviation from true faith. Although they can agree on absolutely nothing, as the seasons turn around them in this quiet corner of England, they find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart. Told with exquisite grace and intelligence, this novel is most of all a celebration of love, and the many different guises it can take.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
emz711
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

I'm diving in, a little late to the game.
@Librarybelle
#literarycrew #buddyread

Librarybelle No worries! Hope you enjoy! 2d
37 likes1 comment
review
PaperbackPirate
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

I was initially drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover but luckily it‘s also fantastic historical fiction.
Taking place in the late 1890s, we meet newly widowed, Cora, who is ready to embrace her new freedom and, inspired by Mary Anning, explore the world around her. Tales of a killer sea serpent are at the center of the story. There were so many characters I grew to love.
Read if you like strong female mc bucking the norm.
🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

Librarybelle Thanks for joining! I am very drawn to the cover too! 4w
batsy It's a good one! So glad I read it too. 4w
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
PaperbackPirate
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

I was so close to reaching my #FabulousFebruary #20in4 Readathon goal!
219/251 pages
Falling asleep during a readathon is my downfall too often.
But I loved this book and the motivation the readathon gave me to read a little more every day!
Thank you @Andrew65 !
#bookly

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏🙌🎉🎊🥳 3w
40 likes1 comment
review
BookWrym
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Interesting story about a mythical serpent, about starting afresh, about finding true friendship, about finding yourself and moving on with life.

I like the balance between mythology and science and how certain things in the story can be interpreted either way depending on the reader.

Great descriptions of Essex and the landscape made you feel you were really there.

Librarybelle Great review! 4w
batsy I really liked it, too! 4w
8 likes2 comments
review
BookwormAHN
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

I enjoyed this book and would have enjoyed it more if the narration had been better. This book is about Cora, who is recently widowed, heads to Essex to find their legendary serpent.
#LiteraryCrew @Librarybelle
#WickedWords #Lake @AsYouWish
#Litsylove

Librarybelle Glad you enjoyed it! 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love this cover 💚💛💚💛 1mo
47 likes2 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

#LiteraryCrew friends: it‘s time for the discussion! I have 8 questions posted as spoilers. You may find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead .

While I try not to post too many questions with big spoilers within the question, this time there are a few. Fair warning, in case you haven‘t finished the book but wish to preview the questions!

Our March book is Hour of the Witch. I‘ll post a reminder tomorrow!

julieclair Not finished yet. Thanks for the heads up about the spoilers! 1mo
IMASLOWREADER same…life got in the way 😢 1mo
willaful I couldn't get past the first page. :-( Very rough month for me and I couldn't concentrate. 1mo
See All 14 Comments
Sargar114 I started but don‘t know if I‘ll be able to finish. I may bail and try next months, the subject matter seems real interesting 1mo
rubyslippersreads I‘m way behind, but I‘ll come back to the discussion when I‘m done. 1mo
PurpleyPumpkin I‘m still reading it and finding it very interesting! I‘ll be sure to circle back to the discussion when I‘m finished. 👍🏽 1mo
BookWrym I have just finished will look for the questions still learning my way round Litsy 4w
Librarybelle @BookWrym Welcome to Litsy! I see you found the questions…hooray! Thanks for joining! 4w
BookWrym @Librarybelle thanks for the welcome 😀 4w
PaperbackPirate I loved it! Thank you for hosting! 🐉 4w
Librarybelle Thanks for joining, @PaperbackPirate ! 4w
Crazeedi @Librarybelle I've been MIA, so bust, I'll look for the questions later today , thanks Jess 4w
Librarybelle No worries, @Crazeedi ! 4w
53 likes14 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

8. Apple TV+ recently turned the book into a miniseries. Has anyone seen it? Plan to see it?

Info on the series, from the Apple TV+ website: https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/the-essex-serpent/

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN I don't have apple TV but I have considered getting it to watch this. 1mo
tpixie Yes, I wondered if it might help me try to read it again at some point. Or it just might give me more an excuse not to read it! 😂 1mo
Cuilin Yes, I think they did a really good job. Especially creating the atmosphere. 1mo
batsy I've watched the first 3 episodes so far and I prefer the book. The setting, the costumes, and the actors are all very good but owing to having to adapt some elements of the story, it feels like the rich, complicated, and interesting relationships between the various characters are not as well-explored in the TV show. But I'm only midway through. 1mo
BookWrym Hadn‘t heard of it don‘t have Apple TV don‘t watch much TV anyway so it doesn‘t really appeal if it makes it to free view I will probably give it a go 4w
12 likes5 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

