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The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
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Publisher's summary
Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
In 1780s London, a prosperous merchant finds his quiet life upended when he unexpectedly receives a most unusual creature - and meets a most extraordinary woman - in this much-lauded, atmospheric debut that examines our capacity for wonder, obsession, and desire with all the magnetism, originality, and literary magic of The Essex Serpent.
One September evening in 1785, Jonah Hancock hears an urgent knocking on his front door near the docks of London. The captain of one of Jonah’s trading vessels is waiting eagerly on the front step, bearing shocking news. On a voyage to the Far East, he sold the Jonah’s ship for something rare and far more precious: a mermaid. Jonah is stunned - the object the captain presents him is brown and wizened, as small as an infant, with vicious teeth and claws, and a torso that ends in the tail of a fish. It is also dead.
As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlors and brothels, all of London is curious to see this marvel in Jonah Hancock’s possession. Thrust from his ordinary existence, somber Jonah finds himself moving from the city’s seedy underbelly to the finest drawing rooms of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of the coquettish Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on - and a shrewd courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting sparks a perilous liaison that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course as they come to realize that priceless things often come at the greatest cost.
Imogen Hermes Gowar, Britain’s most-heralded new literary talent, makes her debut with this spellbinding novel of a merchant, a mermaid, and a madam - an unforgettable confection that explores obsession, wonder, and the deepest desires of the heart with bawdy wit, intrigue, and a touch of magic.
Critic reviews
“Wonderful… completely transporting.” (Madeline Miller, New York Times best-selling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles)
"Historical fiction at its finest, combining myth and legend with the brutal realities of the past.... Comparisons will be drawn to the works of contemporary authors Sarah Waters and Michael Faber... but The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock has more in common with the novels of Dickens and Austen." (Irish Times)
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All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
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Boring What Happened
- By Cindy Johnston on 10-13-10
By: Liz Carlyle
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The Unseen
- A Novel
- By: Katherine Webb
- Narrated by: Clare Wille
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A vicar with a passion for nature, the Reverend Albert Canning leads a happy existence with his naive wife, Hester, in their sleepy Berkshire village in the year 1911. But as the English summer dawns, the Cannings' lives are forever changed by two new arrivals: Cat, their new maid, a disaffected, free-spirited young woman sent down from London after entanglements with the law; and Robin Durrant, a leading expert in the occult, enticed by tales of elemental beings in the water meadows nearby.
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Great book!
- By Dana on 09-03-12
By: Katherine Webb
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How to Tame Your Duke
- A Princess in Hiding, Book 1
- By: Juliana Gray
- Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
England, 1888. Quiet and scholarly Princess Emilie has always avoided adventure, until she's forced to disguise herself as a tutor in the household of the imposing Duke of Ashland, a former soldier disfigured in battle and abandoned by his wife. When chance draws her into a secret liaison with the duke, Emilie can't resist the opportunity to learn what lies behind his forbidding mask and find out what adventure really means. The duke never imagines that his son's tutor and his mysterious golden-haired beauty are one and the same.
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Don't miss this Exciting New Trilogy
- By 🌸DARA on 09-16-13
By: Juliana Gray
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Jack Maggs
- By: Peter Carey
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
With scars on his back and silver in his pocket, the huge figure of Jack Maggs strides across the rich landscape of 19th century London. As this enigmatic man moves through its streets and houses, his single-minded quest to find his son will engender love, deceit, and vengeance in the lives around him.
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Jack Maggs
- By Kathleen on 04-04-05
By: Peter Carey
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Tulip Fever
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Rula Lenska
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seventeenth-century Amsterdam is a city in the grip of tulip mania, basking in the wealth it has generated. Sophia’s husband Cornelis, an ageing merchant, is among those grown rich from this exotic new flower. To celebrate, he commissions a talented young artist to paint him with his young bride. But as the portrait grows, so does the passion between Sophia and the painter; and as ambitions, desires and dreams breed an intricate deception, their reckless gamble propels their lives towards a thrilling and tragic conclusion.
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Very interesting book
- By Kevin Crumpton on 01-31-17
By: Deborah Moggach
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To Taste Temptation
- Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Britain’s high society—le bon ton—loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated by Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother.
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Loved It
- By Cathie on 10-26-10
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
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All the Ever Afters
- The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother
- By: Danielle Teller
- Narrated by: Jane Copland
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the vein of Wicked, The Woodcutter, and Boy, Snow, Bird, a luminous re-imagining of a classic tale, told from the perspective of Agnes, Cinderella’s "evil" stepmother. We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we? As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story...
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Not what I was expecting...
