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    The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel
    The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel
    The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel
    Audiobook17 hours

    The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel

    Written by Imogen Hermes Gowar

    Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateSep 11, 2018
    ISBN9780062864833
    Author

    Imogen Hermes Gowar

    Imogen Hermes Gowar studied Archaeology, Anthropology and Art History at UEA’s Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts before going on to work in museums. She began to write small pieces of fiction inspired by the artefacts she worked with and around, and in 2013 won the Malcolm Bradbury Memorial Scholarship to study for an MA in Creative Writing at UEA.  She won the Curtis Brown Prize for her dissertation, which grew into a novel titled The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. An early draft was a finalist in the MsLexia First Novel Competition 2015, and it was also one of three entries shortlisted for the inaugural Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers’ Award.    

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    Reviews for The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock

    3.5/5

    241 ratings24 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Honestly it was hard to keep reading after our naughty heroine got “respectability”. But I’m glad I kept going; the mermaid as stand in for the secrets and shame that can ruin a marriage is a powerful image, and our hero’s confrontation with it is inspiring.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Georgian London practically leapt off the page for me, and I was struck by the author's talent for juxtaposing poetical description with the dirt and grime of reality. The characters and plot reminded me a little of The Crimson Petal and the White, which is no bad thing, although The Mermaid… isn't quite as rich as that. Both Mr Hancock and Angelica don't seem like particularly wonderful people to begin with, but the unfolding story reveals their mettle and it doesn't disappoint.In terms of criticisms, I would've liked to have seen more of the Polly plotline, as that was quite an interesting story in itself. What was there didn't quite scan that well for me - it seemed her story lurched from one point to another without much of an explanation a couple of times, but that might just be me!Other than that, this is an excellent work of historical fiction and I'd love to read more from Gowar in future.
    • 5/5
      Wow! What a story!!! The writing is outstanding, and the narration could not be better! I highly recommend this audiobook!
      Just wow!
    • 3/5
      1785, merchant Jonah Hancock finds that the captain of his ship has news. He has sold his ship for a mermaid. Gossip spreads across London and everyone wants to see the mermaid. Hancock puts her on display. Angelica Neal is a prostitute and when the mermaid is to be displayed in the house where she entertains her path crosses with Hancock.I found that this book had some interesting elements to it which drew me in. I like books that are set in London with the brothels and the poorer parts. Really having high hopes for a bawdy tale the first part of the story did not disappoint. What went wrong for me was the lenght of the book. It was so long with lots of padding about nothing at times. Angelica has an interesting tale of her life as a prostitute, her ups and downs. This I found the best part of the story.There are smaller sub plots with other characters in the book which could have been explored a bit more. On a positive the descriptions did bring the story to life and gave a good sense of place. Overall however the book was way to long and I did get bored several times and was ready to give up, when something interesting would happen to keep my interest again.I didn't love this book as a lot of the time I was bored but it was Angelica that kept me going and I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had been a little less dense.
    • 3/5
      The story was very different for an English historical piece & it definitely held my interest.

      What I didn’t like was the vulgar language & some situations were too vulgar and explicit for the time piece. Delicacy would have been better. It was written with a mix of old and modern vernacular & I didn’t care for that either. Some parts of the story skip or lack detail to follow or even make inferences about what happened.

      Warning: There is a lot of situations with prostitution & sex in this book, some too detailed for good taste. This is not for children.