7. 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 love? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN I don't think it was in her character to want someone else so soon. But yes I'm sick of reading books where the woman says over and over again that she's not ready for a new relationship and then at the end has magically found her true love 🤦🏼‍♀️ 1mo
Cuilin For true independence at that time you had to be financially secure and unmarried. If she chose a suiter, then that hard won independence would be no more. It was too much to lose. 1mo
batsy Agree with @Cuilin and it does feel like a deliberate choice in plot and character. But it is ambiguous and open-ended with regards to her relationship with Will. 1mo
See All 6 Comments
BookWrym I think Cora is a loner at heart so the outcome is not a surprise in that way. It is a non traditional ending from the Victorian norm. 4w
PaperbackPirate I liked the ending because Cora seemed to find her true independence on her own without Luke, Martha, The Ambrose‘s, or even Francis there. But I also got the feeling that when Stella dies she and Will will be together. 4w
10 likes6 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

6. One of the subplots of the novel is the disappearance of Naomi Banks. She and Joanna Ransome argued and Naomi ran away. By the end of the novel, she has returned and Joanna is trying to cope with the imminent death of her mother. Do you think they will become close friends again, for good, or are the differences between them simply too great? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN I hope so but I suspect that Naomi had some problems at home too. 1mo
batsy I think they can be. They seem to be the kind of girls who can work it out but it's the different circumstances of their families that made the friendship knottier than it would have been. 1mo
BookWrym I think they can have a new and different but just as deep friendship. 4w
PaperbackPirate They had a period where they grew apart, but they are true friends and will grow back together again. 4w
10 likes4 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

5. Cora‘s physical size and mannish habits of dress are frequently commented upon by
other characters in the novel. She rejects a lot of society‘s expectations of her as a
woman, whereas Stella Ransome is the living embodiment of the perfect housewife. Despite their differences, they are friends. What do you think Perry is trying to tell us by having Cora save her rival instead of quietly letting her drown? ~from RGG #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN That she is not a monster. Besides even though Cora was having an emotional affair with Stella's husband I'm not sure she wanted anything more. 1mo
tpixie @BookwormAHN I like this answer. 😀 1mo
BookWrym I think Cora is a loner and really doesn‘t need anyone else . Stella is not a threat or a rival she is a friend and Cora wouldn‘t hurt a friend deliberately. 4w
PaperbackPirate I think she continued to defy society‘s expectations by saving her friend. I think it also brought to the forefront of her mind that she would never want harm to come to her in any way which is why she stepped back from Will again. 4w
10 likes4 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

4. Many of the characters have unequal relationships: Cora and Martha, Spencer and Will.
Do you think that viewing someone as a means to an end necessarily precludes loving them? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN Not necessarily like with Cora and Martha, the other seemed a bit more complicated. 1mo
batsy Yes, I think it does. One might think one loves someone but if they're only a means to an end, then it's a compromised kind of love. I don't think this reflects the relationships in the book; with Cora and Martha I think they genuinely care for each other but Martha perhaps hints at loving her more (the difference in class, Cora wanting an audience). I thought Spencer and Luke's friendship was one of the more beautiful things in the book. 1mo
BookWrym I think in every relationship there is a balance of power and benefits and that is reflected in the relationships in the book. 4w
10 likes3 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

3. “I‘ll fill your wounds with gold”, Michael says. He means both literally that he will make sure Cora is financially comfortable during their marriage in exchange for the pleasure of hurting her, but also that he will remake her as something more beautiful & interesting than she was before. Cora survived her marriage, but was damaged by it. What do you think the seams of gold are in Cora‘s character? ~from RGG #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN I think it was her intelligence. 1mo
tpixie Not an answer to this question, but I had just read in another book recently about how the Japanese fix their pottery pieces with gold to make them even stronger. The coinkydink Of seeing this in one of my next books read was intriguing. It‘s funny how things happen sometimes. I did think her husband showed how cruel he was when he said that. 1mo
batsy I don't think that his statement had anything to do with Cora, but was just a reflection of a man who couldn't love something that he didn't break and put back together again. But perhaps it's Cora's curiosity and the sense of autonomy that stems from that. He wanted to break it. I'm not sure if that answers the question. 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Cuilin You know I‘d like to believe Cora had gold running through her before she met her husband. I think he tried to break her but was unsuccessful. Like @Batsy said it was a reflection on him and his cruelty. She was always going to survive. 1mo
BookWrym I am not sure about this Cora survives and thrives but how much of that is due to his repairing is beyond me I think you need to be strong yourself to survive this. 4w
PaperbackPirate Her gold is being free from him and finally living life on her terms. 4w
10 likes6 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

