Scan barcode
A review by thetbrstack
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
5.0
Emma Donoghue is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
This book is a wonderful, if somewhat difficult, read. It's difficult because of its subject matter, which follows a young girl in 18th Century Britain, tossed out of her house, who turns to prostitution. Mary Saunders -- a real person from the past -- is written as neither a hero nor a victim, although she could be both. The book is unsentimental about her, although sympathetic to her plight.
Nonetheless, it's wonderfully written, and exposes the class battles of the time -- many which continue today. While some reviews call it a bawdy romp, I found it neither. Bawdy implies a sly, witty look at sex and life, while romp implies a rollicking good time. While it is explicit and open about the life of a young prostitute and her hopes and dreams, it's hard to see it as being fun or amusing.
But it is a great book.
This book is a wonderful, if somewhat difficult, read. It's difficult because of its subject matter, which follows a young girl in 18th Century Britain, tossed out of her house, who turns to prostitution. Mary Saunders -- a real person from the past -- is written as neither a hero nor a victim, although she could be both. The book is unsentimental about her, although sympathetic to her plight.
Nonetheless, it's wonderfully written, and exposes the class battles of the time -- many which continue today. While some reviews call it a bawdy romp, I found it neither. Bawdy implies a sly, witty look at sex and life, while romp implies a rollicking good time. While it is explicit and open about the life of a young prostitute and her hopes and dreams, it's hard to see it as being fun or amusing.
But it is a great book.