Sarum: 30th anniversary edition of the bestselling novel

Livre très intéressant

The first novel I read by Edward Rutherfurd was, RUSSKA. I was enthralled and hooked by the sheer scope of his writing, and I knew I'd read more of his novels.Historical fiction has always been my favorite category of great books. I am often asked why I prefer historical fiction, and the reason I give is that the great writers in this genre, including Michener and Rutherfurd, introduce fictional characters who lived amidst actual historical events; epic periods that transformed human history. The great writes paint a canvas, which makes these historic events all the more fascinating.But also, the reader gets to know what the characters are like in the way one gets to know a new neighbor or a co-worker. We are able to learn how these characters coped during critical and turbulent times during human history. When done well, the great writers allow us to meet their main characters not unlike in today's high tech virtual reality. We learn what they are thinking, and how they feel about their personal dilemmas, and about the social/political/religious events that occur in their daily lives.For readers [like me] who have a good imagination, when led by a great writer, we can visualize the faces and hear the voices of the characters these great authors create. We can feel their pains, their passions, their fears. We get to know the intricate details of their personalities. In fact, there are many we come to love and despise, and there are many who we can relate to. Most of all, when introduced by the BEST writers/authors of historical fiction, there are many character who we remember for years to come, if not the remainder of our lives.Oh my! In this regard, Edward Rutherfurd's SARUM did not disappoint. From the very beginning, I became captivated by the early history about the settlement of Sarum and the events that led to the founding of Stonehenge, which was one of my favorite sections of this great novel. Specifically, I enjoyed Rutherfurd's description and vivid details of how Stonehenge was evolved. Of the various theories, Rutherfurd chose the most plausible. And he begins by introducing the reader to the mason, Nooma, who through an amazing tale was put in charge of building Stonehenge; a character described as a short unsightly man, broad at the shoulders with a big head, etc., and how he was beset with constant problems trying to build the temple by a seemingly impossible deadline given him by the High Priest.The reason I so thoroughly enjoyed Rutherfurd's conception/description of the character he created in Nooma, was because despite the improbable odds, I came to understand Nooma. I knew that Nooma was very proud of his craftsmanship, and that he would figure out how to solve each enormous problem, such as the task of moving the massive stones to the building site. And, through Rutherfurd's excellent story telling, I felt compassion for Nooma because he won my affection. It was as if I knew him personally, for many years. I felt sympathy for him knowing that he was dealing with a wife and friend who deceived him. But also, Nooma became more endeared to readers because we sensed his fear, and the urgency he faced as he tackled the tasks before him. From a 'practical' perspective, Nooma knew and understood all too well that he would be sacrificed to the Gods if he didn't meet the High Priest's deadline.Also, Rutherfurd's [fictionalized] story of Stonehenge allows the reader to better understand how knowledge of astronomy evolved, and how astronomy would forever play a major role in both religious ceremonies and everyday life. Furthermore, in SARUM, the chapter about the building of Stonehenge gave me a better understanding of how similar [most] ancient societies are respective to religious rites [including human sacrifice to the Gods], and the power that high priest/spiritual men/shamans have over kings, emperors, and tribal chiefs.If you are a fan of historical fiction, you too will enjoy this amazing epic. Rutherfurd is a master story teller, and he leaves no details undone.I highly recommend that you add, SARUM THE NOVEL to your collection.Maizie Lucille JamesJuly 11, 2010

Very large subject, but for me it failed to reach the atmosphere needed in most historical periods. A little compromising with commercial expectations and easy reading. Nothing wrong with that... simply not at the level of other similar authors.Worth reading yes...simply a little mild.

This was the first book that I've read by Edward Rutherfurd and it won't be my last. I waited until I went on holiday to begin it as I wanted to read this historical fiction with as few interruptions as possible. As it was, I needed a break from it a couple of times and actually read two other books alongside it which is unlike me to do.This mammoth book chronicles the history of England from the start of civilisation to present day, through five family lines, which intertwine with each other and pivot around Sarum (Salisbury). It certainly would have made my history lessons more interesting had I read it when I was at school!Some parts, I found I simply could not put down, other parts of the book I have to say I found dedious and it became an effort to plod through them. As each chapter is like a novella in itself, at the start of each one, the reader has to get to know the characters again and 'get into' the story. This can at times be a tad confusing as many of the characters, being from the same family line, have similar or the same names despite them being from a different generation. I also found that most of the characters didn't provoke any real feelings from me, as the reader is really only getting a 'snap-shot' of each of them. I do wonder whether this would have worked a little better had it been a serialisation across a number of books.Despite this, I found this to be one of the most interesting books that I have ever read and certainly one that will stay with me for a long time to come. Epic!

De la préhistoire à la seconde guerre mondiale, on suit l'Histoire de Sarum au travers de "mini-romans", qui suivent quelques familles sur plusieurs générations. Je trouve que l'auteur réussit un très bon mix d'information historique (c'est très intéressant, on en apprend beaucoup sur les sociétés celtiques, l'empire romain, puis le moyen age, la renaissance. Vous avez compris tout y passe), mais aussi de pur roman. En effet chaque chapitre est un petit mini-roman (un peu plus long qu'une nouvelle), que l'on pourrait presque lire séparément (même si l'on apprécie les références aux ancêtres à chaque fois). Chaque "nouvelle" est différente, travaillée avec des protagonistes bien posés. Bref, même si c'est très long, on ne s'ennuie jamais. Je recommande chaudement, et je planifie d'en lire un autre de cet auteur!