2. Many comparisons have been drawn between Sarah Perry‘s writing and the Victorian novelists who were writing at the time the book was set, including Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. Do you think this book feels Victorian, or contemporary feel when she effectively provides hope in the form of bread each day? ~from Reading Group Guides #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

BookwormAHN I haven't read Collins but I can see a little bit of Dickens in her writing style and in some of her characters. 1mo
batsy I think it did feel Victorian but also modern, in a sense. Although their styles are very different, this book reminded me of how Hilary Mantel does historical fiction. It doesn't just immerse you in another time and place, there's a kind of tension between old and new. Haven't read enough Dickens (shameful, I know 😁) but it didn't remind me of Wilkie Collins, who is someone I also enjoy. It feels like its own thing. 1mo
BookWrym To me it had a modern feeling I think the attitude and freedoms that Cora has are more modern than Victorian. I didn‘t see Dickens or Collins in the writing. 4w
10 likes3 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
This post contains spoilers
show me

1. We're traveling to Essex this month for the book! I cannot help but think, as a lover of gothic stories myself (albeit very British-based gothic stories), that the setting is perfect. Have you ever visited Essex? Have you visited a place with a potential “sea monster“ lurking in the waters?

To get us in the location mood, here's a site that will take us to Essex: https://www.visitessex.com/

#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

batsy I have not been to Essex and I'd love to. Perry is a descriptive writer and I thought she set up the atmosphere so well. I've been looking up pictures and started watching the TV adaptation of the book, which is set in some areas in Essex that beautifully depict the marshes. 1mo
Jerdencon I haven‘t been to Essex but I was near where the Loch Ness monster was on a gloomy day - def sets the mood. 1mo
BookwormAHN I haven't been to Essex, but living in Louisiana I think a lake monster/Lake Placid sized alligator is very possible. 1mo
See All 7 Comments
Cuilin Not been to Essex, yet!! Though have been in many atmospheric coastal locations in Ireland where the mythology leaches into earth. 1mo
BookWrym Not been to Essex or anywhere with a water monster now I feel I need to. @BookwormAHN Lake Placid is one of my favourite films!! 4w
BookwormAHN @Bookwyrm Mine too! 4w
PaperbackPirate Funny coincidence: while reading this book I just traced my ancestry back to a man living in Essex in the 1500s so yes I would love to go there! It was already on my to-see list because I‘m a Mary Anning fan. 4w
10 likes7 comments
blurb
PaperbackPirate
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

#20in4 #FabulousFebruary update!
I‘ve read 128/251 pages so far with Bombadil‘s help.

I‘m going to make it @Librarybelle and @Andrew65 !#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

#DogsOfLitsy #TomBombadil

Jari-chan Aww 🥰😍 1mo
batsy Bombadil is too cute! 🖤 1mo
Librarybelle Hooray! And our pet families help us a lot with reading! ❤️ 1mo
See All 9 Comments
BookmarkTavern What a sweetheart! 💕 (edited) 1mo
AnnCrystal 💕😍🐶💝. 1mo
Traci1 Aww. I love that little face. ❤️ 1mo
dabbe That face! 🤩🖤🐾🖤🤩 1mo
Gissy 🐶😍❤️❤️❤️ 1mo
Andrew65 Well done 🎉🎉🎉 1mo
54 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
batsy
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

I've been meaning to read this for years & I'm glad #LiteraryCrew gave me the push I needed. I greatly enjoyed it. Perry's writing is exquisite; loved her eye for detail & the lush, abundant descriptions of nature. I appreciated the complex characters & how invested I was in how things turned out for them. I loved the chilly beauty of Aldwinter & the strange sense of unease that permeates the book. All of it was right up my street. @Librarybelle

