The Mermaid and Mrs. HancockThe Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
Score Modern
What it's about
One September evening in 1785, London merchant Jonah Hancock learns his ship's captain has sold the vessel for something rare and precious: a mermaid.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It evokes the bustling, bawdy world of 18th-century London.
You'll love it if you liked
Fingersmith
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's DaughterGood to know
It's historical fiction.
By the numbers
- Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #244 of the 246 romances we rank
- #490 of the 504 fantasy books we rank
- #1618 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #3013 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It ranks #3,013 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock about?
One September evening in 1785, London merchant Jonah Hancock learns his ship's captain has sold the vessel for something rare and precious: a mermaid.
How long does it take to read The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock?
About 13 hours (502 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock?
If you liked it, try Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke or The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss.