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smurf2416's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book suffered in the same way the TV show suffers. Two main ways.
1. The conflict is not necessarily lacking, but it is a little on the boring side.
2. By far the biggest one. Demelza is so far above every other character in this book. Verity is a very distant second. After those two, the rest of the characters fall a little flat (or very flat for some) in my opinion. Demelza is a fantastic character though. Any and every scene with her in it moved the book along at a much nicer pace.
1. The conflict is not necessarily lacking, but it is a little on the boring side.
2. By far the biggest one. Demelza is so far above every other character in this book. Verity is a very distant second. After those two, the rest of the characters fall a little flat (or very flat for some) in my opinion. Demelza is a fantastic character though. Any and every scene with her in it moved the book along at a much nicer pace.
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall after fighting in America to discover that his father has died, his house is in disrepair, and his first love, Elizabeth, is engaged to his cousin. Feeling forlorn, he hides himself away at Nampara and prepares to open his mine Wheal Leisure. Shortly after arriving home, he saves a young woman named Demelza and brings her home as his kitchen maid.
I've been a fan of Masterpiece's Poldark TV series on PBS for a couple of years now but I'm really glad that I finally started reading the book series (and that I have a couple more in my queue that I will read soon!) While the show moves quite fast, I loved the slow-burn of Ross & Demelza's relationship in the book - they way they slowly come to realize and acknowledge their love for one another. There isn't actually a lot of dialogue in the book but I never felt bogged down with the narration. The characters are delightful as is the way Winston Graham delves into their thoughts and emotions throughout the story. I will definitely be reading more of the Poldark books!
I've been a fan of Masterpiece's Poldark TV series on PBS for a couple of years now but I'm really glad that I finally started reading the book series (and that I have a couple more in my queue that I will read soon!) While the show moves quite fast, I loved the slow-burn of Ross & Demelza's relationship in the book - they way they slowly come to realize and acknowledge their love for one another. There isn't actually a lot of dialogue in the book but I never felt bogged down with the narration. The characters are delightful as is the way Winston Graham delves into their thoughts and emotions throughout the story. I will definitely be reading more of the Poldark books!
nix_jinx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's not bad or badly written. I was just so bored for long stretches.
debs4jc's review against another edition
5.0
I love historical fiction. I also apparently have a weakness for soap opera type stories. This book combines both brilliantly. On the historical side I got many glimpses into the lives of people living in Cornwall, England during the late 1700s. It's not always pretty - children are abused, woman are harassed, miners die early deaths due to horrible working conditions and gentleman engage in bloody cockfights. On the soap opera side you have our main character - Ross Poldark - who returns home from fighting in America (our revolutionary war). His first night home he visits the home of his cousin Francis to find that his entire extended family is gathered there for a celebratory dinner. His lady love, Elizabeth, is there as well and then he finds out that the dinner is to celebrate her engagement to his cousin! Shocked and betrayed he returns to his family estate, only to find it in shambles after the death of his father. Ross is not one to lie low and lick his wound however, he gets to work fixing up his estate, schemes to open a copper mining venture, and rescues a young lady (a 11-12 year old girl) from an abusive father and sets her up as a housemaid. There are many juicy side stories alongside the main thread of Ross's strained relationship with his family members and his efforts to get over his love for Elizabeth. Ross lives by his own moral code - one that does not see upper class people as better than lower class people. This puts him at odds with many of the members of "his class". And he is not without his own moral flaws. But on the whole this rambling story is full of great drama, and the descriptions of the countryside and way of life at that time are top notch.
Also I listened to the audiobook version, and that added another layer of delight, as Oliver Hembrough does an excellent job with the Cornish dialect and the narration in general. Indeed, I would say it's one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened too.
Also I listened to the audiobook version, and that added another layer of delight, as Oliver Hembrough does an excellent job with the Cornish dialect and the narration in general. Indeed, I would say it's one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened too.
laculbute's review against another edition
4.0
Because I am a sucker for a) historical fiction, b) light romance, and c) stubborn, headstrong characters, of COURSE I was going to read and enjoy this. Please pick this up and amuse yourself every time Ross says something out of turn and makes his own life harder. Please also take the new-ish BBC series with a grain of salt when comparing.
teklagyorgy's review against another edition
4.0
Összességében szerettem ezt a könyvet. Még akkor is, ha a viszonyom furcsa volt vele, és tulajdonképpen még mindig nem tudok rájönni ennek az okára. A stílus és a cselekmény is biztosan befolyásolt. Viszont ettől függetlenül mégis tetszett, mert az 1780-as évekbe kalauzol el, ráadásul egy elég eldugott angol vidékre, ahol például a Bridgerton családdal ellentétben nincs pezsgő társasági élet, de még a kor legmodernebb vívmányai sem állnak rendelkezésre.
Kicsit talán a Stonerhez tudnám hasonlítani: az életről szól, semmi eget rengetően izgalmas, de valahogy mégis kíváncsivá tesz, hogy mi történik a karakterekkel. Nem utolsó sorban Ross karaktere a maga higgadt, aszociális módján mégis lázad a társadalmi szabályok ellen. A pletykákra pedig fütyül amellett, hogy pontosan megjegyzi mindenki áskálódását (big Scorpio energy). Aki kedveli a kicsit lassabb regényeket, annak valószínűleg tetszeni fog, aki a letehetetlenül izgalmas és akciódús könyveket preferálja, annak nem biztos, hogy telitalálat lehet a Ross Poldark.
Bővebben: https://www.gyorgytekla.hu/2022/01/winston-graham-ross-poldark-a-poldark-csalad-1/
Kicsit talán a Stonerhez tudnám hasonlítani: az életről szól, semmi eget rengetően izgalmas, de valahogy mégis kíváncsivá tesz, hogy mi történik a karakterekkel. Nem utolsó sorban Ross karaktere a maga higgadt, aszociális módján mégis lázad a társadalmi szabályok ellen. A pletykákra pedig fütyül amellett, hogy pontosan megjegyzi mindenki áskálódását (big Scorpio energy). Aki kedveli a kicsit lassabb regényeket, annak valószínűleg tetszeni fog, aki a letehetetlenül izgalmas és akciódús könyveket preferálja, annak nem biztos, hogy telitalálat lehet a Ross Poldark.
Bővebben: https://www.gyorgytekla.hu/2022/01/winston-graham-ross-poldark-a-poldark-csalad-1/
nicholeb84's review against another edition
4.0
The first in a long series of novels.
The Good:
- I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the novel. It felt like the time period, without being too heavy.
- The characters - at least the ones we spent the most time with - were people I liked quite a bit. I thought people like Ross and Demelza and the rest of their household and friends.
- I love the relationship between Ross and Demelza.
The Bad:
- I didn't care for the pacing.
The Random:
- Why does Ross still have some feelings for Elizabeth four years on? I found her an awfully dull character.
The Good:
- I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the novel. It felt like the time period, without being too heavy.
- The characters - at least the ones we spent the most time with - were people I liked quite a bit. I thought people like Ross and Demelza and the rest of their household and friends.
- I love the relationship between Ross and Demelza.
The Bad:
- I didn't care for the pacing.
The Random:
- Why does Ross still have some feelings for Elizabeth four years on? I found her an awfully dull character.
viciousfoxglove's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
izzyclouty's review against another edition
3.0
Easy enough read. Some old fashioned passages but a lot of good characters