Librarybelle Beautiful review! So glad you were able to join us this month! 1mo
erzascarletbookgasm It‘s been on my shelf for a long time. Glad you enjoyed it! 1mo
Tamra I enjoyed the audio version. 😄 1mo
See All 16 Comments
batsy @Librarybelle Thank you for the opportunity! It's such a nice feeling to read something I already own 😆 and to find that I really like it. 1mo
batsy @erzascarletbookgasm I hope you like it when you get to it. A slow burn and a moody kind of book, but a good one imo 🙂 1mo
batsy @Tamra Nice! 1mo
Balibee146 This has been waiting and looking gorgeous in my shelves for years also. 1mo
LeahBergen I liked this one, too! 1mo
Centique I really enjoyed this too! And i may have already mentioned that the tv adaptation is worth watching as well 😍 1mo
batsy @Balibee146 It's a pretty book, isnt it 🙂 1mo
batsy @LeahBergen I am looking forward to checking out her other books! 1mo
batsy @Centique Yes, I remember! I'm hoping to be able to watch it. I want to remain in that world a little longer... 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review ❤️ The tv series is good too. 1mo
batsy @Cathythoughts Thank you, Cathy! I'm excited to check out the series 🤩 1mo
Rissreads What a gorgeous cover! 💛💚 1mo
batsy @Rissreads It's very pretty 😍 1mo
94 likes1 stack add16 comments
review
Bluebird
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Bailedbailed

Soooooo. I tried reading this book a year ago, but I couldn‘t get into it and set it aside. Love the cover, love everything about the book blurb, and enjoy the writing. This book totally seems my cuppa! I picked it up again for #literarycrew read, but after 25% I‘m giving up. #hailthebail. It‘s just not working for me. 🙈

Texreader I really didn‘t like this book. Not at all like what I thought it would be 1mo
Librarybelle Good try, but nothing wrong with no longer reading a book. #somanybookssolittletime 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘ve seen lots of similar reviews 🫤 it‘s on my shelf and I‘m in no hurry! 1mo
See All 14 Comments
tpixie @Bluebird I‘m sadly not enjoying this so far either. I‘ve restarted it 3 times today. I fell in love with the cover and wanted to do the #literarycrew #buddyread but I may bail also. I‘m not good at bailing, though. We will see 🐍💚📗 @Librarybelle 1mo
Hooked_on_books It is an excellent cover! I have this one, but after mixed reviews early on I‘m a bit hesitant to try it. I may go the same way you went! 1mo
tpixie I wish he were the audiobook narrator! https://youtu.be/Hrz43MGvF9M?si=77bwc68AhB7WL2Eb 1mo
tpixie Also he says, “Bear in mind, if you are a good reader, you will discard a book mercilessly if after the first 40 pages or so you haven‘t gotten into it” 1mo
Bluebird @Texreader glad I‘m not alone! 1mo
Bluebird @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Hooked_on_books yes, no need to rush to it, plenty of other books out there! (edited) 1mo
Bluebird @tpixie thanks for the link! He‘s so enthusiastic! The book he describes sounds fabulous—but not what I experienced. I agree with you! I‘d have loved to try it with him as the reader. 1mo
Bluebird @tpixie @Librarybelle i‘m not great at bailing either. I think it‘s because I‘ve read some gems that were slow to start. However I‘m getting better and now consider bailing at about 20% read. Most of my books are long, so 40 pages seems too few. Guess I‘m not ‘a good reader‘ 😂 1mo
tpixie @Bluebird 😂 I did decide to bail this am. I‘m trying not to feel bad about it 💔 1mo
CatLass007 @tpixie You gave it a fair shot. That‘s all anyone can do. You have to know your own mind to be able to bail. 1mo
27 likes14 comments
blurb
PaperbackPirate
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

He‘s back! @Andrew65 won‘t let anything stop him from getting a Readathon going for us each month! Thank you! 💙

My #20in4 #FabulousFebruary goal is to finish The Essex Serpent just in time to discuss it with the #LiteraryCrew.
I have 251 pages to go and my Bookly app predicts I need 7 hours to do it.

review
CatLass007
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

#LiteraryCrew This is a pick but that‘s partially my way of justifying the Audible credit spent and the time I spent listening to this. The writing, the language, is beautiful! I think the storytelling is a bit weak, with lots of peaks and valleys. This is not her first published book but this was the first released in the US.

