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The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock

The spellbinding Sunday Times bestselling historical fiction phenomenon

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The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock

By: Imogen Hermes Gowar
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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Summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar, read by Juliet Stevenson.

This voyage is special. It will change everything…

One September evening in 1785, the merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his front door. One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step. He has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid.

As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, everyone wants to see Mr Hancock’s marvel. Its arrival spins him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on… and a courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course, on which they will learn that priceless things come at the greatest cost.

What will be the cost of their ambitions? And will they be able to escape the destructive power mermaids are said to possess?

In this spell-binding story of curiosity and obsession, Imogen Hermes Gowar has created an unforgettable jewel of a novel, filled to the brim with intelligence, heart and wit.

‘A cracking historical novel... The story is by turns intriguing, touching, funny, sad and heartwarming. It will make you laugh and it may make you cry.... The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is superb.’ – The Times

‘A marvellous, high-energy, inventive romp through Georgian society. Rich in delicious period detail and written with a wickedly observant eye, the path of this unlikely romance leads down some unexpected byways to give a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable reading treat.’ – Daily Mail

Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Sea Adventures Heartfelt Adventure Magic Mind-bending Feel-Good Merfolk

Critic reviews

A cracking historical novel – with a twinge of the surreal – about passion and obsession, dreams and reality... The story is by turns intriguing, touching, funny, sad and heartwarming. It will make you laugh and it may make you cry. Mostly, though, the cast of endlessly engaging characters will keep you turning the pages until you get to the wholly satisfying ending... The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is superb.
From the first page of this dazzling debut novel, you are pitched into a sumptuously detailed adventure set in the bustle and swagger of 18th century London… The result is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel, its brilliantly drawn characters driven by heady and dangerous desires.*****
Roll up, roll up, a true wonder is on display: a mermaid magicked out of words. The author of this debut set in Georgian London gulled me, by the zest of her writing and sustained authorial slight of hand, into forgetting for a second that they do not exist... Imogen Hermes Gowar delights in the feminine fakery of mermaids, but as a writer she is the real deal. (Hermione Eyre, author of Viper Wine)
A sumptuous historical novel... It was an absolute pleasure to lose myself in this beautifully written Georgian adventure
Hotly anticipated... a bold, sumptuous doorstopper... Gowar has created a dazzlingly original novel, full of heady pleasures and shot through with the kind of irreverent humour you might expect to find in Georgian London. She’s succeeded in creating a fully-realised world that you want to get lost in. But what’s most refreshing is that she gives all the best lines to women.
A marvellous, high-energy, inventive romp through Georgian society. Rich in delicious period detail and written with a wickedly observant eye, the path of this unlikely romance leads down some unexpected byways to give a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable reading treat.
Historical fiction at its finest… Early as it is in the year to be predicting Booker nominations, if debuts feature as prominently as they did on last year’s longlist, this will surely merit consideration.
The bustling, bawdy world of 18th-century London [is] expertly evoked in Imogen Hermes Gowar’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. This is undoubtedly the start of a major career for this young writer.
Beautifully written...As seductive as any siren's song, this remarkable, glittering Georgian tale has a heart of purest gold.
Like the recent historical-fiction hits Franics Spufford’s Golden Hill, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent and Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist, this is a novel pungent in historical detail
All stars
Most relevant
Juliet Stevenson is a superb narrator - she really lifts the characters and story. The plot is brilliant simply in being something so different and luxurious for luxury's sake. A long listen, but joy from beginning to end.

stunning narration and rich story

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I often choose a book just because the title fascinates me, as I did with this one, and I'm so glad! You know that moment when the story finishes and you feel bereft? This is one of those.

Unexpectedly delughtful!

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Where the author should have focused her efforts on plot clarity and three dimensional characters she has, to my mind unfortunately, "gone for it" with gratuitous sexy talk, more cringeworthy than titillating, and overwritten 'poetic' sequences that attempt metaphysical profundity, but verge on parody, with no clear connection to the story, other than the assumption they are the ramblings a disembodied mermaid.

The only message I've extracted from this after much mental exertion is that love is luck, and being 'mermaid' like in the sea of passion only gets you so far when beached on the shores of reality. Or, to put it another way, regency sexworkers were safer in their brothels than trying to achieve independence unless, siren like, they entice a man of means to support them. Either a bleak message or an irrelevant one for today's reader.

I enjoyed elements of the dialogue, and Juliet Stevenson's narration is the main reason I listen all the way through.

Good performance, but the text needs a good edit.

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Would you listen to The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock again? Why?

Yes, it is a good story with interesting and believable characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock?

When the Mermaid in the grotto is affecting the household, it was very realistic.

Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favourite?

Belle.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile: a combination of both, which is a good thing.

Any additional comments?

The story carries you along into 18th century London with all the historical value of ordinary life in that period, I found it interesting from that pre-Dickensian era, and all the characters were engaging. I especially liked the descriptions of the Abbess's footmen, they sounded so elegant, picking their way amongst the rabble of London. Juliet Stephenson has a clarity of voice and a talent for making each character believably different. The story was well written and had a plausible ending. I enjoyed every character very much.

Well characterised and engaging

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Its a great yarn - and on the whole I really enjoyed it, but the end just seemed to fizzle out to nothing...and was rather disappointing.

What did you like best about this story?

The scene setting, the historical time. The characters and the poetic interludes. You really felt the power of the mystical Mermaid from the sea!

Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favourite?

As always Juliet Stevenson's performance was brilliant. I now search for books in Audible based on her narration as know I will not be disappointed.

Seemed to fizzle out at the end.....

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