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A review by yuditk
Bella Poldark by Winston Graham
4.0
Wow! I cannot believe I finished the Poldark saga! It took me a little longer than I would have liked because not all of the books were readily available, but I have finally been able to finish.
While reading Bella Poldark, I went back and forth as to whether or not I would give it a four or five star rating. I finally decided on a four star rating. It wasn't that I didn't love this book, but there were sections that I did not find as engaging, and I felt that the end dragged a bit. For example, the portions that talked about Bella herself were not always of the most interest to me. Near the end Graham decides to give us a synopsis of Romeo and Juliet, which I found to be unnecessary. This was just one instance of some unnecessary details Graham gives us during Bella's storyline. I also did not feel as connected to Bella's character. Whenever I came to a passage about her I couldn't wait to get through them. There were so many other characters from previous novels (and even some of the newer ones in this book like Philip) that I was more interested in.
Like many people on here, I found the ape and the serial killer storylines to be a little too much. I enjoyed the suspense that came with the serial killer, but the conclusion of that plotline didn't sit well with me. And the portions with the ape were just too weird, I didn't really get the point. Also, for a book that I felt dragged a bit towards the end, the ending itself felt abrupt. Not only did I feel the Poldark's ending was unsatisfying, I was more upset with the non-existent ending for the Warleggans. After all this, we aren't given one final look into George and Harriet's home to hear their thoughts on it all?
I almost wish Graham had lived longer to make more! But I was happy to have a twelfth book written by him so late in life! Some people on Goodreads were suggesting that maybe Graham himself did not write this book, but I disagree. The minute details discussing previous novels and the writing style felt like Graham to me. The ape and serial killer maybe were more off the beaten trail for Graham, but like others suggested, he was known for writing thrillers, so the mystery may have been influenced by this.
I don't know if reading all twelve of the Poldark novels (or even one of them) is for everybody, but I found a lot of satisfaction in this series. I loved and hated and cried and screamed many times with the characters. This will be a series I will always remember. The characters are larger than life.
While reading Bella Poldark, I went back and forth as to whether or not I would give it a four or five star rating. I finally decided on a four star rating. It wasn't that I didn't love this book, but there were sections that I did not find as engaging, and I felt that the end dragged a bit. For example, the portions that talked about Bella herself were not always of the most interest to me. Near the end Graham decides to give us a synopsis of Romeo and Juliet, which I found to be unnecessary. This was just one instance of some unnecessary details Graham gives us during Bella's storyline. I also did not feel as connected to Bella's character. Whenever I came to a passage about her I couldn't wait to get through them. There were so many other characters from previous novels (and even some of the newer ones in this book like Philip) that I was more interested in.
Like many people on here, I found the ape and the serial killer storylines to be a little too much. I enjoyed the suspense that came with the serial killer, but the conclusion of that plotline didn't sit well with me. And the portions with the ape were just too weird, I didn't really get the point. Also, for a book that I felt dragged a bit towards the end, the ending itself felt abrupt. Not only did I feel the Poldark's ending was unsatisfying, I was more upset with the non-existent ending for the Warleggans. After all this, we aren't given one final look into George and Harriet's home to hear their thoughts on it all?
I almost wish Graham had lived longer to make more! But I was happy to have a twelfth book written by him so late in life! Some people on Goodreads were suggesting that maybe Graham himself did not write this book, but I disagree. The minute details discussing previous novels and the writing style felt like Graham to me. The ape and serial killer maybe were more off the beaten trail for Graham, but like others suggested, he was known for writing thrillers, so the mystery may have been influenced by this.
I don't know if reading all twelve of the Poldark novels (or even one of them) is for everybody, but I found a lot of satisfaction in this series. I loved and hated and cried and screamed many times with the characters. This will be a series I will always remember. The characters are larger than life.