Librarybelle Great review! 1mo
tpixie Oh! You finished it!! I saw your earlier post you were struggling. I‘m struggling also. I started three times today. I think I finally made it to chapter 1. 1mo
See All 6 Comments
CatLass007 @tpixie I finished it, but I had to push myself to do so. If you‘ve had to start it three times today, it sounds like you‘re struggling even more than I did. 1mo
tpixie @CatLass007 💚 I couldn‘t stay focused. I probably need to read the book at the same time as listening to the audio. But oh well 💚 1mo
CatLass007 @tpixie I totally get it. 1mo
62 likes6 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

We‘re a little over halfway through the month, so checkin time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead !

Any thoughts to share with the group?

Discussion on the 29th!

BookwormAHN My hold just came in, starting it tonight. 1mo
Mollyanna I should be able to start it this week. Looks intriguing. 1mo
rubyslippersreads I‘m behind, but will try to catch up. 1mo
See All 21 Comments
CatLass007 I‘m somewhere around the 75% mark of being through the book. I ought to finish it today. 1mo
julieclair Can‘t wait to start! I‘ve really been looking forward to reading this. 1mo
Librarybelle @julieclair I have to start my reread of this - I liked it the first time I read it! 1mo
BookwormM I have finished looking forward to discussion 1mo
Jerdencon I started but had a little bit of a hard time getting into it - but am going to give it another shot 1mo
Librarybelle It‘s definitely a slow burn, @Jerdencon ! 1mo
KristiAhlers I love this book. 1mo
batsy I'm going to start soon 🙂 1mo
Librarybelle @KristiAhlers I liked it the first time I read it! 1mo
PaperbackPirate I‘m about 90 pages in. I really like our main character and am looking forward to reading more of her story. 🐍 1mo
tpixie @Librarybelle I‘m behind, but trying to catch up!! 1mo
54 likes21 comments
quote
PaperbackPirate
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

A young man walks down by the banks of the Blackwater under the full cold moon.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead @Librarybelle

With help from Nova!
A young dog walks in front of a book under the warm desert sun. 😂
#DogsOfLitsy

Soubhiville 😆🐶 1mo
Librarybelle Gotta love animal photobombs! 1mo
54 likes2 comments
review
451Degrees
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Bailedbailed

I was really excited for this one… gave it seventy pages then threw in the towel. Wasn‘t intrigued by any of the characters or any events that were happening.

blurb
CatLass007
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

#LiteraryCrew I‘m trying to listen to this as an audiobook. But I‘ve fallen asleep twice. I‘ve finally finished chapter 2. Is anyone else having trouble with this?

Librarybelle It‘s a slow burn novel, so I think it is a bit slow in the beginning. I read it a few years ago and have started my reread of it yet for #LiteraryCrew , but I do remember it being a slow start. 1mo
CatLass007 @Librarybelle Thanks for your insight. I think I just need to make sure I‘m sitting up instead of lying down while I listen.😅 1mo
rubyslippersreads I actually think it might be helping that I watched the TV series first. 1mo
See All 12 Comments
CatLass007 @Librarybelle @rubyslippersreads I‘m starting to get to know the characters now, which always makes a huge difference to me. 1mo
willaful I think I DNF'd the audio. Going to try in print this time. 1mo
CatLass007 @Librarybelle @rubyslippersreads @willaful Aaand I nodded off again. But it‘s on me because I decided to curl up under the covers with the kitties. I clearly told myself to sit in the chair, but I was disobedient. 1mo
Crazeedi This was a challenge to read, but it comes together. This authors style takes getting used to 1mo
Crazeedi Plus I can't do audio if I'm not moving or busy, I fall asleep every time! Lol 1mo
rubyslippersreads @CatLass007 @Librarybelle Curling up with sleeping kitties is guaranteed to put me right to sleep. 😹 1mo
rubyslippersreads @Crazeedi Me too. In fact, I often use audiobooks to help me sleep. 1mo
CatLass007 There‘s an audiobook called The Weirdies by Michael Buckley and it‘s narrated by Kate Winslet. I play it when I‘m having difficulty falling asleep. I‘ve never heard it all the way through. 1mo
CatLass007 @rubyslippersreads @Crazeedi @Librarybelle @willaful Welp, I have listened to approximately 25% of this book, so I‘m going to keep plugging along. I‘m sitting in my lounge chair with a kitty on my lap. I won‘t be falling asleep here. (edited) 1mo
45 likes12 comments
blurb
majkia
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

Welp, I finished it. I found the writing lovely, but really couldn't find a lot of reason to care about the characters who were, I admit, beautifully drawn.

