Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
This topic is about
Sarum
Monthly Group Reads
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OCTOBER 2014: (Group Read 1) Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
Ok I'm in :) I've always wanted to read this
I've been trying to read this forever! Yay, I'm excited :)
We have two books for October, this one and Wolf Hall, that if a person hasn't read them, they most likely will have them on their tbr and been needing the excuse to cross them off the list. :)
Even though I have read this book and didn't like it, I am fascinated to see what people think of it as they read it in the group read. It should make a very good group read book as it covers so many periods of history. On another note, like it or not, I still put it on my list of Must Read Books of the Historical Fiction Genre, as one of my two 'supplementary' books.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I do think anybody who likes the genre should read the book. They may like it, love it or hate it, but a must read it is, in my opinion.
Terri wrote: "We have two books for October, this one and Wolf Hall, that if a person hasn't read them, they most likely will have them on their tbr and been needing the excuse to cross them off t..."I really did need that push! Thank you A&MHF :)
You are welcome!! :D
Terri wrote: "Even though I have read this book and didn't like it, I am fascinated to see what people think of it as they read it in the group read. It should make a very good group read book as it covers so ma..."I wrote my most recent novel in Rutherford/Michener format, so I can say firsthand that what Rutherford accomplished with Sarum isn't an easy thing to do at all.
This definitely gives me the kick in the backside that I need to finish this. I read the first half or so over a decade or so. Likely the bookmark has made an imprint on the flanking pages.
Once I get this from my library, I will give this an attempt
I'm excited about this one. I do like the Michener style books and my first foray into historical fiction was Roma by Steven Saylor. It is a multi-generational history of the city of Rome. If Sarum is anything like Roma, I'll love it!
if I were a gambling gal, I'd say you'll like it then, Kimber.:)
I'm in on this book. I read it about 20 years ago, but enjoyed it. I will revisit the story for the group read. I remember being intrigued with the explanation of how Stonehenge was built, but I have to go back and review. :-)
Picked up a copy today. My first group read, I'm in.
I'm planning a trip to the Half Price Book store up the street asap to see if I can find all of this month's winners and losers. Really, really excited about Sarum and I'd like to have it in a hardcopy or 'real' book rather than an eRead. Unfortunately, strep throat (first time in 20 odd years) has sidelined me for the time being. *sigh**edit - not strep. Doc says it's viral and I just have to wait it out. Ugh.
Kimber, sorry to hear you are sick. Viral or bacterial, throat hurts, doesn't it? Have you tried the whiskey, honey and lemon juice remedy? My granddaddy treated all of us kids with iodine for the tonsils and throat and coal oil for deep cuts. Bee stings? Snuff. The milk cows got the penicillin salve. Feel better yet?Today, I am going to finish SARUM. It reads high and low, but the lows don't go on for ever and ever and ever, amen. The reader follows several families in the day to day life set in eras marked by wars, famines, unilateral persecutions, reformations and plagues. Presently, Napoleon is knocking on the English door. That was early 19th century--my grandmother was born in 1887 (died 1987), so now I am feeling personally connected to the storyline. Some surnames are still in my family today, especially Russell and Williams. The book is surprisingly easy reading. Going through the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses I was afraid the author would spell out in detail every battle. He did not. He wrote about Maude, but he did not mention her ride through the country side splendidly attired in white. I hope you all enjoy the book.
I hated this one. Never made it past Stonehenge. But I wish y'all the best.
I attempted París when it came out and decided it wasn't for me so have not added any other Rutherford books to my TBR.
I did love Russka: The Novel of Russia. Not because it was historical, but because it wasn't, if you know what I mean. I spent so much time giggling, I didn't have time to worry about the style.
I finished the book at 2 am, October 1, 201. I have no choice but to do wifely things today. I have neglected everything since September 25. The book ended in the best possible manner. Just a little flip that took me back to the beginning. I will hold my review until midmonth, but I gave the book a very high three stars. After mulling over the book for the next two weeks, that could change. Good reading to others who have chosen to read Sarum: The Novel of England.
I read this book about 20 years ago and loved it. It was one of the books that fired my passion for historical fiction along with Michener. If I have any criticism of the book, it's that the later characters are not as well developed as the earlier ones, although in Rutherford's defense, that would probably have doubled the length of the novel and it is plenty beefy enough as it is. If I can remember enough details, I'll take part in this discussion.
David wrote: "I read this book about 20 years ago and loved it. It was one of the books that fired my passion for historical fiction along with Michener. If I have any criticism of the book, it's that the later ..."I tend to think of Rutherford as an English Michener, who I like very much as well. (Michener favorites: Alaska, Poland and Centennial)
Though I meant to wait to write my review, I put it on Goodreads today. This book was hard to review. What remarks to make or leave out was hard. So my review is pretty generic. I liked the comments above by other readers.
