Sacred Hunger: Difference between revisions
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==Plot introduction== |
==Plot introduction== |
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The novel begins in [[England]] during the [[Age of Enlightenment]] but long before the days of [[Darwin]] and the abolition of [[Slavery in England|slavery]]. Matthew Paris is the main character of the novel, a [[surgeon]] several years older than his cousin Erasmus. Prior to the beginning of the story Paris had been imprisoned for writings that clashed with [[Christianity|Christian beliefs]]. Wishing to escape his past, he accepts a position as surgeon on the ''Liverpool Merchant'', a slave ship owned by his uncle William Kemp. His son Erasmus Kemp, a young man in his early twenties, has a long standing hatred for his cousin dating back to his younger years. He participates in a [[play]] initially, and is enamored Sarah Wolpert, the daughter of a friend of his father. The ship's crew is made up of men available at the time around the [[Liverpool]] docks, and many are recruited by blackmail and deception. As the ship sets off toward African continent to collect its cargo, it becomes clear that Paris and the ship's captain, Saul Thurso, have very different world views. |
The novel begins in [[England]] during the [[Age of Enlightenment]] but long before the days of [[Darwin]] and the abolition of [[Slavery in England|slavery]]. Matthew Paris is the main character of the novel, a [[surgeon]] several years older than his cousin Erasmus. Prior to the beginning of the story Paris had been imprisoned for writings that clashed with [[Christianity|Christian beliefs]]. Wishing to escape his past, he accepts a position as surgeon on the ''Liverpool Merchant'', a slave ship owned by his uncle William Kemp. His son Erasmus Kemp, a young man in his early twenties, has a long standing hatred for his cousin dating back to his younger years. He participates in a [[play]] initially, and is enamored with Sarah Wolpert, the daughter of a friend of his father. The ship's crew is made up of men available at the time around the [[Liverpool]] docks, and many are recruited by blackmail and deception. As the ship sets off toward African continent to collect its cargo, it becomes clear that Paris and the ship's captain, Saul Thurso, have very different world views. |
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Revision as of 11:27, 29 August 2007
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Barry Unsworth |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
Publication date | 27 February 1992 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 640 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-241-13003-4 (first edition, hardback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | Sugar and Rum |
| Followed by | Morality Play |
Sacred Hunger is a historical novel by Barry Unsworth first published in 1992. It was joint winner of the Booker Prize that year, sharing the position with Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient.
The story is set in the mid 18th century and centers around the Liverpool Merchant, a slave ship employed in the triangular trade. The two major characters are cousins Erasmus Kemp, son of a wealthy merchant from Lancashire, and Matthew Paris, a surgeon who goes on the voyage. The novel's central theme is greed, with the subject of slavery being a primary medium for exploring the issue.
Plot introduction
The novel begins in England during the Age of Enlightenment but long before the days of Darwin and the abolition of slavery. Matthew Paris is the main character of the novel, a surgeon several years older than his cousin Erasmus. Prior to the beginning of the story Paris had been imprisoned for writings that clashed with Christian beliefs. Wishing to escape his past, he accepts a position as surgeon on the Liverpool Merchant, a slave ship owned by his uncle William Kemp. His son Erasmus Kemp, a young man in his early twenties, has a long standing hatred for his cousin dating back to his younger years. He participates in a play initially, and is enamored with Sarah Wolpert, the daughter of a friend of his father. The ship's crew is made up of men available at the time around the Liverpool docks, and many are recruited by blackmail and deception. As the ship sets off toward African continent to collect its cargo, it becomes clear that Paris and the ship's captain, Saul Thurso, have very different world views.
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