- By IonyWinter on 07-15-19
By: Danielle Teller
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The Earl's Mistress
- MacLachlan Family & Friends, Book 10
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Carolyn Morris
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Women rarely refuse the wicked Earl of Hepplewood, whose daring exploits are only whispered about. But when his new governess answers his proposition with a slap, then stalks out, references in hand, Hepplewood finds more than his face is burning. Isabella Aldridge has brains, bravado, and beauty - but the latter is no use to a servant. Her circumstances are desperate, and with Hepplewood's words ringing in her ears, Isabella realizes she must barter her most marketable asset - her body.
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Healthy BDSM in a historical romance? HOT!
- By bluestategirl on 07-06-16
By: Liz Carlyle
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Once a Duchess
- Crimson Romance, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Boyce
- Narrated by: Rachael Beresford
- Length: 10 hrs
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Isabelle Lockwood was a duchess, until her husband of only a few months wrongfully divorced her for adultery. Since then she's been a pariah, living in anonymous exile to escape the prying eyes and wagging tongues of the town. More than anything, Isabelle longs for a family of her own, and so has to marry again. But society is ruthlessly unforgiving. To clear her name, Isabelle must face down her past - and the man who broke her heart and ruined her completely. Marshall Lockwood, Duke of Monthwaite, was blindsided by his young bride's infidelity.
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Great Listen, Wonderful Story
- By Kirsten Wilson on 05-01-18
By: Elizabeth Boyce
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A Study in Silks
- By: Emma Jane Holloway
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 21 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch and sorcery the demon enemy of the Empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines - something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty's secret laboratories. What's a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she's never found out?
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Too much of a bad thing
- By Bomberwizz on 11-30-14
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About a Rogue
- Desperately Seeking Duke
- By: Caroline Linden
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Bianca Tate is horrified when her sister Cathy is obliged to accept an offer of marriage from Maximilian St. James, notorious rake. Defiantly, she helps Cathy elope with her true love and takes her sister’s place at the altar. Perched on the lowest branch of his family tree, Max has relied on charm and cunning to survive. But an unexpected stroke of luck gives him an outside chance at a dukedom - and which Tate sister he weds hardly seems to matter. Married or not, Bianca is determined to protect her family’s prosperous ceramics business, even when Max shows an affinity for it.
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Story through internal thoughts and over-telling
- By Laurie S on 08-01-21
By: Caroline Linden
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Miss Marley
- A Christmas ghost story - a prequel to A Christmas Carol
- By: Vanessa Lafaye, Rebecca Mascul
- Narrated by: Josie Dunn
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’, and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price. And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart....
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Perfect Christmas read
- By A. Speller on 12-24-18
By: Vanessa Lafaye, and others
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The Essex Serpent
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Perry
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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 not a happy one. Wed at 19, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive 11-year old son, Francis, and the boy's nanny, Martha.
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Unbearable Narrator
- By ACB on 06-08-17
By: Sarah Perry
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The Janissary Tree
- A Novel
- By: Jason Goodwin
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It is 1836. Europe is modernizing, and the Ottoman Empire must follow suit. But just before the sultan announces sweeping changes, a wave of murders threatens the balance of power in his court. Who is behind them? Only one intelligence agent can be trusted to find out: Yashim Togalu, a man both brilliant and near-invisible in this world. You see, Yashim is a eunuch.
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Interesting premise, annoying narrator
- By Phillipa Somerville on 09-18-07
By: Jason Goodwin
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A body always tells a story - but this child’s was a blank page. Rita reached for the lantern. She trained its light on the child’s face. "Who are you?" she murmured, but the face said as little as the rest of her. It was impossible to tell whether, in life, these blunt and unfinished features had borne the imprint of prettiness, timid watchfulness, or sly mischief. If there had once been curiosity or placidity or impatience here, life had not had time to etch it into permanence. Only a very short time ago, the body and soul of this little girl had still been securely attached.
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Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red’s care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique.
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What listeners say about The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
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- Isabella Piestrzynska
- 10-27-18
Gave up
Although initially promising and witty, the novel began to grate and bore. Overwrought and strangely stilted, almost like an academic assignment... no, I wonder if it is perhaps just too long. When I realised I no longer cared about any of the characters, I gave up.
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23 people found this helpful
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- MeginPhilly
- 10-21-18
I tried!
I gave this book six hours to improve. While the author is clearly talented, the shrillness of the way the main female character is voiced was grating and made it so that I never could immerse in the story. The plot meanders without meaning and it never pays off. If I could return it, I would.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Sheila K DiMarco
- 10-15-18
Awful
So incredibly slow I could not finish. I was bored from the first chapter to the 13th, where I finally gave up. The 13th chapter was unnecessarily pornographic. Needlessly drawn out and overly descriptive to the point of ridiculousness. I could not possibly imagine wasting another 12+ hours of my life on this book.
