Slammerkin

Rating:
Summary: Bold and Brutal
Review: This is a novel about a female prostitute in 1760's London. It describes how she gets into the trade, what the trade is like, her failed attempts to get out of the trade, and eventually her untimely, bitter demise at the less-than-ripe old age of 16. It is a superb piece of fiction, perhaps the best I have read this year.

It is told in the third person and primarily from the view of the protagonist, Mary Saunders, who is being raised in dreary London by her seamstress mother and coal-mining step-father. Life in this era, particularly for the working poor, was unrelentingly difficult, dirty, and unrewarding. Simply for the want of some color in her life--a red ribbon--Mary allows herself to be used by the grizzly peddler who owns it, and her resulting pregnancy causes her desperately poor parents to throw her out on the street. It is here that she is brutally introduced to the life of a prostitute, in a vivid and horrifying scene.

The historical detail is outstanding. For example, we learn that Mary's father died from "gaol fever" after being incarcerated for taking part in the "calendar riots." These riots were in protest of the English government's decision to move the calendar ahead eleven days to bring it into conformity with the rest of Europe. They took place because many Londoners thought they were losing eleven days of their lives! How clever of the author to incorporate this little-known event into her story.

Here's another tidbit, after the girls witness a group hanging: "Bodies sprawled on the dusty ground, with ruby necklace-prints around their throats. The surgeon's boys, being entitled by law to all Tyburn cadavers, ran in while Turlis and his men beat the families off with sticks. Those in the crowd afflicted by warts snatched at the still-warm hands to rub them on their faces." The novel is loaded with gripping, informative scenes such as this.

So Mary begins her life as a prostitute, and as dreary and degrading as this is, she does find that she enjoys the freedom of it, and gets to wear the fine clothes she has always desired. But sickness causes her to seek redemption, at the Magdalen Society, and after another slip up, she finally ends up as a servant in her aunt's home in far away and provinicial Monmouth, where the majority of the novel takes place.

She tries, oh she tries, but again she comes to the bleak recognition that in order to have a life of order and cleanliness she must submit herself to dreary, monotonous, repetitive hard work--the only acceptable fate for a girl of her social status. She goes back to her old ways, and brings disaster on all.

I mentioned earlier the sharp historical detail to be found in this novel, but perhaps even more compelling are its finely-drawn characterizations. All of the minor character studies are believable and interesting, but none more so than the incredibly complex central character, Mary. Her initial motivation is something we can all empathize with--the simple desire to have some beauty in her life. While we can, perhaps, disagree with the decision she makes to get it, we cannot help but be appalled by what happens to her because of it, in the brutal, unforgiving society in which she lives. This innocent child becomes hardened and then corrupted, viewing all humans through the prism of her experience, and looking upon them with contempt. When she connives a way into her aunt's home, she finds that living this life--a life in which she is cared for and loved--is living a lie. It is too late, she cannot accept it. Viewed in one way, she is a despicable character: lewd, bitter, lying, filled with deceit and hate, she destroys the only people who ever cared for her. Yet in the author's skilled hands she remains sympathetic to us, heartbreakingly so, right up to her horrifying and sorrowful last moments.

Be warned, this is a tough book, and not for the faint-hearted. While not gratuitously so, the descriptions contained in it are nevertheless very graphic. It is a superb evocation of another time and place, a place that demanded hard work and sacrifice to be good, and rewarded the bad with unspeakable cruelty. It is filled with wisdom and is very human. Ms. Donoghue has created a masterpiece of historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: A New Literary Classic is Born -- Worth 6 Stars
Review: Life was hard back in the era Ms. Donoghue is writing about, folks. In fact, it was more than hard -- it was a nightmare ninety-nine percent of the time, especially for women and the poor. If you're expecting a larkish or sexy romp through Jolly Olde England, look elsewhere. This book will slice you to the bone.

This book affected me so deeply that I finished it days ago, yet I am still haunted by it.

Ms. Donoghue has created a tale that is absolutely SOAKED in unflinching truth. Her historical detail is so fascinating and at times, properly horrifying, that you will be shaken to your soul, yet you will not be able to look away.

The many themes skillfully woven throughout the book are powerful: mother-daughter ironies, the issues of slavery and servitude, injustice, the servitude of women, sexual politics, poverty, the haves versus the have-nots, humanity's general cruelty -- each issue is skillfully explored without one hint of judgement or preachiness. In fact, this book is all about the story; nothing more, nothing less.

Mary herself is an enigma. Why did she make the choices she did; what made her so strong that she tried to create a new pattern for her life? Was she insane when she committed her crime? Did her lifetime of gruesome, heart-wrenching experiences cause her to lose her mind?

