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A Dangerous Fortune
In 1886, tragedy strikes the exclusive Windfield Schol when a young student drowns in a mysterious accident. His death and is aftermath initiate a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives.
From the exclusive men's clubs and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London's upper class to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world's wealth, one family is splintered by a shared legacy. But greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy's death, must be stopped, or the dreams of a nation will die.
From the exclusive men's clubs and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London's upper class to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world's wealth, one family is splintered by a shared legacy. But greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy's death, must be stopped, or the dreams of a nation will die.
568 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 24, 1993
6804 people are currently reading
21581 people want to read
About the author
Ken Follett
600 books59k followersKen Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,654 reviews
January 20, 2019
I love a female villain, and this one is so machiavelic, so devious, so smart and cold...
"A Dangerous Fortune," which is one of Follett's earlier books, takes place in the mid-1800's in England. A tragedy takes place at a boarding school when a student mysteriously drowns. This is the beginning of years of treachery that impacts the lives of so many people. There's greed, lust, and murder...what could be better? This is an old fashion family saga that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps your attention until the very last page. I'm giving a 5 star rating because this book does everything a good book should: it was entertaining and provided hours of pleasure. I simply couldn't put it down!
Reading a Ken Follett book is like turning a cold iron to the "cotton" setting. It may take a while to heat up, but once it does, you can expect things to get dangerously hot. And by hot, I mean goooood reading!
Ken Follett's books are long and have very multi-layered plots. They are not for readers looking for instant gratification, as they are not fast reads. However, they are SO worth the time invested. The plot twists are unparalleled genius.
There's nothing I love more than a book that surprises me, and Follett does that every time. I love how his "bad guys" get justice in the end, just not in the way you would expect. His "good guys" always get what they deserve, but often not for many years. I really enjoy following characters through twenty plus years of their lives.
"A Dangerous Fortune," which is one of Follett's earlier books, takes place in the mid-1800's in England. A tragedy takes place at a boarding school when a student mysteriously drowns. This is the beginning of years of treachery that impacts the lives of so many people. There's greed, lust, and murder...what could be better? This is an old fashion family saga that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps your attention until the very last page. I'm giving a 5 star rating because this book does everything a good book should: it was entertaining and provided hours of pleasure. I simply couldn't put it down!
Reading a Ken Follett book is like turning a cold iron to the "cotton" setting. It may take a while to heat up, but once it does, you can expect things to get dangerously hot. And by hot, I mean goooood reading!
Ken Follett's books are long and have very multi-layered plots. They are not for readers looking for instant gratification, as they are not fast reads. However, they are SO worth the time invested. The plot twists are unparalleled genius.
There's nothing I love more than a book that surprises me, and Follett does that every time. I love how his "bad guys" get justice in the end, just not in the way you would expect. His "good guys" always get what they deserve, but often not for many years. I really enjoy following characters through twenty plus years of their lives.
September 5, 2013
Things you can count on in a Follett book:
A strong male protagonist who everyone else is determined to make fail.
A strong female protagonist who acts in ways women of their time period just do not act, and doesn't give a damn about what others think of her.
One of the above parties either rises from their low station or falls from their high station.
A nasty villain who does nothing, but bad and surrounds himself with powerful people who he manipulates to get what he wants and to cover his bad deeds. He is rewarded handsomely for his bad deeds.
A meddling relative or in-law of the male protagonist who aligns herself with the villain to destroy him.
A gay couple who are in the closet about their secret. Most everyone knows of their secret, and don't care about their preference, but use it against them to manipulate and control their decisions to suit the villains.
A few illegitimate children or two that are spawned from true love, but whose parents can't be together because of the plotting of the villainous relatives.
Men who pretend to be gentlemen, but go whoring around at night and look down upon the women they use for their gratification.
Too much description of the scenes described above.
In his writing Follett tends to repeat character descriptions that he already described in previous chapters. Usually this is done from the point of view of different characters throughout the novel. Either way, it gets annoying. I don't need to be reminded that so and so is from such and such town and has freckled arms four or five times.
Follett definitely does his historical research. His descriptions of the era he writes about are so vivid and a main reason why his books are so engrossing.
All in all I like Ken Follett and have read many of his books. Even though they follow the same plot pattern described above, I will continue to read them. However, I don't think any of the ones I read from now on will come as close to being as well written as Pillars. Maybe this is because that was my first Follett novel?
A strong male protagonist who everyone else is determined to make fail.
A strong female protagonist who acts in ways women of their time period just do not act, and doesn't give a damn about what others think of her.
One of the above parties either rises from their low station or falls from their high station.
A nasty villain who does nothing, but bad and surrounds himself with powerful people who he manipulates to get what he wants and to cover his bad deeds. He is rewarded handsomely for his bad deeds.
A meddling relative or in-law of the male protagonist who aligns herself with the villain to destroy him.
A gay couple who are in the closet about their secret. Most everyone knows of their secret, and don't care about their preference, but use it against them to manipulate and control their decisions to suit the villains.
A few illegitimate children or two that are spawned from true love, but whose parents can't be together because of the plotting of the villainous relatives.
Men who pretend to be gentlemen, but go whoring around at night and look down upon the women they use for their gratification.
Too much description of the scenes described above.
In his writing Follett tends to repeat character descriptions that he already described in previous chapters. Usually this is done from the point of view of different characters throughout the novel. Either way, it gets annoying. I don't need to be reminded that so and so is from such and such town and has freckled arms four or five times.
Follett definitely does his historical research. His descriptions of the era he writes about are so vivid and a main reason why his books are so engrossing.
All in all I like Ken Follett and have read many of his books. Even though they follow the same plot pattern described above, I will continue to read them. However, I don't think any of the ones I read from now on will come as close to being as well written as Pillars. Maybe this is because that was my first Follett novel?
August 11, 2025
Quando os Livros nos Raptam
Esta história agarra-nos logo de início e só nos solta no fim.
Que sensação única, sempre que um livro nos rapta.
Ken Follet no seu melhor👍👍
Para rematar, resta-me uma palavra : ADOREI 💕🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Esta história agarra-nos logo de início e só nos solta no fim.
Que sensação única, sempre que um livro nos rapta.
Ken Follet no seu melhor👍👍
Para rematar, resta-me uma palavra : ADOREI 💕🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
December 30, 2011
Yes, this book is somewhat predictable and serves less as a mystery novel and more as a historical drama/romance, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the novel simply as it was. It may also be a bit too familiar to Follett followers as the model of storytelling remains consistent with his typical writing techniques, but it also displays Follett's tremendous ability to set a mood and create an atmosphere that makes almost all his books so hard to put down. The historical detail makes A Dangerous Fortune quite informative and it made me an instant fan of the 19th century setting. The characters are, as usual, utterly captivating, and Follett has a knack for making you sympathize with, root for, or despise even the most evil of characters. This book is the perfect combination of historical insight, suspense, and romance all intwined in the 19th century setting making this a book I would recommend to any reader, Follett fan or otherwise.
