I have been buying books for the last year from a used-books seller, and I had passed it over on several occasions before I finally decided to buy it over the summer. Then I put off reading it for a couple of months before finally starting last month. And it was definitely worth the wait!"Sweet Revenge" gave me a glimpse into the life of an aspect of Muslim culture that I've heard a bit of but never have really understood. Phoebe Spring,an American actress at the height of her fame, becomes enamored with, then marries, King Abdu of Jaquir, a fictitious country in the Muslim world in the Middle East.Little does she know what she is in for when she moves there.Phoebe is one of several wives of the king. When she becomes pregnant, he is over the moon, however when she bears him a daughter,Adrianne, rather than a son and then soon discovers she can bear no more children, she is treated like an outcast in the palace and in the harem (a place in the palace where the wives and children of the king usually socialise). Phoebe then falls into a deep depression because apart from the rejection of herself and her daughter by her husband,she has lost her independence as a woman as well as her dignity, with repeated episodes of rape. She secretly takes drugs,which she obtains illegally,to get through each day.One day, the King announces to Phoebe that he is going to Paris and he would like her to accompany him, for the sake of public appearances, which of course they both know as the reason. She pleads with him to have their daughter come too. Little does he know that Phoebe has come up with a plan...to leave him and Jaquir forever.Upon arrival in Paris, Phoebe sends her good friend, Celeste in New York, a telegram desperately asking for help in the form of two tickets to the city. The next day, while out in Paris with Adrianne,they manage to flee their guards among a throng of Parisians and tourists, catching a cab to Charles de Gaulle,getting the plane tickets from an attendant, then boarding a plane to New York.Initially, I thought that this daring escape could have cost them their lives, and really it could have. Once in New York, Phoebe files for divorce.Back in America, Phoebe thought she could have picked up where she had left off in her career,but the road is a lot more difficult than she imagined. Her comeback was never meant to be--she had to settle for bit crappy parts in films and even went as far as posing nude, trying to reclaim her glory days. And Phoebe never got better. She eventually succumbed to her demons,as Adrianne was trying all that she could to bring her mother back to whom she used to be: a wholesome and happy woman.This is when Adrianne decides she wants revenge, and she wants it bad.At age 25, Adrianne is a master thief, stealing jewels to benefit causes she believes in.She started at age sixteen, as a means of covering payments for her mother's treatments in and out of rehab. She would moonlight as "Rose Shadow" better known as The Shadow,to cover her tracks as a thief and be presented as a rich, spoiled socialite in the media. On a trip to London for a heist of a coveted gem from a certain Madame, she crosses paths with a man who will change her life forever, Phillip Chamberlain, also a master of theft. Immediately, Adrianne catches his eye, not only beacause of her exotic looks but also because he suspects what she is doing. During her London stay, he follows her and his suspicions are confirmed. He eventually woos her at a party there,and oh my, their chemistry is intense! Adrianne tries with all her might to deny it, and him, but eventually realises that it is all too much to ignore!I don't want to give anything else away,but the story gets more interesting from there!Nora Roberts' books I don't often read, but this is by far the best of hers that I have ever read!
Lai gan grāmata sarakstīta 1988. gadā (kad man bija vairāk par 2 gadiem), es domāju, ka reliģija, kas aprakstīta šajā grāmatā pastāv vē šodien (nē, patiesībā tur nav ko domāt, tā drošo pastāv, tikai jau pakļāvusies vairāk rietumiem ārēji (kā tas jau sāk notikt grāmatas aprakstos), bet iekšā vēl joprojām pastāv vecā labā reliģija un tautas tradīcijas.)Grāmatas sākums iepazīstina mūs ar galvenajiem varoņiem viņu bērnībā, laim mē varam saprast: kāpēc viņi kļuva par zagļiem; kas bija galvenais iemesls varones atriebības kārei pret savu tēvu; cik ļoti dziļi šī atriebības kāre ir iesēdusies, ka pat mīļotais cilvēks nespēj viņu no tā atrunāt un viņam atliek piedalīties atriebība, lai tikai būtu kopā ar viņu, ja viss noietu greizi.Man pašai šī reliģija (tradīcijas) ir nepieņemamas, bet es vienmēr esmu teikusi: man ir vienalga vai cilvēks ir balts vai melns – mēs anatomiski visi funkcionējam vienādi; vai tu pārstāvi kristietību,pareizticīgos vai kādu citu reliģiju – man vienalga, ja tikai neuzspiež savu reliģiju man – es pati nonākšu līdz savai ticībai, ja to vēlēšos, līdz tam man patīk sevi saukt par reālisti – kad ieraudzīšu, tad ticēšu.