tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post108864317557863027..comments2023-10-10T20:43:00.969-04:00Comments on Books and Chocolate: The Twisted Sword: The Pentultimate Poldark NovelKaren K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-18547870136402758982020-07-12T18:53:27.687-04:002020-07-12T18:53:27.687-04:00I forgot to mention—my favorite historical series ...I forgot to mention—my favorite historical series is the Sharon Kay Penman books. I am about to read about the latter half of the lives of Eleanor and HII, and so looking forward to it.JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-50668407379452381942020-07-12T18:51:18.680-04:002020-07-12T18:51:18.680-04:00I read six of the books, through The Four Swans, a...I read six of the books, through The Four Swans, and then sort of forgot about the series. I really enjoyed them and was reading on pace with the TV series, but then I lost interest in the TV series as it seemed to get repetitive. I may pick it up again—I like the setting of this last book that you reviewed, and I did enjoy reading about Cornwall.<br /><br />Eww is right! Thirteen seems too young for 1815.JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-17970753795891454272020-07-07T09:51:25.624-04:002020-07-07T09:51:25.624-04:00I still haven't tried Hilary Mantel. I tried w...I still haven't tried Hilary Mantel. I tried watching the TV series and could not get into it, maybe it was just the wrong time. I know everyone raves about it. I'll have to try again after I've made some progress on my own shelves! Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-77352590404494546392020-07-06T18:35:33.580-04:002020-07-06T18:35:33.580-04:00Wow, congratulations! Just one more book and it is...Wow, congratulations! Just one more book and it is so satisfying to finish off a series. I've only read up to book four but I do plan to continue. <br /><br />I think the plan is to film all of the Hilary Mantel Cromwell books (right now only Wolf Hall is out, I think?) but the books are fantastic. I just finished the third one a couple of weeks ago. Ruthiellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871834571645928819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-11139545213914797822020-07-06T11:32:17.661-04:002020-07-06T11:32:17.661-04:00Oh, I hated the minister SO MUCH! Morwenna's s...Oh, I hated the minister SO MUCH! Morwenna's storyline was the worst, right up there with Elizabeth. <br /><br />I loved NOrth & South and Wives & Daughters! And Cranford is a delight. I haven't heard of Elswyth Thane but I'll look for them, thanks! Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-89049380150435625482020-07-06T11:30:13.145-04:002020-07-06T11:30:13.145-04:00A good chunk of it is in Paris and France, but I w...A good chunk of it is in Paris and France, but I wouldn't say the whole bit. It jumps back and forth to Cornwall and after the war they don't go back to France. So maybe 30% or 40%? Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-84813312888461609932020-07-06T11:29:24.983-04:002020-07-06T11:29:24.983-04:00I loved The Forsyte Saga and the adaptation -- I&#...I loved The Forsyte Saga and the adaptation -- I've seen the most recent one, but I think there's an earlier version. I also watched the original Poldark series, I liked it but I couldn't stand their version of Demelza, she was so flighty. Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-85575212662292912632020-07-05T21:49:39.930-04:002020-07-05T21:49:39.930-04:00I read all these books after the 1975 series which...I read all these books after the 1975 series which I loved but maybe I didn't get all the way through; I definitely don't remember this one. As a teen, I remember being very creeped out by the book where the vile minister was peeping through the wall at his wife's (Morwenna?) dreadful sister. You should also read The Walking Stick by Graham, a "contemporary" which was very good.<br /><br />Next series - hmmm. North and South is only one book but I recently saw the miniseries for the first time and liked it so much, I suggested my book group read Wives and Daughters this month and then watch the miniseries together (remotely). If you have not read Elswyth Thane's books, I recommend the Williamsburg Novels although most sadly there is no miniseries. CLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03595294217111602231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-24977652236714686892020-07-05T17:51:03.892-04:002020-07-05T17:51:03.892-04:00I've read this series - twice and will probabl...I've read this series - twice and will probably do so again, they're historically correct too. I have all of the books in a bookcase which is an easy reach from my bedside. I didn't think much of the most recent TV dramatisation though. The original 1975 series is so much better. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075560/ and Warleggan is as he was described in the book, a bruiser, not a fop! What about Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga? - if you haven't already read it, it's a TV series too.Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18138715309807238198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-34792567305123061342020-07-05T10:56:09.498-04:002020-07-05T10:56:09.498-04:00I read the first two right after I watched the ser...I read the first two right after I watched the series. I am not a person who enjoys long books, and I don't do well with series either---I'm a dabbler, I think. But if this book is set in Paris, I might jump ahead (yes, I do that, too) and read it during July. Thanks for giving this book and this series a heads up.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-14998044917840318872020-07-04T19:37:13.501-04:002020-07-04T19:37:13.501-04:00Most of the books aren't that long, around 400...Most of the books aren't that long, around 400 pages. I think the last two are longer because they were published later and Graham was trying to wrap everything up. There's no fantasy, the first novel starts when Ross Poldark returns after the American revolution. It's just a lot of books, Graham started the series in 1945 and finished in 2002! <br /><br />And I don't think girls were usually married off that young -- the average is actually around 19 in the 1700s and later in the 1800s. It was very rare for girls to be married off that young, usually royalty and the marriages weren't consummated until later. And many people did live to be old -- it's just that there were so many child deaths, it brings down the average. If you lived past your teens you had a good chance of living a pretty long life, as long as you didn't die in childbirth. <br /><br />The daughter Bella isn't married off at 13, she looks older, but the guy hanging around her who's in love with her is about 19. It still makes me uncomfortable.Karen K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13483190930383406559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8027299943447728658.post-29830155667497684792020-07-04T18:29:38.891-04:002020-07-04T18:29:38.891-04:00I've often wondered about these books, but the...I've often wondered about these books, but their size puts me off! For some reason I thought they were a blend of historical fiction and fantasy, like the Outlander books.<br /><br />My understanding of that time period is, that as soon as a girl reached puberty, she was ready to be married off. Being a teenager wasn't a stage of development as we now see it. In 1800 if you lived to be 40 you were doing exceptionally well - you had to cram a lot of adult living into just 25 yrs! Hard to imagine!Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.com