![]() ![]() Sarah Perry has headed into supernatural territory with ‘Melmoth’Īgainst the backdrop of the ancient city, and a sprinkling of portentous jackdaws who appear like punctuation throughout the pages, we are introduced to English translator Helen Franklin. So she is always watching, always seeking out everything that’s most distressing and most wicked… in doing so, she bears witness”. Thereafter, she was “cursed to wander the Earth without home or respite, until Christ comes again. ![]() She is, we’re told, one of the women who saw Christ risen from the dead, but denied it. ‘Melmoth’ is a gothic chiller Bearing witness ![]() Where The Essex Serpent teased with its scant “did they/didn’t they?” sightings of a mysterious sea beastie, and focused instead on the interplay between its complex cast, Melmoth is most definitely a character rather than a concept. One thing I can say in good faith about Melmoth is that there is no lack of supernatural in its pages. It’s embarrassing to admit, but once I began to read, I was a little disappointed that this luminous meditation on faith and rationalism, love and loyalty, peopled with fascinating characters, was a bit light on, you know, serpents. When I first caught sight of Sarah Perry’s award-winning second book, The Essex Serpent, I was drawn in by its title and its hard-backed cover, covered with sinuous, snaky loops – as well as all the people raving about it. ![]()
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