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Rich
On the surface, Rich is like any other young man looking for work and pleasure in mid-1970s London. But Rich is different. He is a drop-out: a drop-out from music college, who has dropped out again after four years as a Catholic monk. Talented, but not ambitious, personable but unattached, Rich finds himself drawn into an international world of wealth and sophistication that will direct the course of his life. When Rich meets Julián, younger son of the wealthy, wine-producing Borbolla family, his eyes are opened to the world of big business and to the inescapable realisation that he and Julián are more important to each other than either dares admit. As Rich's career progresses he rubs shoulders with the great and good, transforms the fortunes of a Bordeaux vineyard – only to see his success turn to ashes – experiences the life of a penniless recluse in Paris, and at last discovers love, and the pains of loss, on a remote Atlantic island.
Spanning half a century, with his unrivalled gift of evoking time and place, Anthony McDonald brilliantly paints the landscape, the people and the emotions of Rich's adopted home in France. Rich's story mirrors the era through which he travels, with its decline of religious faith, its political upheavals and existential crises. And its changes in perception of the origins of love.
Spanning half a century, with his unrivalled gift of evoking time and place, Anthony McDonald brilliantly paints the landscape, the people and the emotions of Rich's adopted home in France. Rich's story mirrors the era through which he travels, with its decline of religious faith, its political upheavals and existential crises. And its changes in perception of the origins of love.
450 pages, Paperback
Published September 19, 2022
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Anthony McDonald
68 books106 followersAnthony McDonald studied history at Durham University. He worked very briefly as a musical instrument maker and as a farm labourer before moving into the theatre, where he has worked in almost every capacity except those of Director and Electrician.
His first novel, Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet, was published in 2001 and his second, Adam, in 2003.
Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet became the first book in a Seville trilogy that also comprises Along The Stars and Woodcock Flight.
Other books include the sequel to Adam, - Blue Sky Adam - and the stand-alone adventure story, Getting Orlando.
Ivor's Ghosts, a psychological thriller, was published in April 2014.
The Dog In The Chapel, and Ralph: Diary of a Gay Teen, both appeared in 2014. Anthony is the also the author of the Gay Romance series, which comprises ten short novels.
Anthony McDonald's short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic
He has also written the scripts for several Words and Music events, based around the lives and works of composers including Schubert and Brahms, which have been performed in Britain and in Portugal.
His travel writing has appeared in the Independent newspaper.
After several years of living and teaching English in France McDonald is now based based in rural East Sussex.
His first novel, Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet, was published in 2001 and his second, Adam, in 2003.
Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet became the first book in a Seville trilogy that also comprises Along The Stars and Woodcock Flight.
Other books include the sequel to Adam, - Blue Sky Adam - and the stand-alone adventure story, Getting Orlando.
Ivor's Ghosts, a psychological thriller, was published in April 2014.
The Dog In The Chapel, and Ralph: Diary of a Gay Teen, both appeared in 2014. Anthony is the also the author of the Gay Romance series, which comprises ten short novels.
Anthony McDonald's short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic
He has also written the scripts for several Words and Music events, based around the lives and works of composers including Schubert and Brahms, which have been performed in Britain and in Portugal.
His travel writing has appeared in the Independent newspaper.
After several years of living and teaching English in France McDonald is now based based in rural East Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 19, 2023
wonderful
I have read every book that Anthony has written. I have even had the honor of sharing a pint with him in London. When I say this book was wonderful, I don’t mean it lightly. It can even be said the book is a must read. We all live our lives and wonder about events that take place. This book will help you reflect on your own life and maybe make since in somethings that has puzzled you for years. Read it knowing full well, you will be touched.
I have read every book that Anthony has written. I have even had the honor of sharing a pint with him in London. When I say this book was wonderful, I don’t mean it lightly. It can even be said the book is a must read. We all live our lives and wonder about events that take place. This book will help you reflect on your own life and maybe make since in somethings that has puzzled you for years. Read it knowing full well, you will be touched.
February 29, 2024
HE’s BACK!
Since I started reading on Kindle in 2019, Anthony McDonald has been my favorite author. I’ve probably read more than fifteen of his novels and novelettes. There’s a distinction to be made there.
His novels, many of them three book series, are lyrical, well-developed stories with totally believable characters set in beautifully described settings. He has no need to put violence or other extreme acts in these plot lines. They are simply about relationships and the ups and downs of (gay) love. They’re fiction of course, but have an authenticity about them that effortlessly mimics real life.
Sadly, after burning through his novels, I still wanted more and turned to his novelettes, or “romances,” as that word always appears in their titles. McDonald’s full length novels are complex enchanting romances, but to call these shorter stories romances is a misnomer. Sad to say they’re more soft-core porn and at times, even hard-core. The thin plots seem designed to take you from one graphic sex scene to another. Literally somebody is doing somebody else every few pages. I was soon bored. Only so many ways you can “do it.”