#ReadMyKindle
#Roll100

@PuddleJumper
@CBee

Julsmarshall My opinion was similar. Beautifully written but kind of hard to care about the characters. Loved the cover! 2mo
CBee Awesome job! 😊 2mo
PuddleJumper I'll give that one a miss! 2mo
29 likes3 comments
blurb
IMASLOWREADER
Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Librarybelle Yay! Glad you are joining us! 2mo
IMASLOWREADER been wanting to read it since i loved the series 2mo
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
LitsyEvents
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

New month, new #LiteraryCrew book!

We‘re diving into this one by Perry…read at your own pace. I‘ll post periodic checkins throughout the month. Discussion questions will be posted on the 29th.

All welcome to join! If you would also like to join see @librarybelle post https://www.litsy.com/web/book/33468/The-Essex-Serpent

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 2mo
BookwormM @Librarybelle please tag me for this 😀 2mo
Librarybelle @BookwormM Will do!! 2mo
IMASLOWREADER im in 2mo
37 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

New month, new #LiteraryCrew book!

We‘re diving into this one by Perry…read at your own pace. I‘ll post periodic checkins throughout the month. Discussion questions will be posted on the 29th.

All welcome to join! If you would also like to join in this month, just comment below!

AnnR Yay! Already started reading. 🙂🤓 2mo
julieclair So excited for this one! 2mo
See All 11 Comments
batsy Looking forward 🙂 2mo
willaful I'll give it a try, though I may be over committed this month. 2mo
Mimi28 I had this book out from the library for sooooo long but never read it. I may have it somewhere…??? lol I really want to read it. 😉🩷 2mo
Librarybelle Wonderful, @willaful ! I‘ll tag you this month. I can understand about overcommitting! 2mo
Librarybelle @Mimi28 Hope you get a chance to read it one of these days! 2mo
PaperbackPirate I‘m starting today! 🐍 1mo
45 likes11 comments
blurb
LitsyEvents
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

Repost for @Librarybelle

February‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is The Essex Serpent, a gothic creepy novel…I‘ve read it before and liked it!

Read at your own pace; I‘ll post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on the 29th.

If you would like to be added to this month‘s tag list, or to the every month tag list, let me know!

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 2mo
IMASLOWREADER ohhhh cool its been on my tbr 2mo
46 likes3 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

February‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is The Essex Serpent, a gothic creepy novel…I‘ve read it before and liked it!

Read at your own pace; I‘ll post periodic checkins throughout the month, with discussion questions posted on the 29th.

If you would like to be added to this month‘s tag list, or to the every month tag list, let me know!

Cuilin I love this novel. I may join in the discussion even if I don‘t reread it. 2mo
emz711 Alright you've convinced me to tbr. I've always wavered but gothic and creepy is my jam 2mo
See All 27 Comments
Librarybelle @Cuilin It‘s been years since I read it, so I‘m hoping to reread it. 2mo
Librarybelle Welcome, @emz711 ! 2mo
AnnR Sounds good! I own it, so that makes it much easier to join in. 🙂 2mo
julieclair Yay! I‘m excited to read this! And please put me on the every month tag list, if I‘m not already there. 😉 2mo
Librarybelle @julieclair You‘re on the monthly list! 😁 2mo
tpixie Thanks! I‘ve been in love with this cover forever & it‘s still on my TBR- so February will be a great time to finally! 2mo
rwmg Please add me to the list, though that is usually a guarantee that life will get in the way 2mo
PaperbackPirate I‘m looking forward to it! Thank you! 🐍 2mo
batsy I've had this on my TBR for far too long so I'm hoping to join for February, if it's OK? Nothing like a Litsy challenge to get us going 😆 2mo
Librarybelle @rwmg Welcome! Would you like to be tagged for just this month or be on the yearlong list? 2mo
Librarybelle Of course, @batsy ! I‘ll add you to The Essex Serpent tag list! 2mo
batsy @Librarybelle Thanks! 🙂 2mo
rwmg Just for Feb for now, please, since The Essex Serpent is on my virtual TBR shelf 2mo
Crazeedi @Librarybelle Jess I've read this one too! So I'll join in to this one as well as the January one you're covering!! Whoohoo! 2mo
Librarybelle Will do, @rwmg ! 2mo
rubyslippersreads I‘d like to join and be tagged, please. I just watched the mini-series and was a bit disappointed, so I‘m hoping the book will be better. 2mo
Librarybelle @rubyslippersreads I‘ll add you to the list! 😁 2mo
PurpleyPumpkin If I could be added to the every month tag list, that would be great! While I don‘t get to read every selection, I enjoy keeping up with the discussions. 😉 2mo
kspenmoll Skipping February but will be back! 2mo
51 likes27 comments
blurb
Bookworm54
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

