Minor Angels
Antoine Volodine and Jordan Stump
Book
From Antoine Volodine comes a deeply disturbing and darkly hilarious novel whose full meaning, its...
Ghachar Ghochar
Book
In this masterful novel by the acclaimed Indian writer Vivek Shanbhag, a close-knit family is...
Whereas: Poems
Book
WHEREAS confronts the coercive language of the United States government in its responses, treaties,...
Poetry social issues
The Best of Everything
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When Rona Jaffe's superb page-turner was first published in 1958, it changed contemporary fiction...
The Cambridge Companion to W.B. Yeats
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This accessible and thought-provoking Companion is designed to help students experience the...
Essays
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The articles collected in George Orwell's Essays illuminate the life and work of one of the most...
Still Holding: A Novel of Hollywood
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Bruce Wagner has been hailed for his powerful prose, his Swiftian satire, and the scalpel-sharp wit...
Olive (1 KP) rated The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock in Books
Jan 27, 2018
Visually the book is a stunner and one you can definitely judge by its cover. It's rare to find a historical fantasy where the fantasy aspect takes more of a backseat. I love both genres but this was a perfect balance between the two. The Regency London setting rather than Medieval or Victorian was really refreshing as was the use of mermaids rather than vampires/werewolves/zombies/magic. I've read a few reviews where people complain that the mermaids are prolific enough considering the title but I think this is only the case if you enter it anticipating the focus to be mermaids. It's definitely a consistent theme from start to finish but it doesn't take center stage until the very end. If you go in expecting mermaids galore, you might be a little disappointed.
A lot of historical fiction written after the time it portrays attempts to emulate the formal language of the time and usually with cringe-worthy results. This book is an exception. The prose is lightly reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel and beautifully descriptive but not overly so. The plot isn't one you can guess from the first page and while you can make educated guesses, the journey there is full of delightful twists and turns.
Really though I cannot say enough about this book. The only word that seems to come close is 'sumptuous'. It's the sort of book you can easily reread because the enjoyment doesn't hinge on shocking plot twists or mystery and suspense. It was a sheer joy to read and I dreaded the ending from the very first chapter. I almost never reread books but this is one I actually look forward to rereading.
Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot
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It is Sunday Times Bestseller. It is Book of the Week on Radio 4. "A beautiful book about a part of...
The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend
Book
A gripping retelling of the timeless epic of romance, enchantment and adventure, Peter Ackroyd's The...