Reading and Contemplating
I just recently read the novel “Execution Dock” by Anne Perry. I am a huge fan of Victorian History, and she definitely is great at describing the period and the atmosphere of London at the turn of the century. The characters come alive, and you do get the sense of the depravity, and of the poverty encountered in the slums then.
The first chapter opens with an exciting chase scene; however I found I did get a bit restless when reading the chapters of the court case. Though I must admit, it could be my state of mind at the moment, as I am a bit distracted. The theme of the novel was quite heavy, and as usual I found myself contemplating life’s miseries, as I find I frequently do, and I have always been curious about whether the poor of London ever found some kind o f happiness, or was life just filled with misery, and tragedy.
I understand this is fiction, but I believe it is also based on fact, and history. The problems then still exist to this day, and I find some times the state of the world a bit dismal. Even then, it paid to have a really good lawyer, and I guess even though I was restless during the trial scenes, I came to understand how devious and clever a good lawyer can be. It showed how easily evidence, or lack of, can be twisted to discredit good people.
Of course the heroes Inspector Monk and his wife Hester rally together, and find a way to put a stop to the evil Jericho Phillips, and his disturbing child sex slave trade.
I enjoyed the history of the novel, but the theme of the crime I found obviously disturbing; but what I really got out of the book, was the enormous research put into it, and this revved up my own research curiosity, as I would love to know more about the Mud Larks, and their survival. Could you imagine, children at the age of five, trying to earn a living, wading in sewers, and the dirty Thames bare foot. Unreal! And absolutely heart-breaking, it is stories like this that make me think how easy my own life is, and wonder about what I call the see-saw of life, and why some people have so much now, or then, and why others lived such a tragic life, like that of the character Fig.
