London (Abridged Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Just slightly amusing
Review: The characters are poorly drawn, not particularly sympathetic and appear to be only vehicles for conveying a history lesson. If it were not for the occasional, and fun, etomology lesson, this tome just might become only the second book I've ever failed to finish (and I've slogged through a vast number of books). Although Michener's history is suspect, his volumes are far more amusing and this book, as a novel, does not compare.

Rating:
Summary: It's history, it's armchair travel
Review: There are a lot of Michener fans who need a fix of history and travel with a big book to sink into for a week or so. Edward Rutherfurd superbly steps into Michener's shoes and takes us away to the fascinating city of London, ancestral and/or cultural home to many of us in the States. Rutherfurd is a born storyteller as well as a competent historian and the combination is irresistable

Rating:
Summary: A keeper!
Review: For those who do not like to read history, "London" provides a fascinating look at one of the world's foremost cities. Its chapters are almost like short stories in that they concentrate on a particular period in history yet one feels the need to follow the characters' ancestors through to the next era. I didn't expect to like it half as much as I did and recommend it to history and literary buffs alike

Rating:
Summary: London: An Evolution of Man and Culture
Review: London, similar in construction to Rutherfurd's Sarum, simply takes the reader to a wrold almost forgotten. His eloquent style and depiction of 5 or 6 family lines and the intertwining lives throughout the Capitol's history kept me reading. After 900 pages, my sincerest emotion was sadness--that the book was not longer. One can only hope that Mr. Rutherfurd will weave yet another tale about cities such as Paris or Florence. With the focus on detail, one might believe this fiction is actual history. Simply amazing

Rating:
Summary: Hey...it's long but it keeps you going!
Review: In the manner of James A. Michener, Edward Rutherfurd delightfully expresses history throughout the span of societal generations. In the beginning I found this epic to be quite intimidating but do not fear! This soon-to-be-classic will keep you eating up the hundreds of pages ahead of you. The characters are brief but interesting and the stories through which they are contained are simply delightful. A great read!!

Rating:
Summary: James Michener,move over!
Review: If you have a love of everything British, then this book is for you. Yes, it's long, and yes, there are a lot of characters to keep up with, but I felt it was worth it. I know I will read this book several more times. I have used the internet to help me keep the lines of the monarchy straight, and I have also found pictures of important sites. It's been like doing an independent study course! I just loved it

Rating:
Summary: Luckily the city is not as boring as the book!
Review: Over 800 pages....I've only been able to force myself to read the first 133. Yes, the history of England, and especially London, is fascinating. No, the fictional characters over the generations are not! The only common thread is the inheritance pattern of ancestors over the centuries, which is trite and meaningless description. The problem is that none of the characters or their historical situations are explored in any depth. I just couldn't bear to waste the summer plodding through another 700 pages of the grey-haired, webbed-fingers ancestors who lived in what is now London

Rating:
Summary: Outline of Characters
Review: It was suggested in a review that we take notes on who the characters are so that we may refer back to them while reading the novel that covers 2000 years. Has someone done that & want to share/sell it to me? Melany Eckles

Rating:
Summary: Wooden prose but easy-to-digest history
Review: This is a book I would recommend to someone taking their first trip to England, who was interested in a light historical overview. "London" provides manageable bites of the flow of history and does a nice job of presenting the history in a way likely to be remembered by the use of inter-generational stories. But the writing is wooden and the characters flat. I quit reading it when the historical period became more familiar. Edith Pargeter, for example, did this sort of thing much better

Rating:
Summary: A very good historical novel.
Review: The story is about the population of London starting way way back in the tribal Celtic days. It traces several family lines through to present day. There is a story vignette for different stages and ages. I thought the first ones were the best and that some of the ones in the middle read more like a history book being somewhat weak on story. Consequently I put the book down half read several years ago and only now got around to reading it all the way through. In the end I liked the book very much.