Rating: 
Summary: LIKED THE BOOK. WILL IT CONTINUE IN AN OTHER BOOK?
Review: After reading the full Kent chronicles, which I enjoyed, I expected more of the same in this newer book. I was happily surprised that I stumbled upon a book that is head and shoulders above the former. Length and a bit of slowness early on aside, this book built up into a climax that was interesting, satisfying and believable. I just simply could not put it down during the whole Tampa-Cuba sequence, how Paul kept avoiding/missing his uncle (who had thrown him out of the house), wondering if contact and reconciliation will occur. All in all, the characters were very interesting, their faults and all, the story was very tight and satisfying, the weave of history and fiction superb and the basic concept of the story of an immigrant finding happiness in America was excellent. Well done, Mr. Jakes!
Rating: 
Summary: Mr. Jakes' best
Review: After reading the full Kent chronicles, which I enjoyed, I expected more of the same in this newer book. I was happily surprised that I stumbled upon a book that is head and shoulders above the former. Length and a bit of slowness early on aside, this book built up into a climax that was interesting, satisfying and believable. I just simply could not put it down during the whole Tampa-Cuba sequence, how Paul kept avoiding/missing his uncle (who had thrown him out of the house), wondering if contact and reconciliation will occur. All in all, the characters were very interesting, their faults and all, the story was very tight and satisfying, the weave of history and fiction superb and the basic concept of the story of an immigrant finding happiness in America was excellent. Well done, Mr. Jakes!
Rating:
Summary: Epic Story Telling At Its Best
Review: At a time when the world stood on the brink of a new century, America struggled to find its place upon the global stage, and huddled masses of immigrants streamed across its borders with little more than the clothing on their backs and a yearning to breath free. It was a time of innovation and invention, a birth of a new technological age, when labor collided violently with management; fathers with sons and America found itself in a war to set a country free."Homeland," John Jakes' epic tome is not set during the turbulent decade of 1990's (as one might expect after having read my introductory paragraph) but rather a full century earlier. Beginning where his "Kent Family Chronicles" left off in 1891, and ending in the first year of the twentieth century, 1901, Jakes begins a new cycle of novels with a new family, the Crowns of Chicago. Jakes casts his protagonist, Pauli Kroner, as a young urchin, wandering the streets of Berlin. Orphaned, Pauli lives with his consumptive aunt, Charlotte, who, in a last act of selflessness sends Pauli to live with his uncle, Joseph Crown, who has amassed his fortune in the brewing trade of Chicago. But all is not happy in the Crown household. The forces of change at work in America are straining the family. Uncle Joe barely tolerates the progressive attitude of his wife Ilsa and has constant verbal clashes with his oldest son, Joe Jr., who has taken up sides with the socialist labor union movement, an issue which precipitates one final clash between father and son, after which Joe Jr. runs away and Pauli finds himself expelled from the household for aiding his cousin in his escape. Now known as Paul Crown he must eke out an existence in the streets of Chicago, and soon finds himself standing at the doorstep of the fledgling moving picture business as a camera operator and an eyewitness to history. From the Pullman strike and the fairgrounds of Chicago's Colombian Exposition to the Cuban battlefields of the Spanish-American War John Jakes intricately weaves the historical events of the last decade of the nineteenth century throughout his novel and peppers it with historical Characters such as Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Clara Barton, Eugene Debs and Thomas Edison to name but a few. John Jakes has earned the title "Godfather of the Historical Novel," and with "Homeland" the Crowns of Chicago can rightfully take their place beside the Kents of "The Kent Family Chronicles," the Hazard and Main families of the "North and South" trilogy, and the Chances of "California Gold."
Rating:
Summary: One line can't summarize 1200 pages
Review: Does picking up a book that is 1200 pages long discourage you in any way? It didn't discourage me because it was John Jakes who wrote it. Before picking this up to read it, I see he says this is his best so far. As for being his best, I can't really say that because it wouldn't be fair on his other works, I will simply say this: It is a FANTASTIC read. Full of action, suspense, romance, intrigue, and of course, richly layered with accurate and precise historical information in a way that only John Jakes can. An absolute must for anyone who likes historical novels.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable epic
Review: Homeland is not a literary masterpiece, but it is a thoroughly engrossing look at turn-of-the-century America through the eyes and adventures of one family. Joe Crown is a German immigrant who has built a successful brewery. Son Joe Junior becomes passionately involved in union activity, while nephew Pauli, a street kid in Berlin, travels to America and finds his calling in moving pictures. What I love about John Jakes is how he showcases the major issues, struggles and viewpoints of a time period through his characters, but still manages to give the characters depth and allow the reader to connect and relate to them. Once you read Homeland, you'll be anxious to pick up the sequel, American Dreams, to see what happens to the second generation of the Crowns!
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable epic
Review: Homeland is not a literary masterpiece, but it is a thoroughly engrossing look at turn-of-the-century America through the eyes and adventures of one family. Joe Crown is a German immigrant who has built a successful brewery. Son Joe Junior becomes passionately involved in union activity, while nephew Pauli, a street kid in Berlin, travels to America and finds his calling in moving pictures. What I love about John Jakes is how he showcases the major issues, struggles and viewpoints of a time period through his characters, but still manages to give the characters depth and allow the reader to connect and relate to them. Once you read Homeland, you'll be anxious to pick up the sequel, American Dreams, to see what happens to the second generation of the Crowns!
Rating:
Summary: A definite American Classic
Review: I have read and re-read (and re-read) each of John Jakes books several times. I think that this effort is one of his best. Mr Jakes has the best insight to the history of this country and has a way of making history come alive in his books. This one is an excellent narrative of the adventures of a member of the backbone of this country, the immigrants who have made this country great. I am looking forward to the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: LIKED THE BOOK. WILL IT CONTINUE IN AN OTHER BOOK?
Review: I WOULD PLACE THIS BOOK RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE OTHER SERIES JAKES WROTE ABOUT THE EARLY AMERICANS.IT IS HISTORICAL.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: If this book is indeed out of print, it is a grave mistake on the part of the publisher; this novel is the rare masterpiece that makes one wish it were possible to reward six or seven stars instead of the paltry five.
A sprawling epic, "Homeland" follows a young Paul Crown as he begins his life anew in America after leaving Germany at age 14. Jakes has picked one of the most turbulent period in America's history, and he brings it to life with a vivdness and clarity that is rare. In addition, he had crafted a beautiful, moving, and satisfying love story that will win over even the most cynical readers. At a thousand pages it may seem long, but that's what people said when they heard that "Titanic" was over three hours.
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: In this saga, the author uses the backdrop of the end of the 19th century, with all its upheavals inventions and revolutions, to write about a family that comes to America from Germany. The main characters belong to the Crown family, whose patriarch, Joe Crown has migrated to America from Germany in the mid 1850's. He has started a brewing empire. However, the author also introduces us to other environments interacting at the same time: the black community, the poor, the struggling workers, the visionists with the "new" cameras, etc. This is truly an epic work. The author writes in detail about struggles such as the war in Cuba and the American intervention, the Women's struggle for recognition as well as others. Very well written and presented. Very good work!
|
