Rating: 
Summary: Good! But be prepared for disgusted with the protagonist...
Review: I bought this book yesterday and just ate it up overnight. It was a fast read, but a very involving one -- and it most certainly invoked a definite reaction.I have never wanted to beat a protagonist about the head and shoulders as I have wanted to so beat Mary Saunders. Don't let this put you off from this book, however! This was an excellent written novel and it's full of history and atmosphere, invoking the working-class hovels, the seedy backstreets of London, the Magdalen Hospital, and the backwater town of Monmouth with incredible skill. But you're not going to like Mary Saunders. You may be able to empathize with her, but you're probably not going to like her. While I could especially empathize with the first rule of the whores of London, which is 'Never Give Up Your Liberty', there's a difference between absolute freedom and simple selfish, petty desire. Mary Saunders is after the latter, most certainly. She has a number of chances to save herself from her eventual end -- and you know she's damned within the first three pages of the book -- but she... she's just too willful and proud to take them. And the fall from such a proud height is a long and painful fall indeed. If you're looking for erotica, however, this is not the novel. Two scenes of rape in the first thirty pages are subdued, passing over the acts and being done with it, giving next to no detail (thankfully) and the same goes for the rest of the sex. This is not a book glorifying the prostitute's act, so you're not going to have to worry about any trashy 'throbbing and veiny' erotic writing here. The sex is handled with a sense of horror where appropriate, and a sense of detatchment or power, depending on the scene and Mary's position at the time. All in all, a quick and excellent read, with very realized characters and excellent feel for the times and the issues of liberty, honesty, and the nature of humans and what they will for such transient things like clothing, money, sex, and the appearance of wealth and prestige.
Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking and Dark
Review: I didn't realize until the end of this book that Slammerkin was a fictionalized account of a real woman. Though little was known about Mary Saunders, Donoghue certainly brings her to life in this book. The story is set in 18th century London where a young girl, Mary, makes one desperate decision that alters her life forever. A simple desire, one red ribbon, leads her down the road of darkness. Mary had a desire for beautiful things in her life but there wasn't much beauty to be found in this story. It is raw with realism and brutal in its descriptions. The author does not glorify the life of a prostitute. It is presented to us in all of its ugliness and is at times uncomfortable to read. This is the sign of remarkable writing. I was taken from my quiet life and placed in a time where horrendous things happened to young women at every turn. I wanted to despise Mary, but I found myself sympathizing with her. Life was hard back then, and especially so for a young girl left to the street. Her dissatisfaction with her life was her greatest obstacle. To her, being a servant was no better than being a prostitute. In the end, her own impulsiveness caused her downfall. I had no idea of the ending of this book before I picked it up. I was surprised to say the least. It was a dark read but worth the time. I will highly recommend it to others.
Rating:
Summary: The price of a red ribbon
Review: In the late 1750s in London, Mary Saunders lives a life on the edge of poverty, but she dreams of more. And these dreams soon cause her to lose her home, and what else can a young woman do with no other skills but turn to prostitution? At first it's a life of freedom for Mary, but this doesn't last long, and in a moment, Mary's life changes and she's forced to flee to Monmouth, her mother's former home, where she believes she can start over. Befriending her mother's childhood friend Mrs Jones, Mary rebuilds her life and think she's escaped all she was in London. Her dreams of finery and living a high life prove to be her downfall yet again, and she falls back into prostitution, which is the first step in her spiral to the crime that will seal her fate. Donoghue's lush novel is based on sketchy historical facts. She's brought to life this unknown young woman, and shown us how the glamours of the beautiful life can lead one to ruin. "Slammerkin" is quite unlike Donoghue's other novels, and sometimes gets a bit plodding, but overall it's quite compelling and fascinating to witness this girl's life.
