The Forest

Something about this book, as opposed to "Sarum" "London" "Russka" and "Princes of Ireland" was so compelling in its tale and it characters, I made a 5 day trip to the U.K. and visited Bath-Sarum-Amesbury-Lyndhurst. The village of Lyndhurst is still just that, a village. And the Forest, the ponies and the ancient Abbey of Beulieu were stunning. You can walk for miles through the New Forest and not see anyone. As one of the characters in the book said "it just feels ancient". And it does. There are tiny and lovely B & B's all up and down the road right across from the Forest and compared to London are quite inexpensive. Nicer too. At times you sit under the huge tree at the entrance (also the road to the Abbey) which sits on top of a hill and just gaze out on the tree tops. You think about the book and you realize that what is missing are all the characters. As if you mourn for those long gone. It feels as if the Forest misses them as well.

A novel that spans a period of 1000 years in a small region of England? The premise sounded original and I was willing to rely on my love of history carrying me through. And you know what? I got more that I expected out of this book.Having not read any other titles by Rutherfurd, I had no previous experience of his style and though curiosity led me at first, I was soon hooked. Following the fortunes of six families through the years, most notably the Albions, Rutherfurd not only relates a series of great stories, he also tells the history and politics of England's New Forest, and the life of its deer and famous oaks.The characterisation is strong, both heros and heroines are well drawn, from the Norman noblewoman Adela de la Roche to the mysterious Puckle and his many equally mysterious descendents.All in all, a pretty damn good book. The chapter 'Albion Park' left me with a craving for Jane Austen again and as a whole leaving me with a strong inclination to read some more of Edward Rutherfurd's work some time soon.

The Forest is a rich, vivid historical read ~~ with fiction intertwined with history of England's most lush forest. If you are a history buff, this book is a good read. It seems long but unlike "London", this book didn't drag in some places. Keeping track of the families were easier this time for some reason. Maybe it's because after reading all of his books, you tend to get an idea of how he writes.In my opinion, Rutherford gets better with every book, though "Russka" is still my favorite Rutherford book. Rutherford goes out of his way to find the little historical facts as well as the well-known ones. The characters are vividly drawn in their periods of time. The scenery is terrific ~~ the whole time I was reading this, it was below zero outside and all I could think of was hiding in the woods in the middle of summer to feel the breeze going through the treetops. If you are looking for a long read during these cold winter nights, this book is a great bet. Just grab your glass of wine, a blanket and light the logs in your fireplace and settle down for a nice winter read. It's worth it.

Well, Edward Rutherfurd has done it again! Somehow, he is able to take an area of land and give us a history lesson about it--without boring us to death. He also has an incredible talent for covering a large span of time, yet he is still able to be detailed in his telling and make us care about his characters. "The Forest" is no exception. He teaches us English history while giving us stories that intertwine throughout the timeline. We learn the background of both obscure and well-known relics, and are shown ways that people earned their surnames. One of the things I really appreciate about this author is that he's realistic--sometimes the good guys don't win, and every once in a while, a bad guy gets away with an evil deed. Be sure though, that in Rutherfurd's books, the ancestors will pay! If you liked "Sarum" and "London," be sure that you won't be disappointed with this one. I don't often buy hardback books, but I was confident that Edward Rutherfurd wouldn't let me down, and he didn't.