Monday, February 6, 2012

Finished (Paper Book) - "New York - The Novel" - Edward Rutherfurd

I received "New York - The Novel" by Edward Rutherfurd for Christmas.  I haven't read any "historical fiction" before, but found the book compelling.  I've always had an interest in New York, so getting a feel for the history of the place was great.

The novel reads, well, like a novel.  It is difficult to put down, and there are linkages through the years from a dutch settlement dealing with the fur trade, and gradually moving the Native Americans away, through the takeover of the British, the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and up through prohibition, the Depression and on into 9/11.

Over the course of the book, there is a link through the Master's family from trapper days to the present, but also longitudinal following of immigrants from Italy and a slave/freed-slave family.

The characters intertwine naturally and the story flows nicely between storylines.  The history learning occurs painlessly, and I had little trouble keeping track of characters (I'm pretty bad with names, so this is an issue for me with complex storylines).

I found it a great read, and will probably read more in this genre.  I hadn't though Michener's books ("The Source" and "Space") could be considered historical fiction, but I had read these years ago.  I'm quite ready for another epic.

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