Applying objective standards, I judge "Slammerkin" to be a very well-written book with an imaginative plot and interesting historical detail. What bothered me is my completely subjective and very negative response to the almost unrelenting downward spiral that the life of the main character followed. I don't believe that a novel has to be all sweetness and light, or have a "happy ending," but I had to put "Slammerkin" aside before the end because I couldn't take anymore sadness and dashed hopes. I am puzzled as to why Emma Donoghue made the choices she did with respect to the way Mary Saunders's life plays out. Did she want to communicate to us that life was nasty, brutish and short for the poor and those cast out of their families in 18th century England? I think that most people are aware of that fact. Did she wish to tell us that the misfortunes that befall us damage us so completely that we are fated to act in ways that ensure that they will be repeated until we're no longer alive? In any event, Mary's story was way too depressing for me to contemplate over the course of 400 (or was it more?) pages. One last note, despite what several of the other reader reviews have reported, there really isn't very much sex in "Slammerkin" and what there is certainly isn't erotic.

I saw this book on several Listmania's, and still wasn't very interested in it. But on a whim, I added it to my wishlist and checked it out of my library. Well.
Mary Saunders owns nothing of any color- and therefore lusts after a bright, shining ribbon she sees woven through a whore's silvery hair. Her lust causes her to trade sex for such a ribbon, and when her mother discovers Mary is pregnant, she throws Mary out of the house. Rescued by the same whore (named Doll) whose ribbon led Mary to do what she has, Mary is taught the ways of prostitution. It is only when Doll dies during a very cold winter that Mary decides to venture to Monmoth, her parent's hometown. There she becomes a seamstress, but her troubles follow her, leaving her to do the unthinkable.
The only problem I had with the story was its slight cliche. The author, Emma Donoghue, based the story on a few facts about the real Mary Saunders, and bascially had to think up the rest of the story. I found it cliche how Doll dies- it seems in many books, movies and such the mentor that teaches ends up dying in some way. I thought Donoghue did not nessessarily have to get rid of Doll, but thinking again, maybe she did to give Mary an excuse to go to Monmouth.
Overall, it was a good book and a very interesting bit of historical fiction.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. As an academic specializing in Regency period literature, I find Donoghue's descriptions of 19th century London flawless and her storytelling ability top notch. This is a unique story of a poor, young woman navigating through London and its environs, utilizing all the opportunities (or lack thereof) offered to someone of her class. In the end, you will wonder if she is truly responsible for the choices she has made. This would make an excellent book group choice.

I thought that this book was really great. When I thought that nothing else bad could happen to Mary it did. At the begining of the book I was a little shocked as to how graphic it got but it showed the reality to things in those days. I really enjoyed this book very much. Many people didn't like the graphic nature of it but I found it very interesting and a page turner! AMAZING!

I finished reading this book a couple of days ago and it is still sticking with me. I guess I'm not finished with this subject because there are some things about this book that just don't make sense to me.

The book cover is of course regrettable. The picture of a lustful young woman makes anyone unacquainted with the story think it is a romance or, from the picture and title, some kind of porn. I was careful not to let too many people see it when I was reading it, because I didn't want them to think I would read either kind of tripe.

This novel was unrelentingly depressing. I could forgive it for that, if the actions of the characters made sense. The insights we get of Mary from her thoughts show her to basically be the unnatural 'monster' they see her as at the end of the novel after she murders her mistress.

In her mind she regrets a few times that she has never felt any passion even though she has had sex with so many men as a prostitute. When she finally feels some passion for her fiance Daffy and is disappointed in the resulting sexual encounter, she suddenly understands all the logical ways in which they are incompatible and breaks off the engagement cold. She might have been reacting to the lack of passion, but the reasons she comes up with are spot on and one wonders why she didn't think of them before since she was never planning to marry for love? When she actually has an orgasm when her master takes advantage of her offer of herself against the outside tavern wall, the subject of passion is never brought up again. Surely a character so concerned by the lack of passion would ruminate upon its arrival?

The girl was a prostitute in London and takes it up again in her new location. Almost all the members of her household in Monmouth learn of this, and those who don't know she is up to something wrong, but no one brings it up to anyone else and the master does not fire her and send her packing. They are certainly all at fault for letting things go on and the resulting murder in their midst, yet none of them seem to feel any culpability or guilt. I can't help feeling they are all to blame for what happened and that Mary should have been held accountable for her actions long before they came to their terrible climax.

The book has its redeeming characteristics but all in all I found it to be lacking cohesion and sense within its own world view.