June 12, 2024
A salacious, but fun read, A Dangerous Fortune has some truly diabolical characters. A middle aged, middle-class, ambitious woman and a slimy, unscrupulous young man make a pact with the devil and try to destroy everyone around them. They do a pretty good job for a couple of decades.
It's a wonder of a novel and definitely worth a read because of the creation of poor, young Maisie Robinson, who is outspoken and honest and sexy. She is not afraid to face life head on and gets ahead not by use of her body, but by use of her wits. Well done Ken Follett!
It's a wonder of a novel and definitely worth a read because of the creation of poor, young Maisie Robinson, who is outspoken and honest and sexy. She is not afraid to face life head on and gets ahead not by use of her body, but by use of her wits. Well done Ken Follett!
August 25, 2019
I would read Follett just for his intriguing dialogue.
January 21, 2022
Could have and should have been a better story. 3 of 10 stars
October 22, 2018
Review of the audiobook narrated by Michael Page.
This is my fourth book by Ken Follett and I can't help but notice his formula now. Generational stories told in periods that are broken up into parts by long time jumps (this works well). Great villains that you will hate, yet at the same time find sympathetic (another win). A male protagonist who is a plain looking overachiever and a female protagonist who is a beautiful and strong ahead-of-her-time innovator (getting a little old). The good characters will have something or someone they love taken away from them when they are about to achieve happiness (every. single. time.). Follett will be obsessed with every female character's breasts (must we?). But the formula works well as Follett is a master of intrigue and is great at getting you to identify with all of the characters, good and bad.
For those fans of the Kingsbridge series, that town is mentioned and has tertiary characters appear in the plot. Chronologically, this book is set hundreds of years after the last book in that series, but it's still a nice reminder that you're in Follett's universe. If this were my first Ken Follett book I likely would have given it 5 stars like I did with A Place Called Freedom (my first of his), but this now familiar formula gives the book an element of predictability that does take away from the overall enjoyment and in the end it's a satisfying 4 stars instead.
This audiobook was recorded in 1994. With the recent boom in audiobook production I don't listen to many which were produced so long ago. Usually these cases are narrated by long forgotten actors, but this time it's a narrator, Michael Page, who I also enjoyed in a contemporary production (his performance of The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my favorites). He's great here with the various characters and accents and I will continue to choose books just because he is the narrator.
Final verdict: 4 star story, 5 star narration, 4 stars overall
This is my fourth book by Ken Follett and I can't help but notice his formula now. Generational stories told in periods that are broken up into parts by long time jumps (this works well). Great villains that you will hate, yet at the same time find sympathetic (another win). A male protagonist who is a plain looking overachiever and a female protagonist who is a beautiful and strong ahead-of-her-time innovator (getting a little old). The good characters will have something or someone they love taken away from them when they are about to achieve happiness (every. single. time.). Follett will be obsessed with every female character's breasts (must we?). But the formula works well as Follett is a master of intrigue and is great at getting you to identify with all of the characters, good and bad.
For those fans of the Kingsbridge series, that town is mentioned and has tertiary characters appear in the plot. Chronologically, this book is set hundreds of years after the last book in that series, but it's still a nice reminder that you're in Follett's universe. If this were my first Ken Follett book I likely would have given it 5 stars like I did with A Place Called Freedom (my first of his), but this now familiar formula gives the book an element of predictability that does take away from the overall enjoyment and in the end it's a satisfying 4 stars instead.
This audiobook was recorded in 1994. With the recent boom in audiobook production I don't listen to many which were produced so long ago. Usually these cases are narrated by long forgotten actors, but this time it's a narrator, Michael Page, who I also enjoyed in a contemporary production (his performance of The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my favorites). He's great here with the various characters and accents and I will continue to choose books just because he is the narrator.
Final verdict: 4 star story, 5 star narration, 4 stars overall
May 13, 2017
3.5 stars
Ken Follett really knows how to tell a story...he knows his characters and his history and weaves the two together in a very enjoyable way.
This is set in 1860's-1890's in England and follows the ups/downs of a family who own/run a bank.
Positives - great story telling, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next with plenty of interesting characters and plots to keep you interested.
Negatives - some repetition and stereotyping. 'Horrible' characters with no redeeming features where you wish for their downfall (surely they can't be all bad!) - same with the 'good' people.
*Read on audio and the narration was excellent - highly recommended
Ken Follett really knows how to tell a story...he knows his characters and his history and weaves the two together in a very enjoyable way.
This is set in 1860's-1890's in England and follows the ups/downs of a family who own/run a bank.
Positives - great story telling, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next with plenty of interesting characters and plots to keep you interested.
Negatives - some repetition and stereotyping. 'Horrible' characters with no redeeming features where you wish for their downfall (surely they can't be all bad!) - same with the 'good' people.
*Read on audio and the narration was excellent - highly recommended
September 17, 2015
Muito bom! E atual, apesar de se passar durante o século XIX.
Quem conhece o blogue sabe que adoro Ken Follett, daí não estranhar que tenha dado 5 estrelas a este livro no Goodreads. De facto, o autor britânico escreve como ninguém e retrata com mestria cenas de época, indo ao fundo das questões, envolvendo o leitor com personagens singulares, sendo elas bondosas, aguerridas ou até mesmo malévolas.
Em quase 570 páginas percorremos 30 anos de uma depressão banqueira que muito nos faz lembrar os dias de hoje, com investimentos que poderão soar-nos a jogadas muitos atuais, e que nos poderão ajudar a compreender o porquê de algumas instituições bancárias mundiais terem ido ido à falência.
Dividido em três partes, (3 décadas) vamos acompanhando uma família poderosa de banqueiros, a família Pilaster.
Tudo começa em 1886 quando um rapaz morre afogado numa pedreira e as circunstâncias misteriosas da sua morte nunca são reveladas. O incidente ocorre numa escola frequentada por rapazes oriundos de classes abastadas onde se inserem Edward, filho de Joseph e Augusta Pilaster, Micky Miranda, seu amigo de juventude, oriundo de Córdova. e Hugh, primo de Edward, a parte pobre da família.
Opinião completa aqui: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.pt/2...
Quem conhece o blogue sabe que adoro Ken Follett, daí não estranhar que tenha dado 5 estrelas a este livro no Goodreads. De facto, o autor britânico escreve como ninguém e retrata com mestria cenas de época, indo ao fundo das questões, envolvendo o leitor com personagens singulares, sendo elas bondosas, aguerridas ou até mesmo malévolas.
Em quase 570 páginas percorremos 30 anos de uma depressão banqueira que muito nos faz lembrar os dias de hoje, com investimentos que poderão soar-nos a jogadas muitos atuais, e que nos poderão ajudar a compreender o porquê de algumas instituições bancárias mundiais terem ido ido à falência.