I really enjoyed this one in April ☺️

#12BooksOf2023

Andrew65 A popular book. 3mo
33 likes1 comment
review
i.z.booknook
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Cora Seabournce travels to Essex in her widowhood seeking fossils and a scientific explanation for the local hysteria that a serpent plagues them. This was really well written, the descriptions of the nature and landscapes were beautiful. The characters were all deeply complex and very distinct. The ending was rather open ended and maybe slightly anticlimactic but still enjoyable. There was so much detail that I‘ll think about this one often.

dabbe What a cover! 🤩🤩🤩 7mo
35 likes1 comment
blurb
IMASLOWREADER
Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

borrowed the book and the audiobook from the library and i am truly enjoying following along especially because the narrator is fantastic…this is one of those times when i saw the series first then just fell in love with the story and wanted to experience the written version— yes i eat pizza with a knife and fork lol 😂 #readinglife #readinggoal #audiophile #weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

review
Centique
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Really enjoyed this series (on Apple TV here in NZ). The setting of London and Essex in Victorian era was beautifully portrayed and Claire Danes was fantastic. (Also quite happy to look at Tom for hours 😂) It‘s been a few years since I read the book but the plot was as I remembered. The stand out for me was Frank Dillane as Luke Garrett - god he made every scene he was in so interesting! Must look out for him in future.

Rissreads It sounds really interesting! 10mo
Readergrrl I forgot that this was made into a series. I loved this book! I want to watch right now! 10mo
Centique @Readergrrl I loved the book too! Hope you enjoy it 🙂 10mo
See All 10 Comments
Centique @Rissreads really good! How are you Nerissa? Hope all is well 💕 10mo
Rissreads I‘m loving my new job! How are you? X 10mo
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed the series too. Yes Tom looks good 😊 10mo
Cathythoughts Claire Danes is brilliant 👍🏻❤️ 10mo
Centique @Rissreads all good! Doing a few little trips this year, still working part time in the family business and running around after the kids like an unpaid Uber driver 😂😂 10mo
Rissreads @Centique I remember those days well! It‘s a shock when it stops, you don‘t know what to do with yourself. 10mo
Centique @Rissreads I have to remind myself of that when I start getting fed up! It‘s another passing stage so enjoy it while it‘s here 💕 10mo
74 likes10 comments
review
eeclayton
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Bailedbailed

When cleaning the bathroom seems more appealing than picking up the book, you know it's time to move on.

RaeLovesToRead I also found this one completely meh. Characters felt like wooden stereotypes. 10mo
Ruthiella I wasn‘t a fan of this either. 10mo
bthegood YES!! 😂 10mo
See All 6 Comments
eeclayton @RaeLovesToRead @Ruthiella thanks for your comments, it's good to know I'm not the only one 🙂 10mo
eeclayton @bthegood Life is too short, right? 😁 10mo
28 likes6 comments
blurb
eeclayton
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

(1) Colchester
(2) Not really.
(3) Jurassic Park comes to mind, if that counts.

Thanks for the tag @The_Penniless_Author 🙂

Eggs 🦕🩵 🦖 10mo
23 likes1 comment
review
Bookworm54
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

I just managed to finish my #Roll100 before April was done 😂

I really enjoyed this. Atmospheric, interesting characters, and sciencey. Going to give the show a go now and see how it compares!

Larkken This was one of my April roll100 s, too! But I did not finish it yet 😂 11mo
45 likes1 comment
review
REPollock
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Loved this creepy tale of sinister beasts and doomed love.

