Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

Oh, friends. Let me tell you about a book that’s got me absolutely buzzing. Sarah Perry’s “Enlightenment” is like… you know when you look up at the night sky and suddenly feel both impossibly small and part of something vast and wondrous? That’s this book. It’s a story that’ll make you ponder the mysteries of the cosmos and the human heart in equal measure. And guess what? It’s just been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024. Not too shabby, eh?

Now, I’ll admit, I approached this one with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Perry’s previous novels (“The Essex Serpent,” “Melmoth”) left me utterly spellbound, but could she pull off the same magic with a tale of astronomy and small-town life? Turns out, I needn’t have worried. “Enlightenment” is a tour de force, a novel that manages to be both intimate and expansive, earthbound and celestial.

A Constellation of Characters

At the heart of Enlightenment by Sarah Perry are Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay, two souls adrift in the sleepy Essex town of Aldleigh. Thomas is a middle-aged writer, torn between his Baptist faith and his yearning for… well, something more. Grace is a teenager, all fire and curiosity, chafing against the constraints of her religious upbringing. Their unlikely friendship forms the gravitational center around which the rest of the novel orbits.

Perry has a knack for creating characters that feel startlingly alive. Thomas, with his careful manners and hidden passions, practically leaps off the page. I found myself alternately wanting to shake him and give him a hug. And Grace? Oh, Grace. She’s a force of nature, full of contradictions and burning questions. Her journey from rebellious teen to complex adult is beautifully rendered.

Then there’s James Bower, the charming museum curator who sets Thomas’s world spinning. Their tentative romance is handled with such delicacy and warmth. It’s a joy to watch Thomas slowly, cautiously open himself up to the possibility of love. And Nathan, the boy who captures Grace’s heart and imagination? He’s like a comet, brilliant and fleeting, leaving Grace forever changed in his wake.

But the character who truly captured my imagination is Maria Văduva, the mysterious 19th-century astronomer whose ghost (literal or metaphorical, you decide) haunts the edges of the story. Her presence infuses the novel with a sense of scientific wonder and feminist rage that feels incredibly timely.

A Tapestry of Time and Space

In Enlightenment, Sarah Perry weaves her tale across two decades, from 1997 to 2017, and the structure is nothing short of masterful. We bounce between time periods, watching as Thomas and Grace’s lives intersect, diverge, and come crashing back together. It’s like watching a complex dance, or maybe the movement of planets across the night sky.

The way Perry handles time is… well, it’s kind of mind-bending. There’s a fluidity to it, a sense that past, present, and future are all happening simultaneously. It’s disorienting at first, but once you surrender to the rhythm, it’s utterly captivating. I found myself flipping back and forth, connecting dots and having little “aha!” moments as the pieces fell into place.

And can we talk about the setting for a moment? Aldleigh feels so vividly real I half expected to find it on a map. Perry has this incredible ability to bring a place to life through tiny, perfect details. The musty smell of the local museum, the creaking pews of the Baptist chapel, the way moonlight hits the river on a clear night—it’s all so richly evoked you can practically taste it.

Science and Faith: A Cosmic Dance

At its core, Enlightenment by Sarah Perry is grappling with some pretty hefty themes. The tension between scientific inquiry and religious faith. The nature of love and desire. The way our pasts shape our presents. It’s heady stuff, but Perry never lets it become ponderous or preachy.

The astronomical elements are fascinating, providing a cosmic backdrop to the very human drama unfolding below. I’ll admit, some of the more technical bits had me a bit lost (turns out I’m not cut out to be an astrophysicist), but Perry has a gift for making complex ideas accessible. The way she describes celestial phenomena often left me breathless.

But it’s the exploration of faith that really got under my skin. As someone who’s had their own struggles with religion, I found the portrayal of Thomas and Grace’s spiritual journeys deeply moving. Perry doesn’t offer easy answers, instead presenting faith as something complex, personal, and ever-evolving.

A Prose Style That Sparkles

Look, I could go on for ages about Perry’s writing. It’s just… it’s exquisite, okay? There’s a lyrical quality to her prose that had me re-reading passages just for the sheer pleasure of it. She has this knack for finding the perfect, unexpected word or phrase that makes you see something familiar in an entirely new light.

Take this bit, describing a moment when Thomas is stargazing:

“From east to west it was a featureless dark canopy, save for a pale place where the low cloud, startled by the rising moon, was dispersing into shining fragments. It seemed to Thomas he was looking up into a sea in which a silver shoal of herring swam; and after a time, when the cloud was gone, he raised his binoculars, and looked again.”

I mean, come on. That’s the kind of writing that makes you want to grab the nearest person and say, “Listen to this!”

But it’s not all lofty poeticism. Perry can do earthy humor and sharp dialogue with equal skill. There are moments of genuine laugh-out-loud funny nestled alongside the more contemplative passages. It’s a balancing act that few writers can pull off, but Perry makes it look effortless.

A Few Minor Quibbles (Because Nothing’s Perfect, Right?)

Okay, I’ll admit it—I’m gushing. But in the interest of a balanced review, I should probably mention a couple of tiny nitpicks. The pacing in the middle section drags ever so slightly. There were a few moments where I found myself wishing things would move along a bit faster. And occasionally, the astronomical metaphors start to feel a tad overwrought. But honestly? These are such minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things.

The Legacy of “The Essex Serpent”

It’s impossible to talk about “Enlightenment” without mentioning Sarah Perry’s breakout hit, “The Essex Serpent.” Both novels share a sense of place (that moody Essex landscape) and an interest in the intersection of science and faith. But where “The Essex Serpent” had a Gothic, almost mythic quality, “Enlightenment” feels more grounded in the real world (even as it reaches for the stars).

If you loved “The Essex Serpent,” you’ll find plenty to adore here. But “Enlightenment” is very much its own beast. It showcases Perry’s growth as a writer, tackling even bigger ideas with even more nuance and skill.

A Novel That Lingers

I finished “Enlightenment” over a week ago, and I’m still turning it over in my mind. It’s the kind of book that gets under your skin, that makes you look at the world a little differently. I find myself gazing up at the night sky with new wonder, thinking about the vastness of the universe and the miraculous unlikelihood of human connection.

It’s a novel about big ideas—faith, science, love, identity—but it never loses sight of the very human hearts at its center. Thomas and Grace’s journey will stay with me for a long, long time.

The Booker Prize Nod

Let’s circle back to that Booker Prize 2024 longlist, shall we? It’s a well-deserved honor, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see “Enlightenment” make the shortlist. It’s exactly the kind of ambitious, beautifully crafted novel that the Booker tends to favor.

But more than that, I think it’s a sign that Perry has truly arrived as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature. This is a writer operating at the height of her powers, pushing the boundaries of what the novel can do.

Final Thoughts: Reach for the Stars

So, should you read Enlightenment by Sarah Perry? Absolutely, unequivocally yes. It’s a book that rewards close reading and multiple visits. I’ve already ordered a hardcover copy to sit alongside my well-worn paperbacks of Perry’s other works.

It’s not always an easy read. Perry demands your full attention and engagement. But trust me, it’s worth the effort. This is a novel that will make you think, feel, and maybe—just maybe—see the world with new eyes.

“Enlightenment” is a testament to the power of human connection, the wonder of scientific discovery, and the endless mystery of the universe. It’s a book that will leave you starry-eyed and full of questions. And really, isn’t that what great literature is supposed to do?