Dividido em três partes, (3 décadas) vamos acompanhando uma família poderosa de banqueiros, a família Pilaster.
Tudo começa em 1886 quando um rapaz morre afogado numa pedreira e as circunstâncias misteriosas da sua morte nunca são reveladas. O incidente ocorre numa escola frequentada por rapazes oriundos de classes abastadas onde se inserem Edward, filho de Joseph e Augusta Pilaster, Micky Miranda, seu amigo de juventude, oriundo de Córdova. e Hugh, primo de Edward, a parte pobre da família.
Opinião completa aqui: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.pt/2...
February 18, 2024
I know that one's taste in books is subjective and what one person may like might not necessarily appeal to another but I really cannot stress how utterly terrible I found this book.
Imagine Zola's La Curee mixed with a touch of Mary Poppins and just enough Eyeless in Gaza to make one think that this might be a halfway decent read, rewritten by Jeffery Archer as a TV mini series for a minor digital channel and you are 10% of the way to understanding just how awful this novel is.
There is no character development, no plot development, repetitious phrasing and a stunning lack of originality. The story starts in 1866 and ends in 1892, yet in all those years not one of the characters has been on any kind of journey, the evil schemer is still the evil schemer (pursuing exactly the same evil scheme), the talented but naive young man is a talented but naive older man and so on. None of the characters have a second dimension, every reaction to every situation is completely predictable and every interaction exists only to move the plot forward, not that it actually does move forward with the resolution of the incident that happens in chapter one coming some 590 pages and 24 years later.
Then there is the repetitious nature of the writing. In one chapter we might see a scene happen, for example a character losing a lot of money at cards and having to leave England, only to be told two chapters later that said character has had to leave England due to losing a lot of money at cards. This happens time and time again throughout the novel and it is almost as if the author has decided that his readers will be do disassociated from the text that they won't be able to remember anything that has happened. You can almost hear the voice over saying "Previously, in this novel..." which is one reason why it feels so much like it was written with one eye on an adaptation as a mini series, and yet being written relatively early in Follett's career there was no reason why this should be the case. Oh, and if you replace banks with churches you also get a novel that is basically World Without End even down to the scheming mother and self-righteous poor relation.
To give credit where it is due there is one cracking line in the novel, when old Ben Greenbourne (yes he's curmudgeonly, yes he's Jewish, yes he's a banker and yes he is as stereotyped as that makes him sound) says following a highly predictable (and satisfyingly amusing) banking collapse: "If I spend money to rescue you now, the foolish investor will be rewarded and the careful one will suffer. And if banking were run that way, why should anyone be cautious? We might as well all take risks, for there is no risk when failed banks can always be rescued." The flouting of basic punctuation and sentence construction rules aside I rather wish every banker and politician had read that sentence sometime prior to 2011.
Imagine Zola's La Curee mixed with a touch of Mary Poppins and just enough Eyeless in Gaza to make one think that this might be a halfway decent read, rewritten by Jeffery Archer as a TV mini series for a minor digital channel and you are 10% of the way to understanding just how awful this novel is.
There is no character development, no plot development, repetitious phrasing and a stunning lack of originality. The story starts in 1866 and ends in 1892, yet in all those years not one of the characters has been on any kind of journey, the evil schemer is still the evil schemer (pursuing exactly the same evil scheme), the talented but naive young man is a talented but naive older man and so on. None of the characters have a second dimension, every reaction to every situation is completely predictable and every interaction exists only to move the plot forward, not that it actually does move forward with the resolution of the incident that happens in chapter one coming some 590 pages and 24 years later.
Then there is the repetitious nature of the writing. In one chapter we might see a scene happen, for example a character losing a lot of money at cards and having to leave England, only to be told two chapters later that said character has had to leave England due to losing a lot of money at cards. This happens time and time again throughout the novel and it is almost as if the author has decided that his readers will be do disassociated from the text that they won't be able to remember anything that has happened. You can almost hear the voice over saying "Previously, in this novel..." which is one reason why it feels so much like it was written with one eye on an adaptation as a mini series, and yet being written relatively early in Follett's career there was no reason why this should be the case. Oh, and if you replace banks with churches you also get a novel that is basically World Without End even down to the scheming mother and self-righteous poor relation.
To give credit where it is due there is one cracking line in the novel, when old Ben Greenbourne (yes he's curmudgeonly, yes he's Jewish, yes he's a banker and yes he is as stereotyped as that makes him sound) says following a highly predictable (and satisfyingly amusing) banking collapse: "If I spend money to rescue you now, the foolish investor will be rewarded and the careful one will suffer. And if banking were run that way, why should anyone be cautious? We might as well all take risks, for there is no risk when failed banks can always be rescued." The flouting of basic punctuation and sentence construction rules aside I rather wish every banker and politician had read that sentence sometime prior to 2011.
June 11, 2020
Uma narrativa interessante sobre o período áureo do império britânico respeitante ao último quarto do século XIX.
Acompanhamos durante três décadas a história duma família poderosa de banqueiros.
A matriarca da família espelha extraordinariamente bem como uma mulher consegue manipular os homens a seu belo prazer através dos seus dotes femininos, a sua sedução, postura e intimidação.
Quantas vezes os homens são subjugados sem terem essa noção? Incrível a constatação. Sinceramente não sei se me revolte ou se me regozije com a sua estupidez, e ver destronado o estigma que perdurou durante séculos: o homem designado como o “elo mais forte, mais capaz, mais inteligente”.
Aborda igualmente a banca, numa era isenta de tecnologia, mas em tudo o mais idêntica, nos bons e maus investidores, nos riscos necessários e calculados ou arriscados, nos lucros arrecadados de forma lícita ou ilícita. Na bancarrota como um flagelo exponencial para uma sociedade. No poder financeiro, na credibilidade e seriedade de que se devem revestir estas instituições, que é em tudo contrário ao que infelizmente assistimos actualmente.
”- Nos últimos anos, o volume de negócios da City decuplicou. E, com a complexidade e a sofisticação que a actividade bancária atingiu, estamos mais interligados, que nunca. Algumas pessoas cujo dinheiro nós perdemos não vão conseguir pagar as suas dívidas e, por isso, também vão entrar em bancarrota, e assim por diante. Para a semana, vai haver dezenas de bancos falidos, centenas de empresas forçadas a fechar as portas e milhares e milhares de pessoas atiradas para a miséria da noite para o dia…”
Assistimos também à estratificação social bem delineada assim como a caracterização das personagens. A trama desenrola-se a bom ritmo, as oportunidades ou ausência delas vão impactando as suas vidas, criando avanços ou recuos e incitando a sua leitura.
Não considerei extraordinário, achei-o interessante q.b.
Acompanhamos durante três décadas a história duma família poderosa de banqueiros.
A matriarca da família espelha extraordinariamente bem como uma mulher consegue manipular os homens a seu belo prazer através dos seus dotes femininos, a sua sedução, postura e intimidação.
