The Quality of Mercy

This is a sequel to Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger which I read (and enjoyed) many years ago, but it could be read as a stand-alone book without too much difficulty.

It is 1767. Erasmus Kemp, a wealthy Liverpool merchant, has tracked down the seamen who mutinied against the captain of his father's slave ship, and has brought them back to London to stand trial. He blames them for the financial ruin of his father and his subsequent death, and has vowed to see them all hang. And Erasmus Kemp is not a man easily swayed from his word... But one of the seaman, an Irish fiddler by the name of Sullivan, has already escaped his clutches, walking out of Newgate in a farcical case of mistaken identity. Sullivan makes his way north towards Durham show more having made his own vow, to tell the family of his friend Billy Blair of his death in the wilds of Florida during the seamen's recapture. And there are others who would thwart Erasmus Kemp's ambition: Frederick Ashton, a determined anti-slavery campaigner, is determined to show that the men acted reasonably in defying a captain who had ordered them to throw the sick and dying slaves overboard. Ashton pursues another court case as well, that of a former slave Jeremy Evans, who had run away from his former master once on British soil and who had been living quietly in Chelsea for three years until discovered, kidnapped and placed on a ship bound for Jamaica. With this case Ashton seeks to establish that slavery is not permitted on British soil, and by seeking to forcibly recapture Jeremy, his previous owner had been acting illegally.

Meanwhile, in the Durham mining village of Thorpe, James Borden, the brother-in-law of Billy Blair, makes his living as a miner together with his two eldest sons. Only the youngest son Percy, not quite seven years of age, is still able to spend his days in play. But his childhood will soon end, for at seven boys go down the pit. And when Erasmus Kemp develops a business interests in the profitable Durham coalfield, as well as a romantic interest in the sister of Frederick Ashton, the strands of the story all start to come together...

This is a great historical novel which puts its subject in context, and delivers complex and well-rounded characters. Definitely recommended, but read Sacred Hunger first, which is even better. show less

Takes up the tale from Sacred Hunger, and I actually enjoyed this book more than its weighty prize-winning predecessor. It follows the Irish fiddler Sullivan to a coal mining village in the north of England, where the terrible conditions of the work, including child labour, and the lighter sides of community life are vividly told. Meanwhile, Erasmus Kemp continues to obsess over his status in the early industrial society and pursues a case for compensation for slaves lost in his trading empire. Amazingly, by the end of the book he has become a more rounded person. In general the various characters and their motivations are well nuanced and the resolution was hopeful but not misty-eyed. There were plenty of contrivances along the way, show more which could have been grating but in this case were carried off with Dickensian verve to keep the story humming along. show less

There was a lot I liked in this sequel to Sacred Hunger, but there were also aspects I didn't like. As the novel opens, the surviving crew members of the slave ship have been brought back to London in chains to await trial, the surviving Africans having been sold as slaves in Jamaica on the trip home from Florida. Erasmus Kent, son of the original ship owner, is seeking revenge and money: he wants to see the crew members hang and he wants the insurance company to reimburse him for the ship and the "cargo" (i.e., the enslaved Africans who were thrown overboard or died of "natural" causes). In the meantime, he has been approached by Lord Spenton, a coal mine owner from the north of England. for a loan, and is developing an interest in show more modernizing the mine operations himself. He is also becoming interested in the sister of a leading abolitionist lawyer.

At the same time, the reader learns that one of the imprisoned crew members, Sullivan the fiddler, has escaped and is heading north to keep his promise to let the family of Billy Blair know what happened to him. Coincidentally, the Blair family hails from the same town as the mine owner, and the reader is introduced to the Bordon family, all of whom work in the mine, except the youngest, seven-year-old Percy, who will start work there in the next year. The grim, back-breaking work of coal mining is presented in detail through the lives of the family (although not quite as horrifically as in Germinal or GB84).

I really enjoyed the story of Sullivan's journey north through England, and the lives of the Bordon men and boys, and what develops between one of them and Lord Spenton. For me, these were the strongest parts of the novel. I was less enamored of the story of Erasmus Kemp and the story of Frederick Ashton, the abolitionist lawyer, and his sister Jane, who returns Kemp's interest. These characters didn't come alive for me in the same way that Sullivan and the Bordons did, I had trouble believing the changes in Kemp's outlook on life, and I wanted to slap Jane for thinking she could change him. I found the look to the future at the end of the book a little abbreviated, and I think I would have preferred it if Unsworth had left the future a mystery.

While I had reservations about this book, I found it hard to put down, and I will definitely be reading more Unsworth. show less

A follow-up to "Sacred Hunger", I preferred this one. After Erasmus Kemp found the beached sailing vessel in Florida, he had the crew members sent back to England for trial of mutiny. Sullivan, the fiddler on the ship, has managed to escape prison and is heading to find the family of Billy Blair, his companion on the doomed ship. Meanwhile in London, Frederick Ashton and his sister, Jane, are abolitionists - Frederick much more than Jane.

Two trials are the result of the ship's disappearance. First, Erasmus Kemp is suing for the loss of property (the slaves aboard) which the insurance company would pay if the slaves were thrown overboard due to the fact there wasn't enough water to sustain the crew and cargo. If the slaves, however, are show more not considered property and are considered as human life, the crew would be guilty of murder. The cases has aroused much interest throughout the city. Does a slave become free if he is in England which prohibits slavery or is he still considered the property of his owner who brought him there.

Jane Ashton meets Erasmus through social circles and they become attracted to each other in spite of the differences in their positions on slavery.

The book is interesting, the characters believable, and the ending is perfect. Each character is required at some time to show or not show some quality of mercy.

The character of Sullivan is especially interesting as he eventually lands in coal mining country where the lives of the miners is so harsh. A young miner wins a handball contest much to the delight of the mine owner. Erasmus becomes involved in the mining industry. The plot is tightly intertwined yet very believable. Loved the book. show less

Disappointing. Loved every other Unsworth I've read, but this is a falling off from Sacred Hunger, to which it is a sequel. Still highly readable yarn and has some good moments, especially the Irish fiddler and life among the miners. Weak link is the pivotal character Kemp. Meant to be cold calculating capitalist, but is also superstitious (holding onto a brass button); falls madly in love (well just possible); is loved by an anti slaving Methodist (would she even look at him?); lets people off the hook at several crunch moments (inconsistent); and is treated almost as an equal by a nobleman (who'd be unlikely to deign to even talk to such a nouveau riche, after all even bankers are just "in trade"). Just too many oddities and show more misfittings to hold together. show less

The sequel to the Sacred Hunger. I am really not sure what I made of this book. The character of Erasmus appears to be softening in his opinions on capitalism though it is far from clear how far this will go. In general an ejoyable read and well written.

An excellent follow-up to Sacred Hunger, winner of the Booker prize, this book continues to examine the issue of slavery in England, and also sheds light on the life of coal miners in England. Intricately plotted.