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16 people found this helpful
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- Philip Burling
- 11-11-18
Brilliant
Juliet Stevenson's reading of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is wonderful! As noted in the mainstream reviews of the book, it is a tour de force of picaresque writing. But it is also a vividly humanistic voyage through the dark sides of London at the end of the 18th Century. The leading characters are engaging because they are so fully drawn, and the minor characters are vivid portraits of the age. For most of the book, the listener (and I suspect a reader) is seeing London as Hogarth saw it both as an illustrator and as a magistrate. The first Mermaid, and there are two, is a grotesque and, as such. is an inescapable attraction to the London crowds to which Ms. Gowar introduces us with Hogarthian enthusiasm. The second Mermaid arrives in a mist of magical realism fills the listener with the same distress that numbs the characters. We fear for Angelica, Mr. Hancock and Suki and cannot wait to find out what will happen.
As can be imagined, I recommend the book wholeheartedly, but what I recommend even more is Juliet Stevenson's reading of the book. She inhabits every character with an extraordinary variety of accents and cadences so that her audience can tell who is speaking even in a scene with three or four characters. The voices of Angelica and Mr. Hancock are particularly well chosen and give each of them a reality that a movie or stage setting would find difficult to equal. Ms. Stevenson's readings are informed by her career as one of England's leading actors and make it easy for the listener so "see" each of the book's beautifully described settings and the characters' actions. The arc that Angelica must follow in Ms. Gowar's tale is made so believable by Ms. Stevenson's reading that the listener cheers her on with great affection. And Mr. Hancock, a widowed merchant living in Dickensian gauntness in the house his grandfather built, is given a growing vitality by Ms. Stevenson's gruff but increasingly optimistic voicing.
This is a full length reading, so it gives the listener ample time to enjoy an entrancing story, set in a painterly vision of 18th Century London read by the best reader that Audible has found. It is every bit as enjoyable as Ms. Stevenson's reading of Jane Austin.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Billye Kay
- 11-05-18
This is Not a Conventional Mermaid's Tale!
This is not a conventional mermaid's tale! It is a very HUMAN story. It covers a very wide range of human experience and even though it is set in the past a lot of the themes are relevant in today's modern world. The main features of this book have to do with the limited roles and status of women in 1785 and how those limits impact their lives. The story also brings up the true meaning of love and the importance of love in the lives of everyone. Note: If someone is only interested in this because of the mermaid - it would be very important for that person to read the synopsis from the Publisher. It is not a conventional mermaid. That is beside the point...this is a very well-written, imaginative, thought-provoking story. The Audible edition features a transcendent performance of all of the many character voices by Juliet Stevenson. Take this ride - go on the adventures!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Diane E.
- 11-03-18
Very Disappointing!
I really thought that I would enjoy this book and was looking forward to listening. I did finish it because I kept thinking that it has to get better. But sadly, it did not. It dragged in chapters and I wondered why some chapters were even in the book. The narration was good as there were lots of characters and I was able to distinguish them. If I were to give someone advice it would be don't waste your money or your time unless you are really into historical fiction and even then I don't know if it was accurate. I give the author points for writing it.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Cook and Baker
- 09-22-18
Beautiful story, outstanding narration!
I was mesmerized by the narration of Juliet Stevenson. This story combines vividly drawn settings, well defined characters who are memorable and multi-faceted, and a beautiful take on the human condition, all presented masterfully by the narrator.
Highly recommended.
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- LG H
- 09-21-18
I love this book
It's a fairy tail like wonder, but for adults. wonderfully written and narrated. I don't need to say more but I can't write a review under 15 words, how ridiculous.
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- Montana
- 09-20-18
Lovely little trip back in time, but could have used more mermaid.
I think all in all I did enjoy it, but the ending I was so underwhelmed by. I get that the whole journey is so much more than the actual mermaid and it turns into a nice little metaphor for each character but come on, I wanted some more mermaid lol. At least a better understanding of what she actually was physically (the 2nd one.)
Pros: Beautifully written (I loved the descriptions of food, rooms, outfits) very fleshed out characters, not a predictable story line and a satisfying ending.
Cons: It does get a little long winded at times where the story waxes and wanes a bit, there are a lot of people to keep up with and although the ending IS satisfying, you do kind of wish the story had maybe taken a different, more climatic turn. Or that’s just me.
I do recommend it for a read to travel back to the 17th century and just get enveloped in so many peoples lives during that time and how the mermaids touched their lives. It read kind of like a Downton Abbey season to me (I know different times but the elements of class and drama with so many different people who all affect each other some way in the end is what I mean)
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- judge716
- 06-04-19
Writing: OK, Plot: silly, Narration: excellent
I would have given up after about 100 pages if I were reading the book. The writing was good enough, but the book could have been edited by about half the length without damaging the rather silly plot; respectable businessman meets hooker, falls in love, is willing to do anything for her, they marry, and eventually live happily ever after. However, Juliet Stevenson's reading was so wonderfully expressive that I listened to the whole 17 hours and 19 minutes.
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2 people found this helpful