Quantas vezes os homens são subjugados sem terem essa noção? Incrível a constatação. Sinceramente não sei se me revolte ou se me regozije com a sua estupidez, e ver destronado o estigma que perdurou durante séculos: o homem designado como o “elo mais forte, mais capaz, mais inteligente”.
Aborda igualmente a banca, numa era isenta de tecnologia, mas em tudo o mais idêntica, nos bons e maus investidores, nos riscos necessários e calculados ou arriscados, nos lucros arrecadados de forma lícita ou ilícita. Na bancarrota como um flagelo exponencial para uma sociedade. No poder financeiro, na credibilidade e seriedade de que se devem revestir estas instituições, que é em tudo contrário ao que infelizmente assistimos actualmente.
”- Nos últimos anos, o volume de negócios da City decuplicou. E, com a complexidade e a sofisticação que a actividade bancária atingiu, estamos mais interligados, que nunca. Algumas pessoas cujo dinheiro nós perdemos não vão conseguir pagar as suas dívidas e, por isso, também vão entrar em bancarrota, e assim por diante. Para a semana, vai haver dezenas de bancos falidos, centenas de empresas forçadas a fechar as portas e milhares e milhares de pessoas atiradas para a miséria da noite para o dia…”
Assistimos também à estratificação social bem delineada assim como a caracterização das personagens. A trama desenrola-se a bom ritmo, as oportunidades ou ausência delas vão impactando as suas vidas, criando avanços ou recuos e incitando a sua leitura.
Não considerei extraordinário, achei-o interessante q.b.
May 1, 2013
Ken Follett has long been a favorite author of mine. We tend to snap his books up as soon as they hit the shelves. Not sure how it happened, but 20 years ago I somehow missed this one. Came across it quite by accident, and it was like discovering a hidden treasure and what a pleasure it was to read!
Back to the days of corsets and bustles in merry old London, this tale spans the period of 1866 to 1892. Fans of this author are used to his finely drawn characters, not just the principals, all of them. The butler Hastead, for instance - 'his eyes seemed to look in different directions and people were never quite sure which one to concentrate on', and a woman who wore 'a miserable, cheated look' on her face - can you see them clearly? They might just as well be standing right in front of you.
Follett has a delicious way of turning a phase, making his books a real treat for those of us who enjoy these things. A reply made 'tetchily', a man who appreciated exactness, office clerks arriving at work 'smelling of bacon breakfasts and underground railway trains.' This is the good stuff!
Oh, yes. There are some murders and fraud, quite a lot of debauchery, and an introduction to the appalling 'sport' of ratting, the latter of which was blessedly brief. This is one I will read again.
Back to the days of corsets and bustles in merry old London, this tale spans the period of 1866 to 1892. Fans of this author are used to his finely drawn characters, not just the principals, all of them. The butler Hastead, for instance - 'his eyes seemed to look in different directions and people were never quite sure which one to concentrate on', and a woman who wore 'a miserable, cheated look' on her face - can you see them clearly? They might just as well be standing right in front of you.
Follett has a delicious way of turning a phase, making his books a real treat for those of us who enjoy these things. A reply made 'tetchily', a man who appreciated exactness, office clerks arriving at work 'smelling of bacon breakfasts and underground railway trains.' This is the good stuff!
Oh, yes. There are some murders and fraud, quite a lot of debauchery, and an introduction to the appalling 'sport' of ratting, the latter of which was blessedly brief. This is one I will read again.
October 1, 2015
Podia começar aqui a adjectivar este livro, mas quem me conhece sabe que os únicos enredos que me interessam são os das estórias.
Ken Follett é de facto um senhor contador de estórias! Este é um livro fantástico, com personagens excelentes!
Não vou opinar sobre a escrita do autor porque o que li foi uma tradução e acho um pouco fantasioso afirmá-lo sem ler originais, mas posso avançar que o texto estava isento de erros.
Quanto à estória... temos um grupo de colegas de colégio que passam por um acontecimento que lhes marca a vida, uns mantém-se unidos outros são obrigados a tomar decisões...
Ken Follett é de facto um senhor contador de estórias! Este é um livro fantástico, com personagens excelentes!
Não vou opinar sobre a escrita do autor porque o que li foi uma tradução e acho um pouco fantasioso afirmá-lo sem ler originais, mas posso avançar que o texto estava isento de erros.
Quanto à estória... temos um grupo de colegas de colégio que passam por um acontecimento que lhes marca a vida, uns mantém-se unidos outros são obrigados a tomar decisões...
December 26, 2016
The presentation of this audible book captures it's era the last half of the 19th century very well. It focuses on a bank and the family of the owners of that bank. The main character Hugh is a model of high ethics and morality but there. Are plenty of characters in the banking family who are far lesser than he is. I was fascinated to experience the workings of the banking system in the 19 century and to experience the lives of the upper class and their system of titles. But there were also enough characters of good heart to satisfy those of us who want to have a positive feeling about humanity. There was a happy ending for those who deserved it. And there was retribution for those who deserve that.
October 1, 2016
Um livro cheio de altos e baixos mas simplesmente arrebatador!
February 24, 2020
Impressive Ken Follett novel, almost an epic (568 pp.) about the interplay between two 19th Century London banking families and the lower orders who want to become part of them. The Methodist Pilasters are quite conservative; the Jewish Greenbournes even more so. Serving as spoilers are wicked school chum Miguel ("Mickey") Miranda and the Pilasters' own Aunt Augusta. Along with descriptions of aristocratic parties and decadent bordellos there's enough soap opera to keep the pages flying. Not the usual Follett espionage novel, but satisfying nonetheless.
March 23, 2023
Când ești o familie foarte bogată și cu ambiția de a rămâne în vârf ai de înfruntat foarte multe pericole: trădări, crime, secrete și incapacitatea de a delimita interesele familiei de cele ale afacerii. Toate astea nu pot avea decât un singur sfârșit- falimentul.
January 13, 2020
Another exceptional book by Ken Follett. At one point I had to close the book because I knew something bad was about to happen, and I wanted to pretend for one moment that it wouldn't happen, but then I dived back in. So many threads woven perfectly together to tell the story of a bank and a mother's hunger for status, power and wealth.
19th century England was awash with class distinctions, and complex social rules, and Follett traverses those with mastery. Loved it.
19th century England was awash with class distinctions, and complex social rules, and Follett traverses those with mastery. Loved it.
March 18, 2020
Lots of characters and lots of interesting details about banking in the robber baron days. Overall, a really good read! (And some poetic justice well served in the end pages!)
July 1, 2013
Copied from a testimonial:
"Good thrillers are like elegant geometrical proofs. Their drama lies not in their ultimate outcome but in their method. Though we know that the good guys will eventually triumph, we don't know how; a good thriller should keep us guessing until the last page. Ken Follett does just that."