The final scene of the book is so powerful that I am getting shivers just thinking about it.

I wish I could explain what makes this novel so very compelling; but I don't have the words for it. All I can say is that here is a shimmering treasure of a novel. Pass it up and you'll be missing a rare opportunity to be one of the first readers of what is sure to become a classic for centuries to come.

Rating:
Summary: "A [prostitute's} life is made up of fragments of other people's"
Review: It's difficult to resist the variety of books published in recent years depicting the lives of prostitutes during the 17th and 18th century in London. The descriptions of the dark, dirty, and sordid streets always seem to come alive on the page as the prostitute labors out a dismal existence each day. Their welfare is continuously at risk in the hands of their clients and the unrelenting social structure of this time and place. Nobody places pity on the hardships of the prostitutes; they exist at the bottom rung of society. It's a marvel how contemporary authors have continuously breath life into the prostitutes experiences. Maybe it's the voyeur residing deep inside of me but I do enjoy reading the filthy details of society's underbelly; something that is far removed from my own life experiences.

SLAMMERKIN is one of the best books that focus on the doomed life of the street prostitute. Basely very loosely on historical events this book kept me entertained and up late at night. Mary Saunders is a young prostitute strolling the streets of the seedy London neighborhoods in search of cullies, or 'clients'. With the aid of her dear friend Doll and fellow prostitute Mary discovers quickly that she has a knack for the trade. Not having any type of family support Mary must fend for herself in the dangerous streets. She has an infinity for beautiful cloth and loose dresses, or a slammerkin, which are often worn by women in her trade and eventually has a dramatic affect on her livelihood. It should be noted that the actions and motivations of Mary are not admirable in any sense of the word. She is selfish, egotistical, and only cares for herself. I often wonder if Mary is simply a product of her environment, and I wonder how others would act if placed in her shoes? I can only wonder.

Emma Donoghue should be commended for creating such a fine work of historical fiction. She certainly has a command for the language and the historical details of this time period. The overall plot and characterizations come alive on the page and do not come off as flat or improbable, as what often happens to books in this genre. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A great book, thoughtful and exciting!
Review: Right form the start, when I saw the title-Slammerkin-I was intrigued. What the heck is a slammerkin? And then I read the meaning and opened the book! You can't help but like Mary, and pity her existence as a young child growing up in a loveless, bitter home with a shrewy mother and a brute of a stepfather. Her life was drab and colorless, monotonous and dull. Donoghue's thorough description of the dreary clothes, the appalling food and living conditions grabs you right from the start. And you can totally understand how that red ribbon tantalized Mary, in the prostitue's hair trailing in front of her like a wish on the wind. As the story porgresses and Mary gets into serious trouble, left and right you ask your self , what is she totally dense? And also are shocked at how sly she can be. But also you feel bad for her, and she is written so well and takes to her proffession so quickly and well we forget she is merely a teenager thrust into the London streets by a witch of a mother. I thoroughly enjoyed, learning about the clothing, the fabrics, and the falseness of London's uptight upper classes. Also,of course Mary's intense desire for clothes which really has an underside of wanting to better herself and not live in squalor. Her journey takes her to her mothers birthplace, And there we meet Mrs, Jones and her husband who take her in with Mary's pitiful, but untrue story of her mothers tragic death. All along in this book I was asking myself about these people and the way Donoghue presents all sorts of people in all walks of life. Judgements people make, their stations, how they treat others they consider below them. The characters are shown in many subtle ways. Their predujuces, deisres, hypocrisy's and I finished Slammerkin wishing Mary had at some point dampened her deisre to make herself into something that was unrealistic and unlikely for her to attain. But was it?

Rating:
Summary: A Gritty Tale of Prostitution...
Review: Emma Donoghue's Slammerkin describes prostitution in the London of the 1760's as a horrible life of scrounging for money, living in rat infested tenements, and growing to hate all men as the clientele that they represent.

Mary, the heroine of this book, is brought up in a humble home in London by her mother and stepfather. She grows to detest the simple life she leads, where the money to buy food is a constant worry, and Mary is looked upon as just another mouth to feed to a family that is already barely getting by.

Mary yearns for the life that she sees other Londoners leading. She especially covets the beautiful clothes that she sees richer women wearing. Eventually, in events I don't want to reveal for fear of spoiling the story, this desire for beautiful clothing leads her to a life of prostitution. She realizes that with minimal "work," she can lead the life she wants - not worrying about money or food, and wearing whatever she wants.

Eventually Mary is offered a second chance of sorts, but she finds it very difficult to shake off the habits of "the life." The loathing of all men that has developed within her as the result of her life of prostitusion has made it impossible for her to live among normal people comfortably.

