Forever Amber (Rediscovered Classics) by Kathleen Winsor
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Book Reviews of Forever Amber (Rediscovered Classics)
Book Review: To call Forever Amber a romance novel is a slander....
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read the book when I was 18. Naively, I thought ALL books called "romance" would be of this quality, but of course, I was disappointed! Since then, I have read the book once during each subsequent five years of my life, most recently re-reading it at age 47. Ms. Winsor's recreation of Restoration London is accurate and her writing style much like that of Margaret Mitchell. It's an absorbing book, but not simplistic, not "light." It's an excellent introduction to the Restoration period. Forever Amber started my interest in this period of time and, many history books later, I can say that Winsor's depiction is accurate and complete. I understand Ms. Winsor filled about 40 notebooks with research notes before she wrote the book. Amber does it all! And while she's unscrupulous, she's young, and so real, I think every woman can see herself, only in part (I hope), in Amber's psychology. The most poignant part of the story, for me, was when Amber marries Lord Radclyffe and never realizes that Radclyffe was once engaged to Amber's own mother 20 years earlier, and Radclyffe never realizes that he has married the daughter of the woman of his dreams, whom he lost during the civil wars. When Amber tries on an old wedding dress, that was made for her mother and it fits her almost like it was made for her, I almost cried because she never knows. Amber also never realizes she is really of the nobility and one, just one, of the reasons Bruce Carlton doesn't marry her is because he believes Amber's parents to be farmers, when actually, they were of a higher station than Carlton himself. The irony was subtle but almost painful to me when I realized these things --(after the second reading!). I found the scene when Buckingham pays Amber 200 pound to have sex with him, and Amber is disgusted (although we never know why) to be one of the most creepily memorable "kinky sex" scenes I've ever read; much more effective than if the perversions had been spelled out. One reviewer says there was a sequel to Forever Amber. I would love to know the title! Although, I can't believe there could be a satisfactory sequel to this story. ... it's too sad to say how, just couldn't be any better. Just like when Scarlett loses Rhett. There can't be another ending, (despite "Scarlett"), but I'd love to know if Winsor had more in mind for Amber. I recommend, buy a copy of Forever Amber and enjoy! This is NOT a romance novel!Book Review: Stunning!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely LOVED this book!! It begins with a prologue about how Amber was born and then fastforwards to the future, where Amber is a beautiful teenager in a small country village... and there she meets the man who she will be in love with the rest of her life. She follows him to London and then has numerous experiences with him, without him, with other people...
This book was definitely researched well - I learned a lot about the history of England and London by reading it, and the writing style is just beautiful! Amber is such a little vixen in the book. At times, you love her and sympathize with her (such as being with a spiteful man and having no power as a woman), and other times you hate her and are wishing for her to get what she deserves (like when she uses other people for her own benefit). You love her and hate her at the same time; the author is a genius at how she brings the characters to life. No one is only good or bad but all sides of people are shown.
To give it more historical credibility, parts of the book take place in the palace, without Amber around. It's almost like a comparison between royalty and non-royalty - and neither side is truly more moral than the other. You also get a taste of the time in which they're living.
The book spans years and at the end, you know what's going to happen but still are left wishing for a sequel. I would have loved to see how it all actually played out at the end, but even the ending doesn't detract from the overall genius of the book.
Don't be put off by the length of this - it will hook you and you won't be able to put it down. I finished all 972 pages within a few days. And while the book is definitely quite sensual (Amber takes on a number of lovers and ends up pregnant out of wedlock a number of times, many of which end in abortions), nothing is too overt. The love scenes are mainly left to your own imagination and you are truly drawn into the characters and not just the actions.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a beautifully written love story spanning a number of years. This book will not disappoint in keeping your interest. I've already loaned out my copy to a friend but will be rereading it when I get it back. Definitely a book to be read and reread - it's one to buy.
Book Review: A WONDERFULLY ENTERTAINING NOVEL FOR ALL TIMES
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a reader who loves to be transported inside a novel to one of the most interesting eras in British History; if you love reading books whose words literally cause you to feel, taste and smell as you read; If you love Adventure, Drama, Color, and relationships, Forever Amber is the book for you.
I first read this book when I was 17, over 32 years ago, having received the book from my mom who read it when she was in her early 20's. Since then I have read it again and again every year, sometimes reading it twice within a year, especially during periods when I needed to go into another place and time away from my real life.
I neither condone, agree nor disagree with all that is written by Ms. Winsor in this book. It is what it is, a spider web of interesting places, facts, people, cultures and society during the reign of King Charles II. I am a reader that wants to be entertained; wants to be enveloped inside a story or novel, and I believe any potential readers will experience this by reading it.
