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A review by ehays84
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
3.0
Hmm, this is an interesting one to review. There is a lot to like about it, but ultimately, I'd have to say it wasn't my style. What is really is is a very well done historical soap-opera. I love all of the historical details that the author does so well and the portrait of class differences among the people in a small area of Cornwall in the late 18th century, but I don't so much love the soap opera. This is really a character driven book, and while he does very well writing the characters, this just isn't enough for me.
The main thing left out is setting. I just never really got a clear picture of either Poldark house or really even a clear picture of where the key locations are compared to each other. The author should have done more to help me visualize his surroundings that he otherwise does so well to bring out.
I'm not going to go on about the soap opera bit. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I would have watched it first, but now that I've read this, I don't plan to watch it. And I really loved Downton and many other BBC period dramas, so maybe I can just deal with this sort of story better if I'm watching it with my wife than reading it in a long-ish book.
What got me interested in this in the first place is that I heard it was a well-written piece of historical fiction about 18th century England. Right up my street, and then I heard it was about someone who fought in the Revolutionary War--even better. But, seriously, the fact that he fought in the war matters NOT EVEN ONE LITTLE BIT. He could just have been traveling for a few years, or gone on business, or anything, because the only reason it mattered was that he wasn't there to marry Elizabeth (too late for spoiler alert). I just feel like the character driven plot pieces have almost 0 to do with the history of the time, which is a shame to me because there is so much to do there.
Not sad I read it, but not really my thing. Not planning to read any of the rest of the series, although I do still very much respect what the author created here.
The main thing left out is setting. I just never really got a clear picture of either Poldark house or really even a clear picture of where the key locations are compared to each other. The author should have done more to help me visualize his surroundings that he otherwise does so well to bring out.
I'm not going to go on about the soap opera bit. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I would have watched it first, but now that I've read this, I don't plan to watch it. And I really loved Downton and many other BBC period dramas, so maybe I can just deal with this sort of story better if I'm watching it with my wife than reading it in a long-ish book.
What got me interested in this in the first place is that I heard it was a well-written piece of historical fiction about 18th century England. Right up my street, and then I heard it was about someone who fought in the Revolutionary War--even better. But, seriously, the fact that he fought in the war matters NOT EVEN ONE LITTLE BIT. He could just have been traveling for a few years, or gone on business, or anything, because the only reason it mattered was that he wasn't there to marry Elizabeth (too late for spoiler alert). I just feel like the character driven plot pieces have almost 0 to do with the history of the time, which is a shame to me because there is so much to do there.
Not sad I read it, but not really my thing. Not planning to read any of the rest of the series, although I do still very much respect what the author created here.