This novel is very well written, and, to my knowledge, seems to have been very well researched as well. The dank, dark life that Mary leads in London is completely three-dimensional. The horrors that she lives through every day of her life causes the reader to flinch in aversion, while Mary does not even bat an eye.

And yet, as a reader, I still found it hard to feel sorry for Mary. Although she has certainly had more than her fair share of hard times, when she was given a second chance at having a normal and happy life, she finds herself longing for the depravity of her old life.

Nonetheless, while Mary might not be a sympathetic character, she is perhaps one of the most fascinating women that has appeared in literature for the past few years. While you might not be sure whether of not to be sorry for her, you can't help but be drawn in to her story, just so that you can figure out what is motivating her to do what she does. Days later, I am still haunted by the actions that she chooses to take.

I highly recommend this novel. Not only does it give a shockingly true account of prostitution, but it also lets you inhabit the mind of an incredibly fascinating, if not wholly sympathetic, young women.

Rating:
Summary: Intentions. Intentions. Intentions.
Review: I read upwards of thirty or forty books of fiction a year... this one is among the most memorable of the past couple years. I do not see a flaw, I am not sure of any way it can be improved upon. I just think it is superb, in its style and content... to be honest, I think that Donoghue creates someone here, in this character of Mary Saunders, even more memorable than Anna K., and believe me, I am a die-hard Tolstoyite!
Mary is forced into extremities, she is driven into a latter half of an 18th century London that, quite frankly, will use her to its (and her) limits. Anyone who knows history knows that London is ready for such a challenge.
Does relocation help Mary? Her move to a more rural setting?
Not really. Vice is not population-specific. Vice is everywhere.
Mary gets caught in a web she did not want to weave. She makes a valiant and sincere attempt to change her ways with a risk-laden move from London to Monmouth... will her intentions be able to get her through the realities that await her?
(I wish we could utilize italics here at amazon... I would have definitely opted for italics on "intentions" and "realities" there.)
This book is about the difference between intentions and realities. How the best intentions, can go astray!
Nathaniel Hawthorne would have got a kick out of Donoghues's work. It is so unequivocably good. Every sub-character will jab you in the butt to remind you that he/she is real, much less the main ones... which (believe me) you will never forget.
Donaghue is a genius. Some sort of literary savant. The book is worth whatever price, and a generous tip besides.
You will laugh, and you will weep.
What price tag can you affix to that?
Affix it, and pay it. This book is worth it.
Take it from a guy who reads too much for his own good.

Rating:
Summary: great historical detail
Review: Had I realized this book was categorized as "lesbian," I might not have chosen to read it, thinking it likely too specialized for my interest. As it happened, it quickly became one of my favorites. A seemingly marginal character passionately chooses and forms her life, as she would in "noir" film. I found it similar to, but much more enjoyable than "The Crimson Petal and the White" or "Fingersmith."

Rating:
Summary: Very powerful, very moving, very well-written
Review: and like most stories dealing with the sexual mores of the Victorian Era, or in this case, the pre-Victorian Era, very depressing.

This story is based on the very scanty historical information detailing the execution of a young woman in the 1760s for murdering her employer. Donoghue does a marvellous job of filling in the background plausibly, making the woman seem both real and sympathetic without in any way sugarcoating her actions.

Like many stories that deal with some of these themes, this story can be seen as a cautionary tale of what happens when a person is deemed "ruined" when any taint of the forbidden is attached to them. The results are never pretty.

Rating:
Summary: 11 lost days, and a whole lost life to follow.
Review: With 1751's Calendar Reform Act, Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar implemented elsewhere in 1582; resulting in the elimination of 11 days between September 2 and 14, 1752. The edict, viewed as more than a mere alteration in the calculation of time, caused widespread riots; grounded as much in popular fear of a life shortened by 11 days (and the loss of 11 days' earnings) as in Anglican contempt for anything "popish." Emma Donoghue's "Slammerkin" is anchored in these riots; for one of their participants is her young heroine's father, whose conviction and prison-death eventually overshadows his daughter's fate as well.