McDonald demeans his talent with these dives into eroticism for eroticism’s sake. I read three of them hoping the format would change and he would get back to his superb storytelling where, yes the characters had physical encounters, but they served the story, they weren’t the focus of it. That didn’t happen and so I thought I was done reading him.
To my delight, I then stumbled on this full length novel published in 2022 and the McDonald I loved was back with another wonderful read! Advice to new writers is always “write about what you know.” All of McDonald’s stories have settings in England (he’s a British writer after all), but most of his settings are in Spain or France primarily, and have plots incorporating music (classical) and/or wine making. This adds a certain element of sophistication to these reads.
McDonald is also extremely specific with his descriptions of location (cities, towns), and geography with vivid depictions of terrain, fauna, and birds. He loves birds. He places his characters in these highly romanticized locations which certainly contribute to the magic in these love stories.
In this story, a young man questioning his Catholic faith, leaves his monastery after two years to seek his truth and question his faith. Happenstance places him in a job with a family winery in France where he meets the son of one of the owners and a clandestine romance begins (it’s the 1970s). The book then spans fifty years, ending in present day, and tells us the story of his life and this on again off again love affair between the two men. McDonald never gets “preachy” about homosexuality in his novels. The romance just unfolds “naturally”(pun intended). Love is love is love as the saying goes.
If I had one criticism of the novel, I would say it should have ended at Chapter 30. The final chapter (31), was not necessary. Read this book and then tell me if you agree.
October 1, 2022
ANTHONY MCDONALD – RICH*****
Let’s be clear about this. ‘Rich’ is a towering achievement. I have read and enjoyed most of Anthony McDonald’s novels over the years – the lighter romances as well as the more serious volumes – but none come up to the breadth and storytelling of this.
McDonald’s mastery of prose, of revealing character and especially places, has never been greater. It surpasses even Adam, one of his most popular novels. Starting in London in 1975, with novice monk Rich abandoning the monastery that has been his home, it spans (with great authority) the wine-growing areas of France and Spain and ends seamlessly nearly fifty years later in one of the lesser-known Canaries.
On the surface this is about Rich’s relationship with members of a famous world-wide wine-growing dynasty, who, over time, become his extended family, as he struggles with his own sexuality. But that is merely a colourful tapestry stretched over the skeleton of real-life events spanning the last half century, beautifully realised and stitched into place. In every sense of the word, you are taken on a journey. The ups and downs as unpredictable to the reader as it is to Rich himself.
Threaded through this visceral tapestry of life and death, light and shade, smell and taste, each scene vividly rendered, are philosophical musings on music and religion and life itself.
This is a powerful, mature narrative that never flags, never lets go of its reader, and brought me to tears. In short, it is a triumph. I shall read it again.
Let’s be clear about this. ‘Rich’ is a towering achievement. I have read and enjoyed most of Anthony McDonald’s novels over the years – the lighter romances as well as the more serious volumes – but none come up to the breadth and storytelling of this.
McDonald’s mastery of prose, of revealing character and especially places, has never been greater. It surpasses even Adam, one of his most popular novels. Starting in London in 1975, with novice monk Rich abandoning the monastery that has been his home, it spans (with great authority) the wine-growing areas of France and Spain and ends seamlessly nearly fifty years later in one of the lesser-known Canaries.
On the surface this is about Rich’s relationship with members of a famous world-wide wine-growing dynasty, who, over time, become his extended family, as he struggles with his own sexuality. But that is merely a colourful tapestry stretched over the skeleton of real-life events spanning the last half century, beautifully realised and stitched into place. In every sense of the word, you are taken on a journey. The ups and downs as unpredictable to the reader as it is to Rich himself.
Threaded through this visceral tapestry of life and death, light and shade, smell and taste, each scene vividly rendered, are philosophical musings on music and religion and life itself.
This is a powerful, mature narrative that never flags, never lets go of its reader, and brought me to tears. In short, it is a triumph. I shall read it again.
February 7, 2023
Well written book.
This is a grand book, starting in 1975 and ending in 2021. It describes the life of Rich, his ups and downs, his involvement with a wealthy family, and his eventual realization of what matters to him. My own life followed a similar trajectory to Julian's in terms of relationships, so this was an interesting read. I also enjoyed the descriptions of life in several countries: England, France, Canary Islands.
This is a grand book, starting in 1975 and ending in 2021. It describes the life of Rich, his ups and downs, his involvement with a wealthy family, and his eventual realization of what matters to him. My own life followed a similar trajectory to Julian's in terms of relationships, so this was an interesting read. I also enjoyed the descriptions of life in several countries: England, France, Canary Islands.
November 28, 2022
Rich is a great book.
Rich is an amazing story of a life in Britain, south western France, Paris and the Canary Islands. Anthony tells it with gusto and very well written. Didn't want it to end.
Rich is an amazing story of a life in Britain, south western France, Paris and the Canary Islands. Anthony tells it with gusto and very well written. Didn't want it to end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews