Edward RutherfurdLondon: The Novel

This book was recommended to me by someone who knew that I will be traveling to London. The public library said the book was out, so I ordered through Amazon. (When the library doesnt have a requested book in stock, thats a good sign that you have a good book!) Book arrived quickly and looks like a dictionary!. 800 pages, what did I get myself into? Disclaimer, I have only read 75 pages. However it has been a quick read, and I look forward to reading a chapter a day. This book is on the scale of a James Mitchener Novel, starting with how London was formed, attacked by Julius Caesar and built by the Romans as a Roman city. Each chapter progressing in time. Stories are personal, fictional but you get a real sense of the period and what the characters are going through. If your looking for a summer read, and you like historical fiction, start here.

Told through successive generations of a London family, this is a great way of bringing history alive. Edward Rutherford makes life in other eras contemporary and in beween the episodic stories lie some fascinating historical facts that affected everyday life in ways that one hadn't imagined. A really good read - miles from the stuffy historical documentary, palatable to all and an incentive to study and research deeper. Don't expect anything scholarly - that was clearly not the author's intention. He has succeeded admirably in capturing the general feel of each era that sets the background for his fictitious characters and retained general historical accuracy.

My dad suggested I read this book years ago when I was a teen. I did, and found it fascinating. Now I'm reading it again at midlife, and am happy to say it's still very interesting and well-written.I agree with many of the "one-star" reviewers of this book that the characters are very flat. I believe, though, that this is intentional. Even if not intentional, it works, because this book is not about the people in it. This book is about the city itself. The characters are simply a catalyst to get us from one historical period to the next. We aren't meant to have an actual interest in their personal lives, but occasionally we do, and that's a credit to the writer that he can make us care about people with whom we are involved on only a passing level. However, we never really have to say goodbye to the supporting cast, because they are incarnated through the development of the story as descendants of the same pivotal families.Some folks also complains that this is "history lite." They are correct. But this book is covering thousands of years, so how can it be anything but that? It's a really interesting way to present an overview of history. A summary, in fact, that hopefully will compel the reader to learn more about bits of it they find particularly interesting.Looking back on it from my reading of it now, to when Dad first proposed it, I find he was pretty smart. He got me interested in various topics--introduced to me via this book when I was young--that I have since explored in-depth over the years.

If you appreciate:- researched and thorough information;- well written, well-paced novels;- travelling through time or being absorbed by a good story;- learning about people, the evolution of civilization, the history of economic developmentI highly recommend "London: The Novel."The richness of the content supported by factual events and great characters make the reading of "London" as much a vacation read as a learning experience. This book was my first Rutherfurd read, and since I have read almost all his other books and referred them as well. Now my wish is he covers some cities or regions for my personal interest (say Paris or Montreal).Historical fiction, when in the hands of a solid author, is a fantastic way to learn about our past to understand the present. Rutherfurd has mastered the art of storytelling in a compelling and informative way. No doubt purists will say there are questionable areas on some facts, but history is not always about the actual day the event happened or if there was more or less rain during a storm; it is about providing context to help understand and build our own referential.

It’s a weighty tome but well worth the effort.

I learned a lot through the experiences of the fictional characters. It is along book but very engaging.

Estou relendo.A primeira vez foi há quase 20 anos em Português.Continua sendo muito bom. Estou na metade.

Informativ, sehr unterhaltsam, höchst interessante Verknüpfung der Schicksale von Familien aus verschiedenen Gesellschaftsschichten mit der Geschichte Großbritanniens von den angelsächsischen Anfängen bis in unsere Zeit. Einziger Nachteil: das Buch liegt in der Hand wie ein Ziegelstein. so schwer.

Pour qui aime les romans historiques basés sur des faites réels et précis, Edward Rutherfurd est un maître incontesté.