This is the first thing I had to say about Ken Follett when I completed this book. For long Jeffrey Archer has been my favourite writer and I have believed the fact that I can count on fingers the number of writers who are equally good if not better than Mr. Archer in story-telling. I think I have just come across one of those writers in Ken Follett. There were quite similarities I found out between the two. Even though this is the very first Ken Follett book I have read I can pretty much say that he's a master story-teller. As mentioned in the testimonial, you know a writer is a great writer if he can make a predictable thriller as exciting as possible.
At first I was not quite sure what this book was about. I thought it was about a murder, a crime story. But it was far different from that and that is where I like this book. Normally one would continue writing about the crime and it wouldn't have been bad either. But Follett has done the duel thing, not only has he written about the crime but he's mostly focused on its effects on several peoples lives. It was not about the crime but the aftermaths of the crime. How deeply can one hidden crime can change the lives of all the people involved in it. How it can make them more suspicious of each other and how they can become more villainous.
Though a bit predictable this book has a mix of everything you want in a fiction book - love, friendship, drama, crime, rivalry, treachery, suspense, thrill, family-saga etc... When someone can cover so many topics in one book, it more often than not is bond to be an excellent book.
The most striking thing perhaps I think about this book was its setting. The historical details makes this book an instant like. The men's clubs and brothels, the ballrooms, the 19th century villas and carriages, the ethich of the liveried footmans and butlers is all perfectly set up by Ken Follett. It was like going back into time and witnessing all these things. I felt myself transported to London and fell in love with the city. The setting was so good. Wherever the story lacked the bite, the setting more than enough made up for it.
The character development is another thing why you love this book. Right from the start it makes you feel sympathy for all the people involved in the drowning incident and you are not able to decide which character you like the most. Most of the book goes on like this only, you are not able to guess for yourself what exactly do you want from the characters even though you know what you want from the story. Though not absolutely lovable the characters are quite captivating.
Now talking about the reason for which I decided to write this review. The Story-telling. Its not an easy thing to write family-sagas, and describe the feelings of the characters for 30 years. So much changes in that time period. But Ken Follett in this book certainly has set a mood and created an atmosphere which has made it deeply engrossing. I especially liked the fact that Follett kept his writing very simple and to the point all the time, nothing so extravagant just to excite the readers and things not related to the story. All 568 pages of the book are very much linked up with the story. Many a times when the book is set over decades writers drift away from the actual plotline and thats what blights a great book.
There was only one thing I didn't like in this book and that was the reason why I am not adding it to my favourites. The thing was I very much gave the book 4 stars because of this thing but decided against it because it would have been unfair as the rest of the book was so perfect that it reminded me of Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel.
Despite a few faults in the book, especially the one I mentioned above this book had moments when I felt I should complete the book at the very go. It certainly made me stay awake at nights and want to read more of it. I usually give a book 5 star when it ends and leaves me with a feeling 'Oh..! why did it really end. I liked it so much.' This book certainly is one of that and it has given me one more writer who I am a fan of. Just like I have taken the oath with Jeffrey Archer, I will do the same with Ken Follett and try to read most of his works. Because of his genius story-telling I really feel he can become one of my favorite writers along with Archer and I am very much excited to think that this book which is not best of his works has made me so intrigued, then how good the others be. I would recommend it to all those people who like real life dramas.
"Good thrillers are like elegant geometrical proofs. Their drama lies not in their ultimate outcome but in their method. Though we know that the good guys will eventually triumph, we don't know how; a good thriller should keep us guessing until the last page. Ken Follett does just that."
This is the first thing I had to say about Ken Follett when I completed this book. For long Jeffrey Archer has been my favourite writer and I have believed the fact that I can count on fingers the number of writers who are equally good if not better than Mr. Archer in story-telling. I think I have just come across one of those writers in Ken Follett. There were quite similarities I found out between the two. Even though this is the very first Ken Follett book I have read I can pretty much say that he's a master story-teller. As mentioned in the testimonial, you know a writer is a great writer if he can make a predictable thriller as exciting as possible.
At first I was not quite sure what this book was about. I thought it was about a murder, a crime story. But it was far different from that and that is where I like this book. Normally one would continue writing about the crime and it wouldn't have been bad either. But Follett has done the duel thing, not only has he written about the crime but he's mostly focused on its effects on several peoples lives. It was not about the crime but the aftermaths of the crime. How deeply can one hidden crime can change the lives of all the people involved in it. How it can make them more suspicious of each other and how they can become more villainous.
Though a bit predictable this book has a mix of everything you want in a fiction book - love, friendship, drama, crime, rivalry, treachery, suspense, thrill, family-saga etc... When someone can cover so many topics in one book, it more often than not is bond to be an excellent book.
The most striking thing perhaps I think about this book was its setting. The historical details makes this book an instant like. The men's clubs and brothels, the ballrooms, the 19th century villas and carriages, the ethich of the liveried footmans and butlers is all perfectly set up by Ken Follett. It was like going back into time and witnessing all these things. I felt myself transported to London and fell in love with the city. The setting was so good. Wherever the story lacked the bite, the setting more than enough made up for it.
The character development is another thing why you love this book. Right from the start it makes you feel sympathy for all the people involved in the drowning incident and you are not able to decide which character you like the most. Most of the book goes on like this only, you are not able to guess for yourself what exactly do you want from the characters even though you know what you want from the story. Though not absolutely lovable the characters are quite captivating.
Now talking about the reason for which I decided to write this review. The Story-telling. Its not an easy thing to write family-sagas, and describe the feelings of the characters for 30 years. So much changes in that time period. But Ken Follett in this book certainly has set a mood and created an atmosphere which has made it deeply engrossing. I especially liked the fact that Follett kept his writing very simple and to the point all the time, nothing so extravagant just to excite the readers and things not related to the story. All 568 pages of the book are very much linked up with the story. Many a times when the book is set over decades writers drift away from the actual plotline and thats what blights a great book.
There was only one thing I didn't like in this book and that was the reason why I am not adding it to my favourites. The thing was I very much gave the book 4 stars because of this thing but decided against it because it would have been unfair as the rest of the book was so perfect that it reminded me of Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel.
Despite a few faults in the book, especially the one I mentioned above this book had moments when I felt I should complete the book at the very go. It certainly made me stay awake at nights and want to read more of it. I usually give a book 5 star when it ends and leaves me with a feeling 'Oh..! why did it really end. I liked it so much.' This book certainly is one of that and it has given me one more writer who I am a fan of. Just like I have taken the oath with Jeffrey Archer, I will do the same with Ken Follett and try to read most of his works. Because of his genius story-telling I really feel he can become one of my favorite writers along with Archer and I am very much excited to think that this book which is not best of his works has made me so intrigued, then how good the others be. I would recommend it to all those people who like real life dramas.
March 27, 2018
Mi-a plăcut mult și acest roman a lui Ken Follett, deși nu s-a ridicat la nivelul "Stâlpii pământului".