    • 4/5
      This book is beautiful but rather bleak. I felt like I was in 1700s London. I knew and understood the characters. I would say they were realistic, but then I realize that they weren't. Even as the misanthropic introvert that I am, I realize that, realistically, there are more good people than are present in this novel. Realistically, people are more mixed and not so depraved as most of these characters. Realistically, there was at least some beauty and not only filth in 1700s London. The author here shines a spotlight on everything foul in the time and in the people, and only the main characters have good mixed with the bad. That's a choice she made for the purpose of her story, and it doesn't diminish the quality of the work, only my enjoyment of it. This book is not escapist or fun. It's haunting and sad. The story is heartfelt, meaningful, and affecting. The novel is carefully constructed, beautifully written, and insightful. I enjoyed this novel but not the world or most of the people it created.
    • 4/5
      This is a rather charming book about the power of desire, and what happens when people's desires are and are not fulfilled.There are two main characters: Angelica, a sought-after high-class prostitute who is getting just old enough that she needs to be figuring out her next career move, and Mr. Hancock, an aging middle class merchant who misses his deceased wife and infant son. Mr. Hancock comes into possession of a taxidermized mermaid when he is at the brink of financial ruin, and he is determined to use it to earn his fortune. Angelica's on-again off-again madam rents the mermaid to display it as the centerpiece of a ribald party, where Mr. Hancock meets Angelica. He wants to see more of Angelica, but she jokingly tells him that the price to see her again is her own mermaid.The book explores the desires of these two characters: Mr. Hancock wants money, largely so that he can take care of his sister and niece. He doesn't realize until he meets Angelica that he also wants female companionship and touch, although it takes him a while to understand this desire. Angelica thinks she wants money, but really what she wants is attention and adoration. The book explores how the characters strive to achieve their desires, and how they are disappointed when those desires don't satisfy them. The main object of everyone's desire is a mermaid, although the mermaid represents different things to different characters. Ultimately, the characters come to understand that they can find happiness in the simple pleasures of caring for another person.This is an odd book in many ways... I was never certain where the story was going, and every time I thought I had it figured out, it took a new direction. Sometimes it felt like the plot wasn't holding together, although by the end I realized that was because I was paying attention to the wrong plotline.The characters have a lot of depth and are lovable despite their foibles. They're the kind of people that are enjoyable to read about but you wouldn't actually want to spend any time with them.
    • 5/5
      This is why I don't like Book Clubs! How can anyone give this book less than 5 stars? I utterly loved it, and was sorry when it ended. If you loved this book as much as I did then try Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. That is all.
    • 4/5
      Oh this was so compelling of a story, but in places so damn tragic.... The characters were such interesting people, yet many despicable and ugly....Mr. Hancock's ship's Captain, returns after 4 years without his ship, but with a dead mermaid. The Mermaid causes quite a stir in society and Mr Hancock agrees to rent it to a Madame who runs a high quality house.Mr Hancock is invited to the opening night of the viewing, where he meets Mrs Angelica Neal, a much sought after courtesan, but leave in the lurch as the onset of the orgy is not to his liking; but the thought of Mrs Neal stays with him long afterwards.Mrs Neal forgoes Mr Hancock for a young society stud with whom she has foolishly fallen in love. When Mr Hancock calls on her she tells him she will consider him if only he brings her another mermaid.... and so, Mr Hancock sends his Captain out on a new ship to find another mermaid... From there the story descends into tragedy, but Mrs Hancock, not being one to lay down & quit perseveres.
    • 3/5
      Jonah Hancock hears frantic knocking on his from door one September evening. On opening it he finds Captain Jones, one of the captains of his merchant ships eagerly waiting to see him. He lets him in and then hears the news that he has bought. It is not good; he has sold Hancock's entire ship for what he has been told is a mermaid. Stunned at first, Hancock is lost for words, but Jones persuades him that this will make his fortune, provided he stirs interest in it.

      Turns out that lots of people have heard of this marvel and are desperate to see it. The showing is a success and he is being courted by the great and the good as he rises into the echelons of high society. Mrs Chappell, the sharp-eyed businesswoman sees an opportunity to make money from this wonder and offers to rent it from him for a staggering sum of money. He attends the first event, naïvely thinking that the owner of a bordello might not have an event that descends into a romp; but he was wrong. His chaperone for the evening, Angelica Neal, is one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen, but even her charms cannot keep him there so he leaves the party early.