Four-year-old Mary and her mother Susan soon find themselves bound to a coalman Susan has married to secure a new roof over their heads. But they now lead a miserable life in a dark, colorless Charing Cross basement; leaving Mary with vague dreams of carriages, beautiful clothes and "bettering" herself; and a strange fascination with the harlots she sees on her way to school, one of whom wears a bright red ribbon in her silvery wig. Eventually the desire to own such a red ribbon, too, turns into an obsession with Mary, now 13; and realizing she will never be able to buy it with money, she tenders a kiss: instead purchasing herself rape, infection with the "clap" (GC) and pregnancy. More than abrupt, brutal loss of her childhood innocence, the incident propels her onto the street when her mother discovers her shame and bans her from her home. She is picked up by none other than the harlot she has so admired; 21-year-old Doll Higgins, who brusquely opens her eyes to the fact that, deflowered, pregnant and without an honest trade, Mary has now become one of them: a harlot, a "miss" (as they call themselves), a prostitute. She resists, though not for long - first for the money she needs to abort the unwanted baby, but ultimately also internalizing Doll's reasoning. And Doll becomes her mentor in everything related to their trade, and in the only things that matter now: Every girl for herself, never give up your liberty, clothes make the woman, and clothes are the greatest lie ever told.

Yet, Mary is given the improbable chance to turn her life around. After a stay at Magdalen Hospital (founded with the aim of reforming "penitent" prostitutes), she returns to their abode to find Doll frozen to death in London's brutal winter. To escape their hawkish landlady's henchman she flees to Monmouth, the town near the Welsh border her parents originated from, finding shelter and a position as a maid with her mother's old friend Jane Jones, a seamstress like Susan, but despite the same humble origins not working her fingers off for pennies but with a shop of her own, and married to an equally well-respected staymaker. Soon Mary is less maid than daughter and confidante to the couple, who despite many attempts to produce a son are only left with a six-year-old girl. Mary does learn an honest trade after all - the same as her mother's, which she had fervently refused to take up before. She even finds a suitor in the Jones's young manservant Daffy and strikes up a friendship of sorts with the other maid, a dark-skinned former slave; her only antagonist the family's live-in nursemaid, a woman grown bitter and zealously religious after the loss of her own child and husband. But eventually, Mary's old life catches up with her, and she secretly returns to her former trade - with disastrous consequences.

"Slammerkin" (an 18th century term for both a loose woman and a loose dress) is tentatively based on the real Mary Saunders's story, executed in 1764 for killing her mistress; according to contemporaneous reports either to steal her savings or out of a longing for "fine clothes." In chronicling Mary's life, Emma Donoghue treads on familiar paths; from "Fanny Hill" (which actually dates from the time when Donoghue's novel takes place) to "Moll Flanders," "Nana" and "The French Lieutenant's Woman," literary history is replete with novels exploring the world's oldest profession and the things driving women into it. But Donoghue is not trying to reinvent the wheel. In addition to taking stock of the trade as such, the various forms of servitude woman have endured historically (marriage, domestic service, slavery and prostitution) and the rigors of the British class system, what most drives this novel is a study what motivates our decisions: personality, upbringing, experience and social circumstances; and the question whether - when given the choice - we can escape what we have accepted as life's inevitabilities, or whether predisposition and social conditioning will prevail in the end. With Mary Saunders, the latter is the case; and the same is true for both of her parents, so ill-equipped to guide her. Mr. and Mrs. Jones, on the other hand, have shaken their humble origins and handicaps (Mr. Jones lost one leg as a boy) and made the most of their gifts, while still accepting the class system's boundaries. But by the time Mary comes into their household, she is too irretrievably jaded to recognize the chance given her.

Emma Donoghue's prose is vividly colorful; laced with images that always feel right-on. Mary, while easy to like initially, becomes more and more complex as the story progresses (but whether you like her or not ultimately isn't the point). The novel is sometimes criticized for portraying men as brutes, solely dominated by their basest instincts; it should be remembered, however, that this is the point of view of Mary who - patently unable to deal with the sincere, honest affections of an (if anything) rather too youthfully virtuous Daffy - has come to see *every* man as merely a potential "cully;" even Mr. Jones, who ironically could have been her real father had her mother reciprocated his attentions. Overall, this is an engaging, thoughtful read; nothing for the easily offended, but recommended to anyone interested in history and well-drawn characterizations.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I found the book disappointing after the glowing reviews and flyleaf information, especially with Miss Donoghue's literary background. Miss Donoghue's descriptions of Mary's life at home and school, life on the London streets, and in the workhouse leave much to be desired. Mary jumps directly into the life of a streetwalker with almost no forethought or regrets and little motivation. The novel lacked some richness of description of life on the streets of London, historical background, or fully developed characterizations. Other than self-absorption, Mary shows little thought or personal insight. What motivated Mary? When she had a chance at a better life, what moved Mary to throw it away so easily? What conditions existed during the period that left so few options for a young girl without family or connections? Miss Donoghue could have provided a more engrossing novel by providing historical details about Mary and the society she lived in rather than racing towards the story's end like a thoroughbred chasing to the finish line.