Sarum: Part 2 of 3

by Edward Rutherfurd

A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapesty weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future.


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Audio Cassette

Published December 1, 1998

About the author

Francis Edward Wintle, best known under his pen name Edward Rutherfurd, was born in the cathedral city of Salisbury. Educated locally, and at the universities of Cambridge, and Stanford, California, he worked in political research, bookselling and publishing. After numerous attempts to write books and plays, he finally abandoned his career in the book trade in 1983, and returned to his childhood home to write SARUM, a historical novel with a ten-thousand year story, set in the area around the ancient monument of Stonehenge, and Salisbury. Four years later, when the book was published, it became an instant international bestseller, remaining 23 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. Since then he has written five more bestsellers: RUSSKA, a novel of Russia; LONDON; THE FOREST, set in England's New Forest which lies close by Sarum, and two novels which cover the story of Ireland from the time just before Saint Patrick to the twentieth century. His books have been translated into twenty languages.

Edward has lived in London, New York, New Hampshire and Ireland. He currently divides his time between New England and Europe. He has two children.

Edward Rutherfurd is a Life Member of the Friends of Salisbury Cathedral, the Salisbury Civic Society, and the Friends of Chawton House, which is located in Jane Austen's village and dedicated to the study of women writers. He is also a Patron of the National Theatre of Ireland (the Abbey Theatre) in Dublin.

In 2005, the City of Salisbury commemorated his services to the city by naming one of the streets leading off its medieval market place 'Rutherfurd Walk'.

Reviews

[Marina Marić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drugi tom Novi Sarum opisuje razvoj Solzberija u srednjem veku i izgradnju Solzberijske katedrale, jedne od najpoznatijih u svetu. Ovaj deo romana prati dešavanja u Britaniji u doba velikih epidemija kuge koje su odnosile bezbrojne ljudske živote, ali i ubrzanog razvoja gradova, zanatstva i trgovine, rađanje najstarijeg evropskog parlamenta, kao i zbivanja na jugu Engleske u doba Ratova ruža i vladavine slavne dinastije Tjudor.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read books that I would consider "epic", but I think this one has to top them all. Never have I run across a story that spans 9500 years... until now. The story was at time engaging, but at other times I found it too slow for my preference. I struggle a little bit with how Rutherfurd writes these stories. He uses family names (that mutate throughout the generations) and physical characteristics of the people to provide continuity across the generations. After a while, though, it just seems too much. While I really enjoyed his New York, this one was not one I would readily recommend, unless it were to an Anglophile. One other "thread" Rutherfurd used in this book was a small stone statue that had been created in one of the very earliest times. I was disappointed, however, that he puts this statue in a place about midway through the book and then never returns to it again, even though there was a prime opportunity near the end. I would have to rate this book as an average read and would instead recommend his New York to potential readers.

[Rhonda Hankins]

very fun read