      He is approached with an offer for the mermaid and manages to negotiate a very high price for it; financially he is made for life. He is still seeing Angelica, and she requests that she would love him to acquire another mermaid for her, something that he would have considered almost impossible, but one has been found before.

      Historical melodrama in not really my thing, but the advantage of reading a shortlist is that it opens your eyes to books that you wouldn't have considered before. Gowar's book is well researched and her attention to detail for the period is spot on. Even though it is almost 500 pages long, it didn't read like a long novel. The prose is flowery and elaborate but suits the time period that it is written in well. It has a strong moral tale and about obsession, oppression and tragedy. It was a book that I liked but didn't love it as these are not completely my thing.
    • 3/5
      I am not sure quite what to make of this book. Knowing that it was he subject of a bidding war, and with all the hype surrounding its publication, I have probably had my expectations raised more than usual.

      Without doubt, the prose is beautiful. The gothic third part is taut and interesting.

      But the second part feels flabby, and in parts unnecessary. There are story arcs that dissipate without any satisfactory conclusion. They are few truly likeable characters, and those that are likeable (Sukie and Polly) are underused.

      On the whole, I feel a little unsatisfied.
    • 2/5
      If you are a big fan of this time period in England (late 1700s) you will probably find this book interesting. I found it tedious.
    • 1/5
      This book felt like a monstrosity I carried around with me...until I got to the third section. Sections one and two were each about 17 chapters of learning about the lives of the main characters to set up what would later just become background for the actual story. I kept wondering who would become Mrs Hancock and when it would happen and if the mermaid was an actual mermaid or the word was just being used as a metaphor for something else. I wanted to give up on the book so badly that I immersed myself in reading children's books with my kids for most of the MONTHS that I had this book checked out from the local library. When I came to the third section, my desire to read this book kicked into high gear! I devoured the last section in less than a few hours and was sad that it ended so quickly and without, what I felt, much thought. All of the build up for what seemed like an outline of what could be a good story, but it just fell flat. There were too many allusions and not enough details for me. I felt like I could picture so much of the rest of the book but this last part only gave me bits and pieces to grasp at for making my own pictures in my head and it didn't compare to the extended background.