Forever Amber was the catalyst to my developing interest in England, in all things British. I love reading about England and have studied it extensively since first reading the book in high school.
I traveled to England in 1997 to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting the places written about in the book. I wanted to see the green countrysides and English village towns, the tower of London, Whitehall palace, the beautiful flowers, the architecture, paintings, Royals, food, and people, so vividly described to me in her book. I am and will probably always be (ask anyone who knows me) a lover of all things British, an Anglophile and serious Royal researcher and London enthusiast because of Forever Amber.
The novel is not trashy, it is not preachy, nor is it like any of the modern day historical romance books you may have read. It is simply an interesting story, well embroidered, well structured, about a young woman's journey, trials, tribulations, love, death and triumphs in life during 1600's Restoration England.
You will at times find yourself loving Amber and her life, then find yourself despising her for her unchanging, immoral, self serving and ignorant characteristics. Either way the book is worth its weight in gold. ***** FIVE STARS
Book Review: MUST READ
Summary: 5 Stars
i got the book alittle less than 2 years ago ... i'm young(haven't reached 20 yet) but i consider myself very well read ...... i LOVE this book .. this is a book that i can picture myself in 20 years still reading it now n then ...i was at a book store and picked it up ... never expecting it turn out to be my favortie book .... my #1 fav is a toss up between this book n Margeret Mitchell's GWTW(i'm a suckker for GREAT love storys that go wrong hahaha) but i have read this and reread it soo many times ..... i read it over and over again .... most of the books i read dont even get a second reading soo that means alot ....
it says this book was banned when it first came out i can see why condidering it was 1940 noy 2005 but i dont think its immoral or nething(nora roberts books get more risque .... its a great love story .... amber and bruce omg ... i'm not gonna ruin it but the ending this how it should be .... it i woulda ended up differently it wouldn't of been then same .... even though its not one of those lovely dovely everyobne ends up happy books i LOVE it..... i was drawn into the carachters(some more than others) and the choices those characters made and what happend to them was truthful. the story stayed real ... everyone got what thye deserved ... if ::if u dont want a spoiler dont read the next sentence:: well if amber ended up with bruce that woulda been against the whole story .... he loved her and she REALLY loved him but he had his goals and obligations and soo on .... even thought they didn't end up together the writer made their love clear and as ive learned in my short life love sometimes isn't enough .... i wish is did tho .....
all in all i would give nething to have a love like thst between amber and bruce even if its only temporary .... just to experience that passion and feeling ....
i recommend this book as a DEFINITELY must read .... no happy ending no happily ever after ... just pure passion(maybe u can say love but i just say passion) and real life burdens ...... i can't even begin to say how much i love this book ... i say if not buy it at least check it out of the library ... it DEFINTELY deserves to be read at LEAST once ....
i hope this review is helpful ... since its a fav i'll recommend it till i'm blue in the face
Book Review: Isn't there a little Amber in us all??
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story of Amber, a smart driven woman who is bound and determined to rise above her circumstances in life...by whatever means necessary. Raised in the country as a farm girl, the only means Amber has at her disposal are her beauty, wit, and a pair of cajones that the toughest man would envy!
Early in the story Amber meets Bruce, falls head over heels, and uses him as her ticket to London and a better life. Bruce thinks Amber is good enough to use and toss aside whenever she becomes an inconvenience to his plans. As Bruce drifts in and out of her life, Amber claws her way to the top eventually becoming the King's favorite mistress.
No matter who she marries or takes up with, her heart belongs to Bruce. Amber's enemies think she has become too powerful and ultimately use against her the one thing that causes her to take leave of her senses....her obsessive love for Bruce. The ending was priceless, I wanted to scream to her "No, don't do it!".
All in all this was an amazing novel. The decadent life of the rich contrasted with the miserable life of the poor. It had brilliantly detailed history, beautiful writing, and so many twists and turns that would each make their own stunning novel.
I absolutely loved Amber! Some of the time I wanted to cheer for her, other times I cringed at the choices she made but I just couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. She was a woman living in a man's world who wanted more than her lot in life would allow. She did what she had to do to get it. It may not have been "moral" as dictated by the times, but who in the novel was really moral? Bruce used and discarded Amber as a whore knowing that she really loved him, two of her husbands were more evil than Amber could ever dream of being, plots and schemes were everywhere, everyone stepping on everyone to get ahead. Wars were fought, people died and suffered to advance the schemes of the rich and powerful. Is it really all that different from today? It may be shocking to our modern sensibilities but if we are honest with ourselves, I think that deep down we'll all find a little bit of Amber in each of us.