Povestea este foarte complexă, se întinde pe zeci de ani, cuprinzând mai multe generații. Romanul are în centru familia Pilaster, o familie bogată de bancheri, pentru care viața a fost extrem de ușoară, până când apare Mickey. Mickey este antagonistul clasic: lipsit de scurpule, inteligent și descurcăreţ, prefăcut și egoist. Edward, prietenul lui din copilărie, devine marioneta lui și puntea de legătură cu Augusta Pilaster. Augusta e genul acela de personaj de telenovelă: rea până în măduva oaselor, preocupată doar de poziția socială și bârfe, invidioasă pe fericirea altora, manipulatoare și prefăcută.
Hugh e protaginistul, clasicul personaj bun, căruia îi se întâmplă lucruri rele, dar care reușește să treacă peste toate și să sfârșească bine. Mi-a plăcut și de Maisie, deși povestea lor de dragoste a fost în umbră. Follett e un autor care merge pe clasic, atât în construcția personajelor, cât și în cea a romanului. Toate personajele reprezintă tipologii, acțiunea e în ordine cronologică, împărțită în capitole.
Romanul tratează tema banilor și cum îi influențează pe oameni, fie că îi au, fie că nu. E un roman plin de încurcături, minciuni, sex, crime, baluri și petreceri, moarte și sacrificii. Fiecare personaj are de făcut propria alegere cu care va trebui să trăiască toată viața.
A fost previzibil pe alocuri, însă povestea m-a prins, iar Anglia secolului 19 a fost prezentată extrem de bine. Recomand romanul, merită citit! 😊
Povestea este foarte complexă, se întinde pe zeci de ani, cuprinzând mai multe generații. Romanul are în centru familia Pilaster, o familie bogată de bancheri, pentru care viața a fost extrem de ușoară, până când apare Mickey. Mickey este antagonistul clasic: lipsit de scurpule, inteligent și descurcăreţ, prefăcut și egoist. Edward, prietenul lui din copilărie, devine marioneta lui și puntea de legătură cu Augusta Pilaster. Augusta e genul acela de personaj de telenovelă: rea până în măduva oaselor, preocupată doar de poziția socială și bârfe, invidioasă pe fericirea altora, manipulatoare și prefăcută.
Hugh e protaginistul, clasicul personaj bun, căruia îi se întâmplă lucruri rele, dar care reușește să treacă peste toate și să sfârșească bine. Mi-a plăcut și de Maisie, deși povestea lor de dragoste a fost în umbră. Follett e un autor care merge pe clasic, atât în construcția personajelor, cât și în cea a romanului. Toate personajele reprezintă tipologii, acțiunea e în ordine cronologică, împărțită în capitole.
Romanul tratează tema banilor și cum îi influențează pe oameni, fie că îi au, fie că nu. E un roman plin de încurcături, minciuni, sex, crime, baluri și petreceri, moarte și sacrificii. Fiecare personaj are de făcut propria alegere cu care va trebui să trăiască toată viața.
A fost previzibil pe alocuri, însă povestea m-a prins, iar Anglia secolului 19 a fost prezentată extrem de bine. Recomand romanul, merită citit! 😊
April 4, 2021
Una din cartile mai vechi scrise de Ken Follet, care mi-a placut extrem de mult. O poveste destul de complicata, tipica autorului, dar cu personaje atat de clar conturate incat nu trebuie sa faci nici un efort sa ii tii minte pe toti, asa cum mi s-a intamplat in trecut la romanele sale de sine statatoare. Romanul are fictiune istorica, o lunga disputa pentru bani si crime, toate ingredientele necesare pentru a nu mai putea lasa cartea din mana.
May 21, 2011
Ken Follet has added another great book this novel, A Dangerous Fortune. His has a great nack for creating amazing characters showing many different aspects of human life, like manipulation, greedy, misery, deceiving, murder, political and amorous intrigues, etc., making the book a very entertaining reading.
The story takes place in the late 1800’s and starts with a tragic drowning of a student in an exclusive school named Windfield. A small circle of boys are directly or indirectly involved in the incident, and its aftermath initiates a history that will span three decades.
The story followings a banking family and the trials that they go through fighting for the top job in the bank. Hugh is the central character. A "poor" family member who has to fight for everything where is cousin Edward floats through life and would rather visit the brothels and drink than try and advance in the bank. Edward's mother and Hugh's Aunt, Augusta is one of those characters that you swear at everything she makes an appearance. me.
Dangerous Fortune is super read. Not on the same level as Pillars of the Earth, World Without End and The Fall of Giants but a great read with amazing characters. You won't be disappointed. I ended up going out and buying another Ken Follett book right after finished Dangerous Fortune. It already has me hooked.
The story takes place in the late 1800’s and starts with a tragic drowning of a student in an exclusive school named Windfield. A small circle of boys are directly or indirectly involved in the incident, and its aftermath initiates a history that will span three decades.
The story followings a banking family and the trials that they go through fighting for the top job in the bank. Hugh is the central character. A "poor" family member who has to fight for everything where is cousin Edward floats through life and would rather visit the brothels and drink than try and advance in the bank. Edward's mother and Hugh's Aunt, Augusta is one of those characters that you swear at everything she makes an appearance. me.
Dangerous Fortune is super read. Not on the same level as Pillars of the Earth, World Without End and The Fall of Giants but a great read with amazing characters. You won't be disappointed. I ended up going out and buying another Ken Follett book right after finished Dangerous Fortune. It already has me hooked.
December 2, 2014
***Attention! This review contains spoilers. So, don't read it unless you finished the book***
This book, what to say about this book? I absolutely love all Ken Follett’s book, he is genius.
Dangerous Fortune is not typical Follett’s book, set in 19th century , story follows the fortunes of famous and rich family Pilaster. At the beginning I thought it will be criminal book or something like that, I didn’t expect so much drama, romance and malice (all in good way).
First, my favorite character was Micky, I love that kind of smart and astute guys who knows how to care to themselves and passion between him and Augusta was really interesting. Unfortunately Micky showed that he was enormous evil, but at some way I was really sad when Augusta killed him.
Hugh is good character, I love that he is so careful to others and he loves Maisie for so long. They are meant to be together.
After reading Follett’s books I’m always so sad and want more. I give this book 5 stars because it has everything that book should have in one place and I really enjoy reading it. Way to go Follett
This book, what to say about this book? I absolutely love all Ken Follett’s book, he is genius.
Dangerous Fortune is not typical Follett’s book, set in 19th century , story follows the fortunes of famous and rich family Pilaster. At the beginning I thought it will be criminal book or something like that, I didn’t expect so much drama, romance and malice (all in good way).
First, my favorite character was Micky, I love that kind of smart and astute guys who knows how to care to themselves and passion between him and Augusta was really interesting. Unfortunately Micky showed that he was enormous evil, but at some way I was really sad when Augusta killed him.