Rating:
Summary: Young girl trades her "virtue" for the price of a red ribbon
Review: I appreciate authors who take the time to research the details of a subject before they place a pen to paper, it renders the tale all the more believable. Slammerkin is not a "prettied-up" fantasy story about the glittery life of a prostitute, instead, beneath the powdered wigs, pasty make-up and hooped skirts; this novel unblinkingly conveys all the underlying stink and grime of living in London during the 1700's. Within this realistic setting we thus follow the short, traumatic life of Mary Saunders, who is a character who doesn't pine away for the sympathy of the reader, but at the same time, because of her young age and the circumstances that lead to her disastrous destiny, we can't help but feel some measure of pity. Beyond it's believable plot, Slammerkin is well paced and skillfully written. Definitely a book worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Ironic, Thought Provoking, and Brilliant...Two Thumbs Up !
Review: Emma Donoghue paints a portrait of Mary Saunders life so vividly in this novel, that you'll find yourself no longer sitting quietly reading a book in the 21st century, but walking as a shadow down the hardened streets of London in the 18th century, an eye witness even, to the events in the life of this intriguing young woman. This book is not for the romantic reader, it's a hard and sad story that exposes the truths of how an educated, intelligent young girl, made one very wrong decision that changed her life. Rejection, poverty, slavery, blackmail, and lies were now all the future held for her, as she struggled desparately in her mind to find the solution that would break the chains that bind. Even though Mary is described as a "monster" of evil and wickedness by most of the characters in this book, I found her indeed very human. From the time she's thrown out of the house and onto the frozen streets of London in the middle of the night at the young age of 14, until the last thoughts that filled her head just before her death at 16, Mary Saunders comes across as an amazing young woman, that under different circumstances would have been an assest to the changing times of the 18th century. Throughout this book I so wanted to see just one thing go right for her, as I felt she deserved that one chance. But even when good things did happen for her, ghosts from her past acted as stumbling blocks preventing her from finding the new identity which she was so desparately seeking. This is a book that everyone should read, historically, as well as humanly, it's brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: The life of the slammerkin
Review: SLAMMERKIN by Emma Donoghue Slammerkin takes place in London of the late 1700's, and tells the tale of Mary Saunders, a woman who lived a good part of her life on the streets as a slammerkin, or prostitute. History shows that Mary did exist; this book is a fictionalized tale of what her life could have been like. The book begins with a brief explanation of the demise of her father, who decided to take part in the riots that protested the taking away of 11 days that year. It was part of the process to correct the calendar, but many felt that this was an infringement of their rights, and Mary's father let his voice be heard. His reward was prison, where he eventually died. Mary was 5 years old. The book then fast forwards to eleven years later, and Mary Saunders is in the same jail, awaiting the same fate as her father's. Mary's life was never easy, but it was all she knew. Her home life was horrible after her father was taken to jail and her mother remarried. Mary's stepfather favored only his own children, and so her own mother treated Mary terribly. Mary is eventually thrown out into the streets and she never sees her family again. She does learn one thing from her mother: one is born into one's station of life, and one can never change it. Mary learns the way of the streets with the help of her new friend Doll Higgins. After Mary is thrown out of her family's home, Doll finds Mary lying in the alleys close to death, and nurses her back to health. Learning from Doll, Mary begins to make a living as a slammerkin. Mary's one weakness is her love of fine clothing, and in order to live the life she wishes, she needs to live the life of the slammerkin. It is all in a day's work. Mary and Doll live together for months, but due to a serious cough, Doll convinces Mary to move into a hospital where she would get free board and meals if she promises to follow the straight and narrow road. Mary gets cleaned up, and learns a few new skills that could help her lead a life away from the streets of London. She eventually finds her way to an old school friend of her mother's, Jane Jones, and Mary soon finds herself employed by the Jones' in their home and dress shop. It seems that Mary's life is turning for the better. However, Mary's restless spirit has other plans for her. I found SLAMMERKIN a very fascinating book. The author made this book feel real and authentic, by obviously doing a lot of research into the life of the slammerkin and life in London of the late 18th century in general. Although the fate of Mary Saunders is pretty much known from the beginning of the book, the author wrote the book in a way that kept my interest at a peak throughout the entire story. A very well written novel, I highly recommend Slammerkin for fans of historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Moving and Memorable
Review: Emma Donoghue's Slammerkin is a moving and memorable historical reconstruction of the life of Mary Saunders, a young woman hung for murdering the woman she worked for in the Eighteenth Century England. Donoghue's imaginative story begins in London, when Mary is 13. She is intrigued by the young prostitutes she shes on the streets when she is not where she should be. Their brightly colored gowns and "free" lifestyles appeal to young Mary. She lives with her mother and stepfather in a joyless household without much hope of a future other than following in her mothers footsteps as a seamstress. She soon loses even that hope through her own foolish desire for a pretty ribbon. Donoghue follows Mary through her life as a prostitute, her attempt at reform, her escape from London, to the town of Monmouth where her past finally catches up with her. Mary's vain materialism is what ultimately brings her down and although at times she isn't the most likeable protagonist, you can't help but be disappointed in the outcome. That is not to say that the book is a disappointing at all. Quite the contrary. Slammerkin is an engaging, thought-provoking tale that explores the limited options women had in those times--prostitute or slave--or so it seems to Mary. There is a solution to those lack of options that Donoghue shows to us, and Mary almost takes that solution, but ultimately, she cannot. I enjoyed Slammerkin very much. It is the kind of novel that will make you think long past the time you have finished it. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Travel back in time.