Cathythoughts Lovely pic 👍🏻 11mo
REPollock @Cathythoughts my local florist CSA delivery never disappoints! 11mo
18 likes2 comments
blurb
Bookworm54
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

It is finally time to knock the Essex serpent off my tbr thanks to #Roll100 April 😂

I look forward to starting this one!

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 12mo
44 likes1 comment
blurb
Mitch
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

I just love the wardrobe they‘ve given Claire Danes! That‘s got to be the best jumper ever! If only I had your skills @julesG

julesG Wow! That's some knitwear. 😍 Can't believe they went all out having this jumper made instead of just sewing one and adding a knit shawl. Definitely need to watch the series. 1y
persephone1408 Look its Tom riddle! 1y
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this series. I loved the clothes too ♥️ 1y
64 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Mitch
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

Not the most popular of adaptations I know - but I‘ve just seen episode 1 and the landscape is lush and Claire Dane‘s knitwear alone will get be back for episode 2!

AmyG Where is this streaming? I have been meaning to watch this. 1y
Mitch @AmyG we‘ve got it via Apple TV. It‘s good! 1y
Mitch @AmyG we‘ve got it via Apple TV 1y
See All 9 Comments
julesG I'd watch this for the knitwear. 1y
AmyG I thought it was Apple. My husband needs a new phone so hoping for a year of free AppleTV 🤞🏻 1y
Larkken @julesG same. Gotta love good knitwear! 😂 1y
Mitch @AmyG That‘s how we‘ve just got it! 1y
operagirl Been trying to get through the 3rd ep for several weeks now... 😕 1y
Ruthiella I watch the scene in Devil Wears Prada where Ann Hathaway parades in all her new outfits OVER and OVER. I know where you are coming from. 1y
68 likes2 stack adds9 comments
review
Hannah_11
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Nothing better to do on a cold Monday in December 🎄
#pick #theEssexSerpent #christmas #dayoff

review
Decalino
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image
Pickpick

Freed from the confines of an abusive marriage, Cora moves to the countryside in search of fossils, and hears of the legendary Essex serpent. Her magnetic presence and flouting of convention make waves in the village as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the local reverend. I can see why they made a show based on this book--great characters and an intriguing plot.

KristiAhlers I loved this story! 1y
19 likes1 comment
blurb
BookwormAHN
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

Thank you so much @MittenGirlPeach for the fantastic #FFFS box. I love it! The books are perfect. That tea is my absolute favorite. I already tried the cookie tarts & they are yummy. I can't wait to dive into the popcorn. I love the scrapbook paper & the bookmark is adorable. And I've been really wanting some chimes 😺
Thank you for hosting @Avanders
#FallingForFallSwap

Avanders 🍁🍂♥️🫶🏽 2y
MittenGirlPeach I‘m so glad you like everything! It was a really fun swap to shop for. Enjoy the season! 2y
quietjenn I need to be on the lookout for those tarts - they sound delish! 2y
76 likes3 comments
blurb
Cathythoughts
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

I wasn‘t too drawn to the book, but I‘m totally enjoying the TV series. I might not have been drawn to the series either , untill I realized it starred Claire Danes .. of Handmaids Tale. She is such a good actress ❤️

Cathythoughts And the clothes are ♥️ beautiful! 2y
TrishB I could never get into the book either! 2y
Cathythoughts @TrishB The show is really good so far 👍🏻 I‘m on episode 3 or 4. 2y
See All 8 Comments
swishandflick Good to know! I was so bored with the book but maybe I'll have to give the show a go 👏🏽 2y
LeahBergen Ooo, I must remember to check this one out. I quite enjoyed the book. 2y
Cathythoughts @swishandflick @LeahBergen Oh 🤦🏼‍♀️ it‘s Elizabeth Moss in the Handmaids Tale. Claire Danes was in Homeland .. somehow they remind me of each other 🤷🏼‍♀️ anyway, it‘s very good 👍🏻😁 2y
Tamra There is a show? Need to find! I did enjoy the book, but it is a slow one. 2y
Cathythoughts @Tamra I really enjoyed the show. I hope you find it & id love to know if you think it‘s good 👍🏻❤️ 2y
55 likes8 comments
blurb
catsuit_mango
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
post image

A little time on my own. Diving into this blaming it on litsy ;)

Cathythoughts I just started the TV show , it‘s good so far. 2y
14 likes2 stack adds1 comment