Hugh is good character, I love that he is so careful to others and he loves Maisie for so long. They are meant to be together.
After reading Follett’s books I’m always so sad and want more. I give this book 5 stars because it has everything that book should have in one place and I really enjoy reading it. Way to go Follett
November 5, 2017
A história inicia-se em 1866, num colégio de rapazes de classes mais abastadas e onde um dos estudantes morre afogado na lagoa. No meio desta morte misteriosa, temos outros estudantes: Hugh Pilaster, amigo do jovem e filho de um homem que tem uma fábrica; Edward Pilaster, primo de Hugh e filho de um banqueiro; Micky Miranda, amigo de Edward e natural de Córdova; e Tonio Silva, amigo de Hugh e também ele natural de Córdova. Vamos então acompanhando a vida destas personagens, ao longo dos anos.
Impressionante como Ken Follett conseguiu prender-me à narrativa, logo nas primeiras páginas, com uma morte de um jovem envolta em mistério e com o carácter bem vincado das personagens. E esse, o carácter e a personalidade das várias personagens foi um dos pontos fortes do livro. Temos personagens boas, honestas e extremamente capazes, como é o caso de Hugh e Solly mas, do outro lado da balança, temos Edward, Augusta (mãe de Edward) e Micky. Edward é o típico menino rico, mimado e protegido pela mãe; Augusta é uma mulher ambiciosa, sedenta por subir na sociedade e que quer tudo para o filho; e Micky é um verdadeiro manipulador e que não olha a meios para atingir os seus fins. E deixem-me que vos diga, Micky e Augusta mexeram muito com os meus nervos.
Ken Follett dá-nos uma excelente descrição do sistema bancário, como funcionam os investimentos, como um mau resultado de uma entidade bancária pode afectar a sociedade. Sem dúvida um tema muito actual.
Temos também uma boa visão da estratificação de classes da época, nomeadamente numa cena específica de uma viagem de comboio e piquenique. Mas também de como a troca de favores influenciam a escalada na posição social.
A escrita muito fluída e uma história cheia de intrigas e sacanices fazem com que, apesar do tamanho do livro, seja uma leitura muito rápida.
Em termos de final, acaba por ser dentro do que Ken Follett já nos habituou, adiando até à última, a tranquilidade para os nossos protagonistas e o castigo para os vilões.
Impressionante como Ken Follett conseguiu prender-me à narrativa, logo nas primeiras páginas, com uma morte de um jovem envolta em mistério e com o carácter bem vincado das personagens. E esse, o carácter e a personalidade das várias personagens foi um dos pontos fortes do livro. Temos personagens boas, honestas e extremamente capazes, como é o caso de Hugh e Solly mas, do outro lado da balança, temos Edward, Augusta (mãe de Edward) e Micky. Edward é o típico menino rico, mimado e protegido pela mãe; Augusta é uma mulher ambiciosa, sedenta por subir na sociedade e que quer tudo para o filho; e Micky é um verdadeiro manipulador e que não olha a meios para atingir os seus fins. E deixem-me que vos diga, Micky e Augusta mexeram muito com os meus nervos.
Ken Follett dá-nos uma excelente descrição do sistema bancário, como funcionam os investimentos, como um mau resultado de uma entidade bancária pode afectar a sociedade. Sem dúvida um tema muito actual.
Temos também uma boa visão da estratificação de classes da época, nomeadamente numa cena específica de uma viagem de comboio e piquenique. Mas também de como a troca de favores influenciam a escalada na posição social.
A escrita muito fluída e uma história cheia de intrigas e sacanices fazem com que, apesar do tamanho do livro, seja uma leitura muito rápida.
Em termos de final, acaba por ser dentro do que Ken Follett já nos habituou, adiando até à última, a tranquilidade para os nossos protagonistas e o castigo para os vilões.
April 5, 2015
Muito bom! Follett não desilude.
April 9, 2021
Das war nach "Die Säulen der Erde" mein zweiter Follett und den fand ich richtig gut. Als ich ihn gelesen habe, wären es bestimmt 5 Sterne geworden, heute vermutlich aber nicht mehr, weil mich Ken Follett leider nicht mehr überzeugen kann.
April 20, 2022
Wow, was this an odd book to read. I could write a long, long list of things I didn’t like about it or which just didn’t make sense, but at the end of the day - it was strangely enjoyable in a guilty pleasure, daytime soap opera addiction kind of way. This reminded me a little of The Count of Monte Cristo, except that the plot is a lot more convoluted and involved. I wouldn’t recommend this to just anyone though, I feel like a lot of people would have a rough tedious time with this one and I wouldn’t blame them.
The story starts with a bunch of boys in a prestigious boarding school and an incident that happens when they are swimming in a quarry. A boy drowns and the verdict is misadventure. Years later, this incident continues to haunt and shape the decisions of the people directly and indirectly involved, many of whom belong to the great banking family, the Pilasters. A lot of drama happens spanning across all the classes of society. Sex, murder, brothels, financial crashes, adultery, betrayal, political maneuverings - they’re all in here.
I’ll start off by saying that this is my first time reading Ken Follett, and I’ve previously only heard of his Pillars of the Earth series. I started with this one mainly because the book was a lot less thick and therefore less intimidating. His writing style in this was... interesting, to say the least. It was incredibly simplistic and matter-of-fact that it was almost jarring to read sometimes. It sometimes also took me out of the 19th century setting, where one would expect prose to at least have more pizzazz. I’m not sure if this is just Follett’s natural writing style, or if this was a deliberate decision he made so that the writing did not take away from the events happening on the page, because there is already a lot.
The characters generally ranged from mildly annoying to downright repulsive, with perhaps one or two exceptions (). Even our main protagonist, Hugh Pilaster, gave me secondhand embarrassment for the first half of the book. Luckily we do see some character development with Hugh throughout the book, which is more than we can say for most other characters here.
Character motivations also ranged from very believable to unrealistic. I didn’t like how the main romance played out almost all the time.- But I did like how the primary villains in the book each had their own weak spots. Repulsive and self-interested though they may be, they were ultimately saved from being a caricature from having just that one chink in their armour, which proves to be their undoing - .
For a book written in 1993, I appreciate that there wasn’t as much misogyny and homophobia as there could have been - I liked that we not only had a lot of primary female characters, but that they also held a lot of agency in their own right and also existed along the spectrum of good/bad characters. I liked that
Obviously, for a book about a banking family, you can expect a good amount of politicking and plot points to revolve around finance. This was actually interesting to me because I work in a sort-of finance industry myself, but I can definitely imagine all of this flying over my head and becoming just so boring to read about if I wasn’t in my current job.
I find it difficult to think of a target group I’d recommend this to even though I quite enjoyed it myself. If you like a ton of juicy drama in a Victorian setting, then maybe check this out.