Review: Slammerkin, a loose gown or in some cases a noun for a loose woman, was the perfect title for this historical fiction about Mary Saunders. Slammerkin is a novel about the dark part of society that haunted the streets and alleys of London during the 1700s which many works of historical fiction fail to mention. The reality of the lives of the characters was at times described in graphic detail and at times I found that I was revolted yet I was riveted by the realism which the details lent to the novel. Slammerkin is the story of Mary Saunders and illustrates the harshness of life during the eighteenth century. Donoghue takes readers back in time to the streets of London where Mary, only fourteen at the time, finds herself after being thrown out of her house by her own mother. Mary is befriended by a veteran of the streets, Doll, who takes Mary in after finding her on the street without any trace of the few belongings she had left her mother's house with. Doll takes Mary under her wing and tutors her in the life of a street prostitute. Having no other way to eke out a living on the harsh streets of London, Mary becomes a street prostitute as well. If you enjoy historical fiction the tragic tale of Mary Saunders in one that you will want to read. The details which Donoghue includes make the characters spring to life and I wouldn't let the graphic nature of this book deter you from picking it up. It is one that is hard to put down after beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Hardly a Flaw
Review: I must admit, I was first drawn to pick up this book by the cover and the title. The short description on the back cover was the hook that kept me picking up the book until I finally picked it up to read. I was not disappointed. It is rare that a book written with great skill and intelligence is also "reader-friendly" drawing the reader into the characters' world and convincing him/her to settle in for an extended stay. In the world that Mary Saunder's inhabits, that is no small feat. Donoghue writes a historical novel that is at once entertaining, accesible and thought provoking. In particular the device of expanding the point of view from that of Mary Saunders alone, to include the members of what will become the only family she knows. And while she is no heroine, in the traditional sense, Mary comes across as a flesh and blood young woman half done in by circumstances and half by her own choices. Despite some of her less than desirable traits, it's nearly impossible not to "root" for her. A caveat. This book is not for the faint of heart or those of delicate constitution. The world Mary Saunders in habits is not a pretty one, where everything works out alright in the end, and the author does not attempt to paint it as such. If that's you're cup of tea, stick to those romance novels that masquerade as historical fiction. But if you're up for an engaging story that will sometimes disturb you and at others cause you to question a few of your own beliefs and assumptions, this book comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This was a great book. At first I was wondering if it would be boring, being that it was set in the 1700's, but I was wrong.
It didn't take long to get immersed in the story at all.
I didn't find Mary Saunders so unforgivable either. I felt like I could see where she was coming from. Anyone who has a desire for money & finer things, I think can see her point of view.
Not that you'd "stoop" to doing what she did to get those things, but especially nowadays when it seems so easy to get into something like being a topless dancer, you can see the temptation. You can also feel for her & imagine the degradation.
The only thing I wish was that it didn't say on the inside flap anything about a crime (I won't say what kind), I felt it would have been a great surprise at the end. Also, there were some characters whom I won't name either, but I would have liked to hear what became of them.
Interesting book though.
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