June book club - The Essex Serpent

Eventually managed to download this book - thank you very much. Completely enjoyed it, particularly the housing back then having been a housing officer for 20 odd years. And no for the record I've never known anybody to be evicted for an untidy garden! A Judge where I am would never give an Order for that. Anyway back to the story, as others have said it is very atmospheric. Particularly the beginning when he is at the waters edge. It immediately drew me into the book which I always think is a good thing. Thank you again for the download, sorry the review is a bit late!

I have not found this an easy book to read, hence the late review. It felt quite disjointed and I struggled to keep track of the various threads, made more difficult by the fact that I didn't feel as if I really got to know any of the characters - I was continually having to pause and check who some of them were.Technically, this was well written but was not, for me, a compelling read. I would be interested to know which were Sarah Perry's favourite characters and why.

Sorry I missed the deadline but it took me ages to get through it. I'm sorry to say I didn't find it easy to read.

A quick query, as this is only the second time I've taken part in the monthly book club.
We were asked to put questions to the author. Will these be responded to?
Thanks!

I had this book passed on to me with the wish I should "see what you think". I have to say it was magnificent in setting the place - an area that was much loved by me as a small child. There were a number of characters that I wanted to know more about and, as a result, found them unconvincing. It was, however, well written and enjoyable.

The best thing about this book for me was the cover. I didn't enjoy it at all, so much so that I didn't finish it.

I found the characters unlikeable and unconvincing. I didn't feel that the author captured the period - somehow the relationships seemed too modern, as was the prose. I thought it would have been an interesting read... the tensions between religion and science in Victorian England sounded promising - sadly it wasn't. I found I whole plot slow and uninteresting.

A great book.

I love reading about the Victorian period, how people taught themselves, how it was a great age for discoverers and explorers, and for early scientists. Ideas about evolution had interested everybody, and were often discussed. Amateur collectors and people interested in Natural History were respectable. This book captures this world excellently.

There is the doctor who publishes his amateur medical research; there is the country vicar who is an active collector, and the emancipated female fossil collector.,

This reads like a Victorian novel, also. I picture the tall ceilings and wooden floors where the children played.

There is a love story here, and plenty of mystery.

I didn't win a copy of this book, but downloaded one onto my kindle as the reviews sounded promising. I read it to the end, but it was slow going at times. I found the book disappointing and the writing style felt wrong, as Oriel says, both in terms of prose and of how relationships would have been conducted and described in novels of that period.
It's not a book I feel compelled to read again, sadly.

I found it a perfectly readable, mildly interesting, just didn't get the hype that surrounded it. Quite good without being anything special imo.

Also had problems downloading my prize so bought the book. It has taken me a while to read it as I had a family bereavement and for a while couldn't concentrate on reading. However really enjoyed the story very evocative of Dickens and Victorian age with Darwin debate etc