When a book has a lot of pages, it's easy to b put off, as you have to invest a lot of time in it, and it just may not be worth it. It would have to be quite a story to hold your attention, and for me, this was quite the story, caught my attention and never let go, so all those pages just flew by fast.

I can't think of one character in the novel that wasn't both well written and interesting, even people you don't particularly like, even minor characters off center stage.. The main ones deserved the spotlight.

It's not difficult to figure out where Ms. Caldwell got the inspiration for her story. You have an Irish immigrant family, enduring hardship, poverty and prejudice, the eldest son, resentful and angry, determined to change his fate, through hard work and ambition (and not being Mr. Nice Guy), becomes wealthy, powerful, a force to be reckoned with, and the family name becomes known throughout the country. His ambitions extend to his children, especially his eldest son, whom he's determined will become the first Irish Catholic U.S. president. The son is a handsome, charming womanizer who also has dreams and ideals and a way with people, who can win over anybody, or almost. Then tragedy strikes. There's a supposed curse on the family, for all their wealth and power, they have more than their share of heartache.

I don't think I need to name the family that inspired the novel. I give Ms. Caldwell a lot of credit for using inspiration only, and making the story her own, no need for lawsuits here. The story's set in the 19thc, starting at a time when Irish immigrants were coming to America after the infamous potato blight was destroying their lives, and how they didn't exactly receive a warm welcome. It focuses on the Armagh family, Joseph in particular, the dynasty he builds and the family he controls, (and those he can't.)

What's best about the novel, is how much you care about the people in it, even if you don't always like them. That's especially true of Joseph, who can be pretty cruel, like when his sister Regina decides to become a nun, despite his plans for her to marry into society; he feels betrayed, turns his back on her and for a long time acts like she no longer exists. When his eldest son, Rory, falls in love with someone he thinks is unsuitable (I won't go into details and spoil things) he interferes with a vengeance. There are times you'll want to hate him, but it just won't happen.

It's like that with all the characters, good and not so good, you just can't help caring. You can really feel for sweet, gentle AnnMarie, and all she goes through, but also care about her mother, Bernadette, despite some of the things she's said and done, and sympathize with her being in love with a husband that was only fond of her and only for a while.

I could say more, but I think I got my point across. There are plenty of characters I didn't mention, but all deserve attention. So give this book a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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This sweeping saga of a powerful family dynasty, loosely based on the Kennedys, was written in the 70's, but it could be a cautionary tale published yesterday about political corruption and the dangers of socialism. It was actually quite depressing, in the context of what is going on in our country today, so it took me awhile to get through. ( )

A very rich, detailed saga involving fear, love, hate, poverty, wealth, power and many other themes. It was a wonderful read and worryingly familiar despite the setting being a hundred years ago and beyond. All the main male characters are complex and important. Almost all the female characters are weak and secondary to their men which is probably an accurate reflection of the times but also seems to have been accepted by the author as reasonable. This is a bit surprising as Taylor Caldwell seems such an incredibly well-read and enlightened woman. Much of the book's background is based on the theory that a small international group of very rich men controls everything that happens in the world. This is the worrying part! ( )

Believe it or not, I read this book twice. The first time I read it was in the late seventies and now. The reason for me reading it the first time was because I watched and loved the mini series of this novel.

You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After I read the novel the first time, after I saw the series, I felt that the characters were much better flashed out in the series than in the book.

I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.

Melanie for b2b ( )

Believe it or not, I read this book twice. The first time I read it was in the late seventies and now. The reason for me reading it the first time was because I watched and loved the mini series of this novel.

You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After I read the novel the first time, after I saw the series, I felt that the characters were much better flashed out in the series than in the book.

I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
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