A review by cevec
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Beautiful lyrical writing and a rich sense of history and place, but I found it overwhelmingly slow paced. Any sort of payoff by the end was not worth how long it took to get there! 
I enjoyed the imagery and plot of the mermaid and how it could represent womanhood, femininity as a whole, particularly at that time, mirroring how each female character was trapped in someway, somehow at that time. And the longing to escape. But also on a wider scale of each character, each trying to escape their own lives for bigger, better and greater things. But do they, and do we, ever truly find it? 
I found the scene of Mrs Chappell's death grimly fascinating, and how she sees who we can only presume is Polly right at the end. A juxtaposition of perhaps a "death" of one way life for women and Polly seemingly the start and symbol of perhaps a small bit of hope for freedom.

I just wish the book and plot had a bit more drive behind it, smore payoff and greater connections. More tightly written is what I think I was hoping for! Also, I don't think I actually really liked ANY of the characters, but the lovely writing and sense of place and time (the research the author put in shone through) was enough to keep me reading and find out what happened to them all in the end. 
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