      I wouldn't read this book again because the first two sections weren't interesting enough to make their own story for me and the third section felt like someone trying to hurry up and jot down their ideas with only some attention given to scenes that ended up not making sense. I also do not like the way things ended with Ms Chappell. I felt that there could've been something less descriptive, especially when other parts of the story deserved more description and didn't receive any attention.
    • 3/5
      The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock takes place in an interesting time of English history. It is a story of greed and misfortunes, and redemption. The book might have been good if it was not so long. One could eliminate 75% of the story and not miss anything. This book is an example of quantity over quality. It is on the basis of the grueling length of this book that it was awarded 2 1/2 stars in this review.
    • 4/5
      Well written, using language that not only creates a mental picture, but reproduces the smells and sounds of 18th century London. I was surprised at w well the mermaid fantasy melded with the hard reality for women in this century. It seemed that high class prostitutes had a better life than many females.
    • 5/5
      Totally loved the story line of this book and the characters felt very true to life. I read the first part in almost one setting; got distracted and had to come back which probably made it lose some of its momentum. Two story lines are told at first: Mr. Hancock, a fuddled but kind widower who has an overbearing sister but spunky and loving niece. His wife died in childbirth and he misses her immensely and his son who never lived. His life is sad but he seems to try to make the best of it. He is a ship owner and when his ship is shipwrecked, he feels totally lost. The ship's captain, however, seems to have found a mermaid who eventually Mr. Hancock puts on display and earns quite a fortune from the effort.The second story is of the "couresan" Angelica Neal who has been in the "nunnery" of Mrs. Chappell who apparently takes girls from no where and teaches them all the finer aspects of entertaining men. Angelica has now set out on her own with her dresser and friend, Mrs. Frost. Angelica is ambitious, spoiled, and conniving. Eventually these two characters meet and their lives become intertwined. This is filled with 18th century manners and culture. There is humor sprinkled in between some grim elements of 18th century life. A long book which might have been pared down just a bit, it is still very entertaining. I did feel the ending was just a bit weak, but still very enjoyable.
    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like this book more than I did. While it had elements of magical realism and I enjoyed the first quarter of the book, by the time I reached the last quarter of the book, I find myself not caring about the characters at all. There were some loose ends that I didn't feel got addressed properly (Polly's story). I would have liked for the author to address that storyline as well.
    • 4/5
      Historical and magical aspects.
    • 4/5
      While this book was not at all what I expected, it was fantastic. Lush writing (hard to believe this is a debut) and extremely well done historical fiction. A slow, pleasant burn. Juliet Stevenson narrates the audio, and she's always fantastic.
    • 3/5
      Delightful to read, if a tad heavy-handed in its characterization sometimes and a bit anticlimactic in its ending. Really, this feels like the first novel of a promising author that it is. I'll gladly read more from Gowar in the future!
    • 3/5
      I'd say this is somewhat over hyped and overrated. The pacing is truly impeded and the characters make no particular sense. Set in the later Georgian era, it feels more Victorian and it's feminist and anti-racist stance is pretty pallid. Moments and some of the ideas are worthwhile, but as a whole, don't waste your time
    • 4/5
      I really liked this debut novel by [[Imogen Hermes Gowar]]. It is set in the 1700s as lonely Mr. Hancock, who owns a shipping business, receives a mermaid from his ship captain. The captain has traded Mr. Hancokc's ship for this "mermaid". The mermaid is an ugly little baby-sized creature but people line up to see it. Mr. Hancock ends up making quite a bit of money off of it. In the meantime we've met Angelica Neal, a high-end prostitute. She is at loose ends after the wealthy older man who had been supporting her has died. Their paths end up crossing and she becomes Mrs. Hancock. After their marriage, they acquire a real, living mermaid and the grief that comes with it. This book sounds fantastical, but actually most of it is very down to earth and realistic. It was a great mix of the two. I loved the historical setting and the characters were interesting. I will definitely look for the author's next book. This will appeal to fans of [[Sarah Waters]] and [[Emma Donaghue]].
    • 5/5
      What a fantastic adventure! Beautifully written prose and an instant classic.
    • 5/5
      Real life in Regency London...and a little bit of the supernaturalBy sally tarbox on 14 February 2018Format: HardcoverAn intelligent, utterly entertaining and beautifully written book, that immerses the reader in 18th century London.In a gloomy counting house, lonely widower Jonah Hancock is awaiting the return of a long-absent ship. But when its captain comes to see him, with the information that he has 'invested' much of Hancock's money in a rare find - a mermaid - the sensible businessman has to turn showman to try to recoup some money.How his endeavours bring him into contact with beautiful courtesan Angelica Neal ...and what happens then...forms an unforgettable story, which moves from high society to the bawdy-house.I was struck by the author's descriptive powers:"Owing to the rain it is unlikely that many birds are abroad; but perhaps a crow has just crept from the rafters of Mr Hancock's house, and now fans out its bombazine feathers and tips its head to one side to view the world with one pale and peevish eye. This crow, if it spreads its wings, will find them full of the still-damp breeze gusting up from the streets below: hot tar, river mud, the ammoniac reek of the tannery. And if it hops from its ledge and rises above the rooftops of Union Street it will come first and swiftly to the docks, the cradles of ships-to-be, which even in their infancy rear above all the buildings. Some, polished and tarred, flags a-flutter and figurehead winking, strain to be launched; others, mere ribs of fresh-stripped wood with only air between them, lie in dry-dock vast and pale, and naked as the skeletons of whales."This is going to be one of my top reads for 2018. I suspect Imogen Hermes Gowar is a name to look out for!