A Rage Against Heaven

by Fred Mustard Stewart

Historical fiction American Civil War

Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War, Fiction, Romance

599 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

American popular novelist, several of whose books were filmed.

Stewart came to be best known for his intercontinental sagas. Year in, year out, the 600-page mark didn't daunt him, a far cry as this was from early hopes as life as a concert pianist, something which had inspired his 1st novel The Mephisto Waltz (1968) which also began his lucrative connection with the film industry. Born in Anderson, IN, he was the son of a banker &, after the Lawrenceville school, near Princeton, NJ, he studied history at Princeton University & later piano at the Juilliard School in Manhattan. By the 1960s, he realised he wasn't going to succeed as a pianist & with marriage to a literary agent, Joan Richardson, in 1967, he began to write, & found immediate success with The Mephisto Waltz.

With The Methuselah Enzyme, Stewart showed wit, but it was clear that it wasn't Henry James. There was, however, a certain charm to Six Weeks (1976), told by a married aspirant for a Democratic senatorial nomination who becomes infatuated with a cold-cream heiress, largely at the behest of her 11-year-old, would-be nymphet daughter who, beset by cancer, has less than two months to live. Nabokov it isn't, but certainly better than the 1982 film with Dudley Moore & Mary Tyler Moore.

Reviews

[:))))) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devastatingly beautiful piece of literature. F.M.Stewart is a true master of his craft! The way he incorporated the historical events with the plot was beyond elegant. What a shame for the characters to have lived through such extraordinary events, but beyond that how interesting the way Lew and Elizabeth’s lives mirrored each other through out. Great, great, great! So fortunate to have randomly picked it up at a second had bookshop!

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read somewhere that this book was comparable, in many ways, to Gone with the Wind. The only real similarity is that both stories revolve around the Civil War era. I zipped through this really long book as if I knew what was going to happen next - and frequently, I was right.

Still, it was a nice, light read, especially if you enjoy historical novels (although there really isn't a lot of history here). The characters were interesting, some outrageous, but few made me want to read more about them.

This would be a nice beach read, in paperback. Hardcover would make you want to leave the beach chair at home!

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS BOOK TOTALLY SUCKED!!!

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of historical fiction and had always been told that this book is a "must-read."

I'm almost done and I have been really enjoying it. The two protagonists, Lew and Elizabeth, open the story at Lew's graduation from Princeton, on the eve of the Civil War. The two of them marry and have a son - sounds boring, but of course as all good stories do, the lovers are separated and their lives are intertwined through the Mexican Civil War, reconstruction, Paris during the 1870 Franco-Prussian war, Paris during the Communard uprising, and more.

Some of the subplots seem to be stereotypical, but I was stunned at some of the resolutions - you will be too!

This book has been out of print for over 30 years - it's difficult to find and I got it online at a used book store.

This was written in the late 70s when lots of trashy novels were hitting the best-seller lists; it's a relief to see the lack of gratuitous sex scenes - there are some, but they're in the book for a reason.

Finally finished and the ending fell a little flat - it really opened up for the possibility of a sequel but alas, I have discovered there is no sequel. Quelle dommage!

[Gscardina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have actually read this book four different times. My mom was an avid reader and someone gave her this book. I was a teenager and hated to read. I picked up her book and began reading this book and could not put it down. It was non-stoop until I finished it. Then later I was in a small country library with my son and saw the book on the shelf, I knew I had read before but just had to read it again. Through the years I read the book twice more. Today I was sitting with a co-worker discussing books and now I am wanting to read it again.... loved the book it is so memorable for sure.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of tragedies and had separate story lines for the characters who were all connected to each other somehow. Set in the 19th century, the story was about a black man's journey to freedom, a white woman's forbidden love for a black man, about politics, about family secrets, about a popular golden boy whose life was thrown into a spiral of tragedies all of a sudden and about a slave girl. There was jealousy, adultery and betrayal all around. Only one person gets the happy ending.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It's a big sprawling epic following the fortunes of Lew Crandall and his wife Elizabeth during the American Civil War and afterwards, involving murder, rape, revenge, betrayal. Lew loses everything, his family, his fortune, his freedom and very nearly his life, and remains alive solely to get revenge against the man who orchestrated his downfall. It's a thrilling book, with wonderfully vibrant characters. Definitely one I'd read again, I think.

[Allen Jeffreys]

This book covers the time period between 1850 and 1870s. I enjoyed reading the book, but there was several stories incorporated into the one story. The story did include the years of the War Between The States, but there was more about before and after the war than I had expected.

[Ibrahim Mohammed]

You want to know more about life's uncertainty, this is the mirror to see through.

[Karinirmgard]

Deutscher Titel nDie Unbeugsamen

[Karan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seventies-style James Michener, but not as well-written.

[Ramota Bashorun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in high school, and I loved it! I reread it over a year ago, and I still enjoyed it. It is definitely a good read.

[cindy townley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the history behind the book.Very sad how ended. Amazing how the country events influenced the lives of the characters.

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

In italiano: RABBIA CONTRO IL CIELO

[Misfit · Rating 2 out of 5]

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