The story starts with a bunch of boys in a prestigious boarding school and an incident that happens when they are swimming in a quarry. A boy drowns and the verdict is misadventure. Years later, this incident continues to haunt and shape the decisions of the people directly and indirectly involved, many of whom belong to the great banking family, the Pilasters. A lot of drama happens spanning across all the classes of society. Sex, murder, brothels, financial crashes, adultery, betrayal, political maneuverings - they’re all in here.
I’ll start off by saying that this is my first time reading Ken Follett, and I’ve previously only heard of his Pillars of the Earth series. I started with this one mainly because the book was a lot less thick and therefore less intimidating. His writing style in this was... interesting, to say the least. It was incredibly simplistic and matter-of-fact that it was almost jarring to read sometimes. It sometimes also took me out of the 19th century setting, where one would expect prose to at least have more pizzazz. I’m not sure if this is just Follett’s natural writing style, or if this was a deliberate decision he made so that the writing did not take away from the events happening on the page, because there is already a lot.
The characters generally ranged from mildly annoying to downright repulsive, with perhaps one or two exceptions (). Even our main protagonist, Hugh Pilaster, gave me secondhand embarrassment for the first half of the book. Luckily we do see some character development with Hugh throughout the book, which is more than we can say for most other characters here.
Character motivations also ranged from very believable to unrealistic. I didn’t like how the main romance played out almost all the time.- But I did like how the primary villains in the book each had their own weak spots. Repulsive and self-interested though they may be, they were ultimately saved from being a caricature from having just that one chink in their armour, which proves to be their undoing - .
For a book written in 1993, I appreciate that there wasn’t as much misogyny and homophobia as there could have been - I liked that we not only had a lot of primary female characters, but that they also held a lot of agency in their own right and also existed along the spectrum of good/bad characters. I liked that
Obviously, for a book about a banking family, you can expect a good amount of politicking and plot points to revolve around finance. This was actually interesting to me because I work in a sort-of finance industry myself, but I can definitely imagine all of this flying over my head and becoming just so boring to read about if I wasn’t in my current job.
I find it difficult to think of a target group I’d recommend this to even though I quite enjoyed it myself. If you like a ton of juicy drama in a Victorian setting, then maybe check this out.
December 11, 2008
Geniales Sittenbild des ausklingenden 19. Jahrhunderts
Das Buch ist ein geniales Sittenbild der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Im Kern geht es um die Geschichte des Hugh Pilasters, der das schwarze Schaf der Pilasters - einer der größten Bankiersfamilien - ist. Nun schwarzes Schaf ist vielleicht etwas falsch ausgedrückt, eher ist er das weiße Schaf innerhalb der grau-schwarzen Herde. Hugh ist ehrlich, aufrichtig und glaubt an das Gute im Menschen. Nebenbei ist er höchst intelligent und versteht diese Begabung auch einzusetzen. Demgegenüber stehen seine Tante Augusta, sein Vetter Edward und dessen Freund Micky. Alle drei spinnen eine Intrige um die andere und haben scheinbar keinen Funken Anstand. Sie schrecken auch vor Mord nicht zurück.
Da Hugh dem verarmten Zweig der Familie angehört ist er in diesem Intrigenspiel immer mit den schlechteren Karten ausgestattet und scheint immer auf der Verliererstraße zu stehen. So ereilt ihn ein Rückschlag nach dem anderen, dennoch verliert er nie seine guten Seiten und gibt auch niemals seinen Kampf für "das Gute" auf. All das spielt in der englischen Oberschicht des späten 19. Jahrhunderts und Follett gelingt es wunderbar das Gefühl der Zeit zu rekonstruieren. Eine Zeit die kaum Platz für soziales Engagement oder gar Gleichberechtigung geboten hat. Das wiedergegebene Bild der Frauen (abgesehen von Augusta Pilaster) dieser Zeit ist erschütternd, entspricht aber leider der damaligen Realität.
Sprachlich kann man das Buch durchaus positiv einreihen, wenngleich nicht höchstklassig. Die Handlungsstränge sind dafür umso spannender und deren Verflechtung ist einfach großartig. Gekonnt baut Follett Spannung auf, so dass man das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen möchte - obwohl es "bloß" um Familiengeschichten, Liebe, Intrigen und Bankgeschäfte geht, die alle zu keinem Thriller reichen - nun ja Thriller ist es ja auch keiner.Was ebenso wichtig wie die Spannung ist, ist dass die Personen des Buches wirklichen Tiefgang haben und sich auch entwickeln. Nennenswerte negative Punkte habe ich keine anzumerken, weshalb ich hier mit besten Gewissen, eine Empfehlung das Buch zu lesen abgeben kann.
Das Buch ist ein geniales Sittenbild der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Im Kern geht es um die Geschichte des Hugh Pilasters, der das schwarze Schaf der Pilasters - einer der größten Bankiersfamilien - ist. Nun schwarzes Schaf ist vielleicht etwas falsch ausgedrückt, eher ist er das weiße Schaf innerhalb der grau-schwarzen Herde. Hugh ist ehrlich, aufrichtig und glaubt an das Gute im Menschen. Nebenbei ist er höchst intelligent und versteht diese Begabung auch einzusetzen. Demgegenüber stehen seine Tante Augusta, sein Vetter Edward und dessen Freund Micky. Alle drei spinnen eine Intrige um die andere und haben scheinbar keinen Funken Anstand. Sie schrecken auch vor Mord nicht zurück.
Da Hugh dem verarmten Zweig der Familie angehört ist er in diesem Intrigenspiel immer mit den schlechteren Karten ausgestattet und scheint immer auf der Verliererstraße zu stehen. So ereilt ihn ein Rückschlag nach dem anderen, dennoch verliert er nie seine guten Seiten und gibt auch niemals seinen Kampf für "das Gute" auf. All das spielt in der englischen Oberschicht des späten 19. Jahrhunderts und Follett gelingt es wunderbar das Gefühl der Zeit zu rekonstruieren. Eine Zeit die kaum Platz für soziales Engagement oder gar Gleichberechtigung geboten hat. Das wiedergegebene Bild der Frauen (abgesehen von Augusta Pilaster) dieser Zeit ist erschütternd, entspricht aber leider der damaligen Realität.
Sprachlich kann man das Buch durchaus positiv einreihen, wenngleich nicht höchstklassig. Die Handlungsstränge sind dafür umso spannender und deren Verflechtung ist einfach großartig. Gekonnt baut Follett Spannung auf, so dass man das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen möchte - obwohl es "bloß" um Familiengeschichten, Liebe, Intrigen und Bankgeschäfte geht, die alle zu keinem Thriller reichen - nun ja Thriller ist es ja auch keiner.Was ebenso wichtig wie die Spannung ist, ist dass die Personen des Buches wirklichen Tiefgang haben und sich auch entwickeln. Nennenswerte negative Punkte habe ich keine anzumerken, weshalb ich hier mit besten Gewissen, eine Empfehlung das Buch zu lesen abgeben kann.
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