Was so excited to read this with the group and it was actually available at my library but I'm afraid I don't have the time or inclination now. House hunting in a hurry seeing I only have until November 1st to move out of where I am now. Not fun. I haven't read anything in a week! That's never happened to me before :(
Some books get better and better in retrospect. This is one of those books. Good luck with the house hunting, Allie.
Linda wrote: "Some books get better and better in retrospect. This is one of those books. Good luck with the house hunting, Allie."I definitely liked reading it the second time around.
Allie wrote: "Was so excited to read this with the group and it was actually available at my library but I'm afraid I don't have the time or inclination now. House hunting in a hurry seeing I only have until Nov..."I haven't read anything in about a month! I have lost interest and need to get it back soon. I miss reading, but I can't find the mental energy for it right now.
Linda wrote: "Some books get better and better in retrospect. This is one of those books. Good luck with the house hunting, Allie."Thank u!
Good luck with the house hunting, Allie. :)
I really am enjoying this book, but there is no way I am going to finish in Oct (page 225 now). Where do I sign up for the slow-dude discussion group?
Oh, mate, most of us are slow dudes. We all hang out in here together. The fasts with the slows. :)When the group read month is over, the group read discussion threads stay open for eternity. Members still post on group read threads from group reads that are a couple years old.
So, whenever you have a thought on the book, the lights are always on in here. :)
Matthew, You can do it! It is a 31 day month!
haha! :D
Feels like group therapy! Alright, plugging away at it. I think I can, I think I can......
Always a meeting in the group read folder when you feel like you're falling off the wagon...or the book.. :)
This group read has been surprisingly quiet. Is that because most members have already read this book before it won the group read poll...or is the book not very stimulating?It would be both for me. :) I had already read it and I didn't find it stimulating. At all!
I keep looking at on the coffee table (I did manage to get it that far) and think 'nope, loads of other things would be a better use of my time' hahaThe first bit I loved when I read it, what, a decade ago. But I keep remembering that I really didn't like the whiny medieval folk. Not really interested in going back to it.
I will tell you though, that I looked at where the bookmark is, and I didn't even end at a chapter break, a page that has more than one paragraph, or ends with a period. I appear to have stopped halfway through a paragraph. Doesn't bode well. hehe
I'm not partecipating because Sarum is one of those books that I tried and happily gave back to the library before arriving to the end of the second chapter...
I liked that Rutherford went so far back in time with this one.
I'm kind of ambiguous about this one. I feel that technically it was pretty poor. However I didn't have too much trouble getting through it, and I admired the scope. I'd love to see this structure tackled by someone with a really good mastery of the short story form. If the individual sections were more engaging, I supect something of this scope would be really impressive.
Matthew wrote: "Picked up a copy today. My first group read, I'm in."Seems I'll have to change my name. Seems they let you choose the same names around here.
I'll change it to Matt until I see someone with that name too.
Beth wrote: "I'm kind of ambiguous about this one. I feel that technically it was pretty poor. However I didn't have too much trouble getting through it, and I admired the scope. I'd love to see this structure ..."I think you are spot on there, Beth. The idea is good and the first two stories were well done. especially the ice age one. But he didn't give as much attention to every story as he did to the first one. Typical that. Authors giving extra attention to the start of their books to try and snare the buyer who reads the first couple pages before deciding to buy.
Someone who is better at short stories would have made Sarum a much better books. Would have been able to maintain a standard through every story.
Darcy wrote: "I keep looking at on the coffee table (I did manage to get it that far) and think 'nope, loads of other things would be a better use of my time' hahaThe first bit I loved when I read it, what, a d..."
You know, I think we hated it around the same place. The medieval people were driving me batty too. the prehistoric folk were decent, but once he got passed those he lost me.
I may have said this in my review all those years ago, but I also didn't like the way he'd taken well know details from history and archaeological history, and used them as though they were groundbreaking information. For one (view spoiler)
It was as if he sat down and watched one documentary for each era on the history channel and used them for his research.
England does not seem to be the right place to build Romanesque villas.
LA seems a better place if they can't be in Italy. Too much rain in England!
Linda wrote: "England does not seem to be the right place to build Romanesque villas."But the Romans did build villas in England.
Yes, according to Mr. Rutherfurd they did
There's plenty of archaeological evidence for villas having been built in England and all over the Continent. Team Time found them all the time LOL
I know villas were built in England. Villas and the English weather are not a good match to my way of thinking. Lol No worries.
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Princes of Ireland (other topics)Sarum: The Novel of England (other topics)
Sarum: The Novel of England (other topics)
Russka: the Novel of Russia (other topics)
Paris (other topics)
More...
In a novel of extraordinary richness the whole sweep of British civilisation unfolds through the story of one place, Salisbury, from beyond recorded time to the present day. The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families. The Wilsons and the Shockleys, locked in a cycle of revenge and rivalry for more than 400 years. The Masons, who pour their inspired love of stone into the creation of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. The Porters, descended from a young Roman soldier in exile. And the aristocratic Norman Godefrois, who will fall to the very bottom of the social ladder before their fortunes revive.