Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
“Wonderful… completely transporting.” —Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling 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
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.
© 2018 HarperAudio (Ljudbok): 9780062864833
Utgivningsdatum
Ljudbok: 11 september 2018
Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
“Wonderful… completely transporting.” —Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling 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
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.
© 2018 HarperAudio (Ljudbok): 9780062864833
Utgivningsdatum
Ljudbok: 11 september 2018
Kliv in i en oändlig värld av stories
Helhetsbetyg baserat på 134 betyg
Bladvändare
Oförutsägbar
Tankeväckande
Ladda ner appen för att vara med i snacket och lämna recensioner.
Visar 7 av 134
Anders
21 juni 2023
Något märklig saga om klass och kön i en historisk brittisk miljö.
Maria
11 aug. 2022
Lovely language, a novel, a historical novel, but not much of a fantasy novel.
Cecilia
1 aug. 2022
One of the best narrator voices I've ever experienced. The novel was good too. Beautiful language and interesting story. Less magic than I expected, more just a story of different 18th century lives.
Eva
23 apr. 2023
Fin skildring av slutet på 1700-talet. Den nya tiden med vetenskapliga upptäckter börjar sakta påverka samhället. Ändå är en sjöjungfru 🧜🏻♀️ fullt möjlig att hitta. Samhället, personerna, klasskillnaderna är tydliga och påverkar händelserna. Jag fick i boken vara i den tiden en stund. Utmärkt uppläsare.
Ann-Sofie
2 apr. 2023
Beautiful, magical, fascinating. Magnificent writing charmingly read.
Kirsi
25 maj 2021
Den mest underbara berättelse som jag hört på länge! Helt hänförd av den, grym och vacker och helt fantastisk. Saknar den redan....
Elisabeth
27 mars 2024
En fascinerande skröna förlagd till 1700-talet. Fängslande historia som hela tiden överraskar. Mästerligt inläst av den utmärkta skådespelerskan Juliet Stevenson.
Svenska
Sverige