Define Books In Favor Of Slammerkin
| Original Title: | Slammerkin |
| ISBN: | 0156007479 (ISBN13: 9780156007474) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Mary Saunders |
| Setting: | London, England(United Kingdom) Monmouth, Wales(United Kingdom) |
| Literary Awards: | Ferro-Grumley Award for Lesbian Fiction (2002) |
Emma Donoghue
Paperback | Pages: 410 pages Rating: 3.71 | 14363 Users | 1422 Reviews
Chronicle As Books Slammerkin
Mary Saunders, a lower-class London schoolgirl, was born into rough cloth but hungered for lace and the trappings of a higher station than her family would ever know. In 18th-century England, Mary's shrewd instincts will get her only so far, and she despairs of the plans made for her to carve out a trade as a seamstress or a maid. Unwilling to bend to such a destiny, Mary strikes out on a painful, fateful journey all her own. Inspired by the obscure historical figure Mary Saunders, Slammerkin is a provocative, graphic tale and a rich feast of an historical novel. Author Emma Donoghue probes the gap between a young girl's quest for freedom and a better life and the shackles that society imposes on her. "Never give up your liberty."
List Of Books Slammerkin
| Title | : | Slammerkin |
| Author | : | Emma Donoghue |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 410 pages |
| Published | : | May 1st 2002 by Mariner Books (first published June 7th 2001) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. European Literature. British Literature. Literary Fiction. Literature. 18th Century. Sex Work. Prostitution |
Rating Of Books Slammerkin
Ratings: 3.71 From 14363 Users | 1422 ReviewsWrite-Up Of Books Slammerkin
Okay, so this is the first Donoghue book I have read and it's a book which I knew very little about before reading or buying it as I picked this up mainly because I loved the cover and there were a few people I knew planning to do a buddy read of it and I wanted to join them. A few things I know now as I've finished it up, this is a historical fiction coming of age story where we follow Mary Saunders, a young girl who lives in London in the 1700s with her mother (a seamstress) and stepfatherMust start out by saying this is the second book I've read by Emma Donoghue, and I think she is a brilliant writer. Slammerkin was one of the darkest and saddest books I have read. The book covers 3 years in the life of Mary Saunders, and takes place in the mid 1700's in London and, primarily, Monmouth. It should also be noted that according the author's note, it is based on a real person. Mary's home in London is one of poverty; when she finds herself pregnant and disowned by her mother and
Wow- This was a fantastic novel, and full of surprises. It is now among my favorites. Emma Donoghue really does her homework, bringing the London of the 1750's alive with an astonishing amount of details. The description on the book jacket leads readers to believe that this book is simply about CLOTHES and a profound love of clothing that the main character, Mary, has. And, while a large portion of the book *is* indeed centered around the importance of clothing and the various 'costumes' that
Clothes outlived people, she knew that. Clothes were more of a sure thing.Slammerkin refers to both a loose woman and a loose gown, and the sartorial is a constant motif in this story about a teen-aged prostitute named Mary Saunders in London and Monmouth, a Welsh border town, in the 1760s. There was an actual person of this name, but Emma Donoghue had only a very few sketchy facts from which she created this moving fiction that effectively illustrates that, in the mid-18th century anyway, life
1760s London, and Mary Saunders desires more than the meager life of her widowed mother. Her lust for ribbon, lace, and the fineries of status leads her to sell the only thing she has: her body. Donoghue is a skillful writer, and Mary's journey as a London prostitute and a country maid is gritty, dark, and depressing, but driven by Mary's vivid personality. Multiple points of view in the second half of the novel detract from Mary's story, but on the whole this is a dark but burning novel which
I am not sure I liked that they told me the ending right at the beginning.The story was well told and characters well written. Fully thought out and motives examined.Definitely recommend.
To be honest I tried to enjoy it but apart from the middle section when she was in Monmouth and trying to find a life away from prostitution, it was just too depressing. Donoghue's descriptions of impoverished 18th century were interesting and well written but I just couldn't like Mary. Perhaps it was clever to make us dislike this unfortunate girl so much but really I can't give it any more stars, there was too little to feel good about :(
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