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bookwyrmemma 's review for:
Sarum: The Novel of England
by Edward Rutherfurd
I love reading Edward Rutherfurd’s books about the history of various places around the world. It is interesting how he can incorporate real life people and events with the fictional characters he creates to help move along the narrative in a fun way. There must be an incredible amount of research taken place when he writes his stories. I admire his drive to get all the details right and his attention to detail because these stories span over centuries and keeping track of all the different characters and their descendants and ancestors is quite a task.
Rated: 4.0/5.0—Overall, I enjoyed reading this. I felt entertained but also informed about other aspects of England’s rich history that I never knew about before. Most of the time, we only hear about the larger areas such as London when learning about England’s history.
Things I Liked
-The sections about the ancient and medieval history are the ones I enjoyed reading most.
-The chapter on the Roman invasion and their integration with the pre-existing celtic/tribal people who lived there. I also really enjoyed the chapter about the construction of Stonehenge. I have always been fascinated by that structure in England and what possible reason it was built for, etc.
Things I Disliked
-In later chapters, the narrative felt dry when Rutherfurd was focusing on politics or got too in-depth with the facts about events rather than incorporating his original characters to help drive the storyline along. It was during these parts that I lost interest. This was especially true when we got to the Revolutionary War and later.
Official Summary: A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future.
Rated: 4.0/5.0—Overall, I enjoyed reading this. I felt entertained but also informed about other aspects of England’s rich history that I never knew about before. Most of the time, we only hear about the larger areas such as London when learning about England’s history.
Things I Liked
-The sections about the ancient and medieval history are the ones I enjoyed reading most.
-The chapter on the Roman invasion and their integration with the pre-existing celtic/tribal people who lived there. I also really enjoyed the chapter about the construction of Stonehenge. I have always been fascinated by that structure in England and what possible reason it was built for, etc.
Things I Disliked
-In later chapters, the narrative felt dry when Rutherfurd was focusing on politics or got too in-depth with the facts about events rather than incorporating his original characters to help drive the storyline along. It was during these parts that I lost interest. This was especially true when we got to the Revolutionary War and later.
Official Summary: A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future.