Not in the same league as Ken Follett, but still very engaging

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	• London: The Novel Edward Rutherfurd Ballantine Books, 2002 - 1152 pages average customer review:based on 196 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Not in the same league as Ken Follett, but still very engaging

If you happen to like hauling around 1000+ page books with you for weeks, you'll love this one! Although not in the same league as Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End", this is a nice book for Follett fans who are suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms after finishing those two great novels.

I probably could have done without the first 200 pages, I really didn't need to know how the White Cliffs of Dover were formed to lead into the rest of the book, but once I got past the first several centuries, the book became much more interesting. It also took a while for me to feel connection with the characters.

Rutherfurd covers far more actual history than Follett, I found myself spending a lot of time Googling specific historical events as I read along. This book is taking me a long time to read because I wanted to see what the Tower of London looked like, I wanted to read more about London Bridge, I even rented several DVDs that coincided with the time period in the book to get a feel of the culture, costumes and setting as I read. I don't believe any book has ever "engaged" me to this degree. I certainly wouldn't consider myself a history geek, so it is a pleasant surprise that I am truly enjoying learning so much about British history.

I am looking forward to finally finishing "London" (about 100 pages to go) and reading some of the other epics by Rutherfurd. After all, I've built up such great arm muscles already!

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Great history.....I wish I read it before my recent trip....

Another good historical novel. A little long at times, but certainly worth the read....Can get confusing with all the family lines and characters, but the family tree does help.....

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The weaving of life from London's past

This is the 2nd book by Edward Rutherfurd I have read, "The New Forest" was the first, and I found it just as fascinating. The historical research behind each century of life in London, must have taken so much time. He has woven, like a fabric, so many lives and loves into what is in the end a fascinating tapestry. It is a collection of wonderful short stories with a common thread to tie them all together. Great characters, wonderful descriptions, both of the city itself and its inhabitants, and it ends on a thought provoking statement about touching the past. Super book. For anyone who likes a long read, this is an amazing book.

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Family traits observed down the ages

"London: The Novel" is unique and very special. It is a long and enjoyable book that, like all the best books, allows you to immerse yourself in and toenter another world. Actually, many worlds, each chapter being effectively a stand-alone short story in its own right.
Personally I usually have a problem with short stories because I don't like discovering that they are about to end, when I have just become familiar with the setting and all of the characters.
However, in this case, although the stories end chapter by chapter, there is continuity in terms of family lines. Which makes it rather wonderful - because you can see how a family trait manifests itself in the different ages. For example, is the ruthlessness necessary for survival in medieval England a help or a hindrance in later, more genteel times? This book deserves to occupy a little nook somewhere in your bookshelf!

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A personal favorite...

Quite simply, I loved this novel. I have no problem with lengthy texts if they are engaging, and I never found this less than fascinating. In my opinion, a better read than "Sarum" or "The Forest," both of which I also enjoyed.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

?A TOUR DE FORCE . . . LONDON TRACKS THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH CAPITAL FROM THE DAYS OF THE CELTS UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME. . . . BREATHTAKING.?
?The Orlando Sentinel

Now in a handsome new trade paperback edition, here is Edward Rutherfurd?s classic novel of London, a glorious pageant spanning two thousand years. He brings this vibrant city?s long and noble history alive through the ever-shifting fortunes, fates, and intrigues of half-a-dozen families, from the age of Julius Caesar to the twentieth century. Generation after generation, these families embody the passion, struggle, wealth, and verve of the greatest city in the world.

?REMARKABLE . . . The invasion by Julius Caesar?s legions in 54 B.C. . . . The rise of chivalry and the Crusades . . . The building of the Globe theatre . . . and the coming of the Industrial Revolution. . . . What a delightful way to get the feel of London and of English history. . . . We witness first-hand the lust of Henry VIII. We overhear Geoffrey Chaucer deciding to write The Canterbury Tales. . . . Each episode is a punchy tale made up of bite-size chunks ending in tiny cliffhangers.?
?The New York Times

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