The Four Swans (Poldark, #6) in Poldark Saga

Feb 10, 2018 QNPoohBear rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, georgian-romance

The French Revolution has descended to bloody madness and the British government is afraid the Revolution will spread. A series of bad harvests in Cornwall means starvation, disease and anger. None of these things directly affect Ross Poldark. With a prosperous tin mine producing enough income to fix up Nampara, a beautiful wife and two thriving young children, he has all a man could want. However, there is that unspoken lingering .... something... for Elizabeth. There's also the matter of the y The French Revolution has descended to bloody madness and the British government is afraid the Revolution will spread. A series of bad harvests in Cornwall means starvation, disease and anger. None of these things directly affect Ross Poldark. With a prosperous tin mine producing enough income to fix up Nampara, a beautiful wife and two thriving young children, he has all a man could want. However, there is that unspoken lingering .... something... for Elizabeth. There's also the matter of the young man Ross inadvertently rescued from Quimper. Lieutenant Hugh Armitage, late of His Majesty's Navy, is the nephew of Lord Falmouth, the leading Tory nobleman in Cornwall. Hugh, young, dreamy, romantic and ill, has conceived a passion for Demelza. Demelza is flattered but fearful of where his attentions might lead. This attention is far far different from that of Sir Hugh Bodrugan and the other old lechers. George and Elizabeth's marriage is crumbling due to his suspicions and long-held jealousy of Ross. When the local lords decide to play a political game, George is eager to get involved and thrust himself into the notice of the aristocracy at last. It will also be a dig at Ross, setting George up higher in status. Dwight is back in business trying to heal after Quimper but healing involves being married to his work. Will his marriage with Caroline survive? Demelza's brothers have some romantic entanglements of their own. Earnest Sam's heart defies his head when he falls in love with Emma Tregirls, a young woman who is not yet saved, nor does she want to be. While Drake settles into his new life trying to forget Morwenna, she is suffering, trapped into a loveless marriage with a man who does not even respect her. As the seasons change and the years turn, everyone becomes a little older but perhaps not so much wiser.

This was a tough one to read. I had to read it a little at a time over a long time. I had already seen the show so I knew what to expect but that didn't make it easier to read. The book is more nuanced and enriched by more politics, history and subplots than the show. It's worth a read, despite the darkness, especially for the politics. The politics are very relevant to our time today. The plot I liked best was Caroline and Dwight. She's very wise when she's not being flippant and sarcastic. I really liked her thoughts on a successful marriage and I think of all of the couples, Dwight and Caroline will be the happiest in the long run. I also found it interesting how Dwight was working out the effects of the mind on the body and vice versa whereas the other doctors in the novel made me cringe with their barely out of the Middle Ages medical practices.

The relationship I hated the most was of course Morwenna and Ossie Whitworth. He is a disgusting monster. He is vain, pompous, lacks understanding of compassion, empathy, kindness and human dignity. I can't even imagine the pain Morwenna is in and the private horror she is suffering. As Ossie points out, she has no legal rights. He owns her. This story really takes a closer look at what life was like for women at that time. I prefer the lighter, happily-ever-after Jane Austen/Georgette Heyer look at the difficulties of being a woman. Morwenna is clearly depressed and the only way out would be suicide or a slow, wasting death. Personally, I think I'd opt for killing my husband. It couldn't be that hard to make sure he rolls over into his pillow at night and stops breathing. Ossie's other relationship is appalling, even if it was consensual. How and where she learned such things, I don't know. It doesn't seem possible but perhaps her strong personality persuaded that wimpy librarian to give her books unsuited for an unmarried young lady. She's only 15, which we know from Jane Austen, is just barely an adult, like a 17/18 year old today. That's absolutely sickening even if the age of consent was disgustingly low at that time. I was surprised that plot didn't play out exactly as I had suspected from the TV series but it did seem like it could have.

Second least favorite is George and Elizabeth. He's finally becoming the villain he is made out to be in the TV series. Up to the end of the previous book, he wasn't really guilty of anything really devious. He leaves that to Uncle Cary. In this book his jealousy and suspicion eat away at him and cause George to lose all reason. I have new respect for Elizabeth. She really stepped up here and overcame her annoying vapidness to do what she had to do (even if she sort of lied).

I also liked how Ross acknowledged what he had done to Elizabeth, something he ignored in the show. It did take awhile before he caught on. I'm impressed how the screenwriter turned one particular scene of inner monologue into something we could see on TV. However, I still want to bash Ross's brains in sometimes. He's still moody and brooding. He can't get off his high horse and can't let go and open up to his wife. Demelza is sweet and caring. She is also tough and I don't agree that explaining his feelings would wreck their marriage. I did like that he acknowledged her opinions and thought about what she would think and say before doing something. I don't blame Demelza for her feelings for Hugh. If Ross paid more attention to his wife (hello, remember sexy stockings?) instead of bedding her, attempted to woo her back (again hello sexy stocking time again), she may not have been so flattered by Hugh's attentions.

I have mixed feelings about Hugh. In some ways his feelings for Demelza echo Ross's feelings for Elizabeth (which serves Ross right). However, Demelza acknowledges that he comes from a different world where the rules of the game are different from her own moral code. In some ways I felt he may have been too calculating but at times he seemed innocently in love like the great poets. As Shelley, Keats and Byron are small children at this time, Hugh doesn't have them to model himself after but he has the same sort of idealized view of love the romantics would make popular. I did like how Demelza's feelings were complicated and the way she acknowledged them to Ross. I can only hope it will make their marriage stronger. I think he's going to take his wife's advice to Emma. He is sort of obligated to.

Sam Carne annoys me. Now I have a much better idea of what the heck a Methodist is and why they're so annoying. Sam broods too much on the afterlife and that other clergyman needs to stop poking his nose in and being rude. Sam is doing just fine on his own and he may even get over this salvation business. I admire that he works in the mine and how he handled the affair of the condemned rioter. That was very nicely done. His feelings for Emma are unnecessarily complicated by his "OMG she's a SINNER OMG!" feelings. Why shouldn't she enjoy herself with men who give her pleasure? She has a reputation but she doesn't care. Why shouldn't she enjoy a drink at the kiddley every once in awhile? She seems like a hard worker and an intelligent young woman. I didn't like her at first because I thought she was kind of rude and tease and might try to drive the brothers apart, but by the end I had a lot of respect for her.

I also have a lot of respect for Drake. He seems a little depressed, naturally, but he works hard and works his way through his problems. I liked how he handled his problems on his own. Tom Harry is an awful bully and I HATE bullies. I don't know what his problem with Drake is, aside from Drake being Sam's brother.

New characters here include Lord Falmouth and Lord something or other used to be Basset. They are on opposing sides of the political spectrum but are not so different after all. I absolutely loved the suggestions Ross made for improving the lives of the poor as to prevent revolution. If only someone would take his advice and carry it forward to the 21st century! We could use a wise man like him here in America! Ross Poldark for President! I didn't like Falmouth much at all and the other one turned out to be nearly as bad.

This book is tough to get through but is just perfect for those who complain Jane Austen ignored the servants, villagers and the war. This book has ALL of that and more! Winston Graham of course had the benefit of writing 200 years after the events took place. Fans of the books will be impressed how the TV series, though rushed, is mostly faithful to the books. The events are out of order but mostly all there. ...more

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