Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre narrative, annoying one-dimensional characters : \
Review: I normally love period pieces, and romances are always nice. But I was sorely disappointed by "Forever Amber."
The tale starts out promisingly enough in the prologue, but when the novel launches into its main body, it takes a dive. The narrative, while historically accurate and very well researched, is rather simple and unintriguing...Winsor would have done her readers a great service to have used a thesaurus and enhanced her text with greater imagery. The characters, for the most part, are flat and uninteresting (there are a few exceptions). Amber is not a likeable heroine at all...I found her to be a complete idiot at the beginning and a disgusting, whining simp after her stint in Newgate.
The worst part of the book is how repetitive and predictible it becomes. The plot is on a loop...it repeats itself again and again, changing details slightly but basically staying the same. This repetition had a negative effect on me...I got to where I was bored out of my mind and could care less about what happened to anyone in the book.
I read that "Forever Amber" was wildly popular when it was published. I can't think why. It bored me out of my skull. If you are looking for a good historical romance, skip this one and keep looking...you'll be glad you saved the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Best of Breed
Review: I must have read it a thousand times in high school, and I picked it up again recently and was surprised how much I still enjoyed it.It's a historical romance, and if you don't like the genre, you probably won't like it despite its compelling sweep and detail. If you do like the genre, this is the grand-daddy of them all, and shouldn't be missed by any means. The story follows Amber St Clare, foundling daughter of an aristocrat, through her ups and downs in Restoration England. She goes from the dregs to the highest reaches of society, from Newgate prison into the bedroom of Charles II. Her ins and outs and ups and downs take us on the ultimate armchair time traveler's voyage through the period, and her sexual conquests and ruthless ambition reflect the reckless licentiousness of the time. I never noticed the book's flaws as a teenager, but reading it more recently, I did kind of snicker a few times at cornier moments. But the richness of the detail and the incredible scope of the history more than make up for the cringe-worthy bits. I have seldom read a more evocative portrait of an era.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing read
Review: Any author who can produce in her readers such a range of emotions for one character should be lauded. I couldn't help but love, pity, despise, sympathize with, and scorn Amber. Winsor's attention to detail, historically and emotionally, made this a true page turner--all 800+ pages! For anyone who's ever wondered what it was like in England's Courts way back when, you'll come away with great insight. Winson's gift was wonderfully exposed through this book. I completely enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful historical novel
Review: I have always loved this book, and although Amber leaves a fair bit to be desired as a person, she sure makes a great character! Her trials and tribulations, erratic love life and great passion make this a tale that fairly races along and keeps the reader interested. In addition, Ms Windsor has her historical details right as well - something that I always look for, and she paints the brightness of Reformation England with as much life and vigour as it must have had at the time. If you want a great historical romance, here it is. Unashamedly a book for a lazy weekend of indulgence!
Rating:
Summary: I found it in my Attic!
Review: I first found this book about 5 years ago in my attic. It had a plain, tattered green cover, not very appealing. The only reason I had taken it from the attic was because it had belonged to my great grandmother, and I wanted to know what she had been interested in. Well I started reading it and I couldn't stop. I'm now 21 and I am looking to buy a new copy(I read mine to death). Even though I had only met my great grandmother twice, I feel that because of this book we have something in common that has lasted over so many years. I bet she loved the devilish side of Amber as much as I do.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This book was recommended to me by someone who knew of my entrancement with Gone With the Wind. All I can say is Amber is no Scarlett O'Hara. I would have enjoyed the book far more had it just been a work of historical fiction without the lovesick heroine who I did not feel anything for other than pity involved. There were storylines in the book that I thought should have been explored and weren't. I forced myself to finish the book, because I don't like to leave books unread but this is one book that I am severely disappointed that I purchased and didn't just take out from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Still one of the best!
Review: When I was a kid, my mother told me about sneaking "Forever Amber" out of her older sister's room and being grounded for two months when the book was found in her possession! Naturally, when I came across it in a used bookstore, I immediately snapped it up. Although by today's standards it's pretty tame, "Forever Amber" must have been quite shocking back in the forties when it was first published. But it's not the racy tidbits that will keep you reading--it's the astounding historical details and just plain old good storytelling. It's got its flaws--Amber's complete wishy-washiness when it came to Bruce being the major one--but this is still an escapist classic. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible!
Review: This was a huge diappointment. At 900+ pages, I can only emphasize "huge." We read it for our book club, which was the only reason I finished the story. I found Amber to be the most self-absorbed, manipulative, selfish, immature and mean-spirited person. Reading about this insipid character and her journey was so infuriating. Any enjoyment out of this book is baffling.
Rating:
Summary: To call Forever Amber a romance novel is a slander....
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: My Namesake
Review: My Mom read this book before I was born and fell in love with Amber St. Clare. So I was lucky enough to been given the name Amber, which I love. I just finished the book. It was amazing. Amber's love for Bruce tore at my heart. I admired the way she went after whatever she wanted. I love the fact that my name came from such a great book with such a vivacious heroine. This is absolutely one of my favorite books now. I hope when I have a daughter she loves the book as much as we do.
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