Heaven: 2022 May Book Group The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gower
May's book group pick is The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gower.
I came across this when a friend of a friend sent me a list of Caribbean authors she thought I might like. Gower isn't from the Caribbean and the book isn't set there, but she mentioned she'd just read it and liked it. The title intrigued me, so I decided to give it a go. I found it a really enjoyable read, mostly a historical romp, with a big dose of magic realism thrown in.
Questions as usual on or around the 20th.
I came across this when a friend of a friend sent me a list of Caribbean authors she thought I might like. Gower isn't from the Caribbean and the book isn't set there, but she mentioned she'd just read it and liked it. The title intrigued me, so I decided to give it a go. I found it a really enjoyable read, mostly a historical romp, with a big dose of magic realism thrown in.
Questions as usual on or around the 20th.
Comments
This is what I really like about this book group, I get to read things I would never have read otherwise.
This is a historical novel with a strong magic realist thread. Were you convinced with the historical setting and did the 'magic' bit convince you?
There are some very strong characters in this, and not all get a happy ending. Was there anyone's story you wanted to hear more of or maybe less?
If you did read it is this is it the sort of book you would usually pick up and did you enjoy it. If you decided not to seek it out, any particular reason?
Anything else you'd like to discuss?
This is a historical novel with a strong magic realist thread. Were you convinced with the historical setting and did the 'magic' bit convince you?
I was mostly convinced with the historical setting, but found the author's use of little know historical terms for some objects and women's body parts a bit distracting. I could see lots of influences from books from the late 18th and 19th centuries.
The magic part was interesting, but came much later in the book than I expected. The mermaid reminded me of Dracula in the way it affected people around it, even though its motives were very different.
There are some very strong characters in this, and not all get a happy ending. Was there anyone's story you wanted to hear more of or maybe less?
I wanted to know what happened to Polly. When we last saw her for sure she seemed to be in dire straits and planning on seeking out Simeon's friends for help. Mrs. Chappell seems to see her looking prosperous, while she is being punished, but this is not confirmed. I wanted to know more about what happened to Polly and the events leading up to Mrs. Chappell's trial. Mrs. Chappell was a horrible woman, but I found the description of her punishment and attack by the community really disturbing. There was definitely a double standard over women who worked in sex work or enslaved other women as compared to how the men that abused young girls were viewed at the time. I also felt the scenes in the brothel were more graphic than they needed to be, and found them disturbing considering they involved girls who were only 14 or so. I don't think they were necessary to the story.
If you did read it is this is it the sort of book you would usually pick up and did you enjoy it. If you decided not to seek it out, any particular reason?
It was not the kind of book I would usually read, but I enjoyed most of it. However I wouldn't choose to read another book by the same author.
I don't know enough about those times to know about the historical setting but I loved the descriptions of London having lived there for a few years- the concept of Marylebone being a good way off - whereas now you can get from where Mr Hancock lived to Marylebone in less than 1hr (I think) and moreso, it is heavily built up. This made me curious to know more about the London in days gone by.
The "magic" bit was so innocuously introduced that it seemed perfectly plausible.
There are some very strong characters in this, and not all get a happy ending. Was there anyone's story you wanted to hear more of or maybe less?
Yes ... I would have loved to know more about Mr and Mrs Hancock's happily ever after. Did they ever have children? How did Mrs Hancock fare in society?
I, too, would have loved to know more about Polly and what happened in the interim. As it didn't look good initially, not least that she was clearly of immigrant descent.
And finally, I would have liked to have heard more about the poor captain and his crew, and their fate was not clear to me.
If you did read it is this is it the sort of book you would usually pick up and did you enjoy it. If you decided not to seek it out, any particular reason?
The title put me off! I picked it up with great cynicism at how things would play out between a man and a mermaid, but I was quickly drawn in, and thoroughly enjoyed it and might try another one by IHG.
Thanks for the questions and the suggestion of the book!
This is a historical novel with a strong magic realist thread. Were you convinced with the historical setting and did the 'magic' bit convince you?
I really liked the small details in the story that made it feel convincing , cutting out dresses using Wesley's sermon sheets as the pattern for instance. I also thought the way that all the women were very much at the mercy of men to make their way in the world was pretty much as it would have been. I also found the settings interesting. I'm a Londoner so I know of all the areas mentioned, even if I don't know all of them well. I went on a walk of historic Deptford with a friend just before the first lockdown and I could imagine exactly where Mr Hancock's house was. Many of the streets still look pretty much as they would have then. I also know Blackheath, so I could clearly imagine their house at the end. I did wonder if we were going to get a 'real' mermaid as she/he/it took some time to arrive. I thought it was a very well imagined idea, and I was pleased that Mrs Hancock had the strength to get rid of it.
There are some very strong characters in this, and not all get a happy ending. Was there anyone's story you wanted to hear more of or maybe less?
I was quite shocked by Mrs Gower's end. I thought she'd manage to wiggle her way out of trouble. I didn't like reading the bit where she was lynched so I missed the reference to Polly. I imagined Polly as looking like Dido Belle and I wanted chapter and verse that she was OK at the end.
I really liked both the Hancock's and was genuinely moved by Mr Hancock's imaginings of his son who had died at birth. I really wanted to be told that they had a long and happy life, lots of children and lots of lovely parties.
I'd be quite happy if horrid things happened to the young men at the party that caused Polly to flee.
If you did read it is this is it the sort of book you would usually pick up and did you enjoy it. If you decided not to seek it out, any particular reason?
I quite like magic realism and I did think that it was very well done in this book. As I said I only read it as a friend of a friend said she'd enjoyed it. I ought to go back and try some of her other suggestions.
Anything else you'd like to discuss?
There are some very strong characters in this, and not all get a happy ending. Was there anyone's story you wanted to hear more of or maybe less? I would have liked a bit more of Polly’s fate but maybe there’s a sequel in there somewhere. I assume she was the street girl Hancock gave a shilling to? Mrs Chappell’s end is very convincing – and though (perhaps?) harsher than even she deserved – it fits very well. A good reminder of how brutal the times worry. Too much to hope that darling George would get his come-uppance, I suppose, and I would have liked to hear more of the footman who tried to help Polly, but I suppose the fact that he knows what he knows is enough.
If you did read it is this is it the sort of book you would usually pick up and did you enjoy it. If you decided not to seek it out, any particular reason? I have a pretty low tolerance for magic realism – I’ll read Angela Carter, for example, but won’t go out of my way to do so. (Fantasy is different, I can stomach fantasy, as long as it’s good. The blurb for this book really put me off, but for the sake of the Ship, I had a look at it in the library and knew I was in safe hands from page 1.
Anything else you'd like to discuss? I love the way Angelica’s character is developed and the way the relationship between her and Hancock is made plausible. I think at the end, you understand why she is the one person to have the intelligence and strength of character to see what has to be done and to do it. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this book, I would almost certainly have missed it otherwise.