”The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock” by Imogen Hermes Gowar.
In anticipation of some new book by Sarah Waters, I reached for another novel set in the XVIII century. You could say that Imogen Hermes Gowar wrote to us about what Jane Austen could not write. Not only because writing about courtesans is not good, but I suppose that she did not know too much about their world. She could have portrayed Mr. Hancock very well - a widower who wants to achieve a higher social position, although he would not be able to answer the question why he would need it.
The action of "The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock" is rolling, at least at the beginning, in two ways. We meet Mr. Hancock, a lonely widower who invests money in ships and does various interests. He earns not bad, but his life is emptiness. Wife died during childbirth, child also, and Mr. Hancock was left alone. The house is run by his teenage niece, whom Mr. Hancock would like to treat as a daughter, but he does not know if he can trust her, because the girl is too dependent on her mother - prying and fool for money.
Angelica Neal does not live much better, although she would insist on getting so well. The 27 year-old, exclusive courtesan has just lost her permanent sponsor, the count who unfortunately said goodbye to life. Angelica has become accustomed to luxury, so she must find a new guardian. Time is not her ally, because she ends up with both money and youth. New pupils from Mrs. Chappell, an influential owner of a well-known brothel, admire Angelica's sophistication and self-confidence, but to tell the truth, her beauty is not inferior, and as soon as they acquire a little more splendor, they will pose a serious competition.
The fate of the two heroes should not intertwined. Mr. Hancock is not the kind of men who will went to the homes of debauchery, and Angelica is not interested in unattractive entrepreneurs who have money, but didn't have a good social connection. Everything goes head-on when the captain of one of Mr. Hancock's ships returns from the journey and announces that he has sold the ship and all the goods to buy Mr. Hancock a creature that no one has ever seen. Mermaid.
The mermaid is indeed ugly, dried and dead, but in the XVIII century London society was craving for entertainment. They were willing to pay to see the curiosum, so Mr. Hancock suddenly became truly rich. The mermaid aroused such interest that she finally got to the brothel. And following it, the thresholds of this place were also exceeded by Mr. Hancock.
The basic action of the novel begins precisely at this moment. Meeting Angelica and the owner of the mermaid will change both, and the title of the book indicates in which direction of their relationship will develop. However, as the publisher's note reads, a courtesan is as dangerous as a mermaid, and a straightforward Mr. Hancock can not deal with any of them.
Imogen Hermes Gowar did her homework very well and took care of faithful reproduction of the era, however, like Sarah Waters, she does not brag about her knowledge. She took care of realistic details, such as Angelica's hair curls made of a cut sermon, which were actually given to women of light morals, but she could keep moderation, so we do not have the impression that she praises her knowledge. With her novels, Waters combines "The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock" also openness to issues related to sex. We look at the heroes in the alcove, look at their erotic life, sit in closed rooms, with their own thoughts. The author is not interested in what is happening behind the walls of the houses of people who have a good appearance and position. She is interested in those who are fighting for their place and trying to break free from the world in which they were born - merchants, entrepreneurs, courtesans, servants. Gowar is keen to watch them in situations that Jane Austen would not say tactfully, for example when they badly need a potty. The London underworld is also a black servant or a girl whose mother was black and which is a peculiarity in a brothel.
The most interesting in this book are women, full of life, determined and ambitious. The author puts forward interesting questions, even about what was her real captivity for the heroes - the fate of the courtesan, who was at the mercy of the tights and often violent clients, or the situation of his wife, dependent on everything from her husband? Can love and prostitution go hand in hand? An attempt to tame the mermaid fished out of the sea can be a metaphor for the fate of heroines. The mermaid misleads all who will succumb to her temptation. Is that what Mr. Hancock is waiting for?
This book is great, although there are relatively few things happening in it. This is a solid historical novel, realistic despite the siren in it. In the XVIII century, there were men like Mr. Hancock who wanted to become gentlemen and believed that they could succeed. There were also such women as Angelica, courtesans who won the hearts of influential men, showed themselves in company and were true celebrities. I have happily spent several evenings with them and I will wait for the next book Imogen Hermes Gowar.