The Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry
Release Date: 27/05/2016
Publisher (UK): Serpent’s Tail
Pages: 432pp RRP: £14.99 (Hardback)
Kindle version available here (£6.99)
It’s been pretty difficult to avoid The Essex Serpent over the last few months. From whisperings of potential award nominations to even bookshop murals of the fantastic cover jacket, Sarah Perry’s second novel seems to be making quite the impact. Her debut novel, After Me Comes the Flood (2014), demonstrated her passion for Gothic literature (stemming from her PhD on the Gothic elements in the works of Iris Murdoch), a delicate and evocative writing style, and an ability to create memorable landscapes – all of which are on display here. After finishing it earlier today, I have to say that it’s got what it takes to make the shortlist of quite a few awards in the near future.