Šajā grāmatā varone cīnās ar sevi, jo viņā rit divu veidu ticībās, asinis – rietumi (amerika), musulmaņu (Džakira) un viņa atrodas starp abām šīm ticībām, asinīm, valstīm. Grāmatā viņa pati atzīst savam tēvam, ka viņa nav Allaha bērns, bet Dievs ir viens. Šāda atbilde apmierināja tēvu, jo viņa ne noliedz, ne pieņēma, bet tajā pat laikā viņš meitu norakstīja kā nebijušu.Personīgi man bija visgrūtāk lasīt tur kur aprakstīts par sieviešu tiesībām – kuru tik pat kā nav. Sievietes Džakirā nekā nāv, bet par viņām tomēr rūpējas, jo vīriešiem ir goda lieta radīt pēc iespējas vairāk pēcnācēju un vairāk tieši vīriešu kārtas bērnus. Vīrietis var ņemt četras sievas, ja viņš var viņas aprūpēt vienlīdzīgi. Viņš viegli no viņām var šķirties, ja viņa vīrieti neapmierina pietiekami. Sievietei ir jādara viss ko viņas tēvs, vīrs viņai liek, ja viņa to nedara vai kļūdās, tad viņu var publiski pazemot, sodīt. Vīrietim ir ļauts sist savu sievu, ja pēc viņa uzskatiem viņa to ir pelnījusi (Un tas man liek aizdomāties par nesen vēl tik populāro filmu “Piecdesmit grejas nokrāsas”, kur sieviete ir ar mieru sevi pazemot, lai sasniegtu baudas virsotnes un darītu laimīgu savu vīrieti, jo tas ziniet viņam ir vajadzīgs.). No manas puses tas ir liels NĒ!
What do You think about Sweet Revenge (1988)?
I like Nora Roberts! I think she is a great story teller and I think that she develops the wittiest relationships in her stories.This one is about a King of the Middle East who married a Hollywood Actress (kind of a Grace Kelly bit). Well when the King took his Queen back to the middle east, everything changed when she gave him a daughter and then could not bare any more children. She could not give him an heir. He turned cruel. He raped and physically abused his wife and had no love for his daughter, Princess Adrianne. When Adrianne turned eight, her mother took her and ran back to America. Adrianne grows up in America and does not have it easy. For reasons explained in the book....she becomes a thief. A really good thief. She has a Robin Hood type of theme. Adrianne's mother kills herself and Adrianne wants revenge. She plans to steal something very precious from her father, The Sun and the Moon.The Sun and the Moon is a necklace that rightfully belonged to Adrianne's mother. It is a huge diamond and pearl necklace. Adrianne wants to take it because her father cared for it more than he did her and her mother. In walks Phillip Chamberlin...Yum!! He is a former thief who now works for Interpol. He is actually tracking Adrianne but ends up falling in love with her. Adrianne has has such bad experiences that she pushes him away which only makes him try harder. He wants her to leave the thief world behind. She promises after this last job! How will that go...
—Audrie Cruz-Sealey
Estive muito perto de não comprar este livro porque pensei 'mais de 50 livros depois, o que é que esta escritora ainda poderá ter para me oferecer?!...Bastante, ao que parece. 'Tudo o que Ficou para Trás' foge um bocadinho ao que é habitual em Nora Roberts; não só aborda o Islão, algo que eu nunca vi a autora discutir ou desenvolver noutro livro como a escrita é ligeiramente diferente, menos trabalhada, mais poupada em descrição e caracterização. A estrela de cinema Phoebe deixa tudo para trás ao casar com o rei de Jaquir, Abdu, sem imaginar que um dia o amor dele se transformaria em ódio, carinho em violência e atenção em desprezo. Aprisionada num país onde a religião é usada para controlar a mulher em todos os aspectos, Phoebe escolhe viver em constante entorpecimento, recorrendo ao álcool e a comprimidos e só quando a crueldade de Abdu ameaça directamente a filha de ambos, Adrianne, Phoebe decide fugir para a América. Desprezada pelo pai e espectadora constante do sofrimento da mãe, Adrianne promete vingar-se roubando a jóia mais preciosa de Jaquir... e pelo caminho encontra um ladrão à sua altura! Interessei-me mais pela primeira parte deste livro já que na segunda metade o enredo se tenha tornado muito previsível. Roberts manteve uma abordagem superficial, revoltando-nos ainda assim com o sofrimento que Abdu impõe a Phoebe e o seu descomprometimento e desinteresse para com a própria filha. Em compensação, a relação de Philip com a sua mãe é muito ternurenta e a interacção entre ambos compõe algumas das minhas cenas preferidas no livro.
—Tempo de Ler
While compelling enough to keep me reading to the end, this one left me wincing at multiple points. One note tyrannical muslim dictator in nondescript "middle eastern" country is married to an American movie star and forces her to keep up appearances while he rapes and ignores her for having a girl instead of a boy. She and her daughter escape back to the US and she attempts to re-start her career but the damage is done and she is consumed by addiction.Her daughter, Adrianne witnesses all of this and vows revenge on her father. She plans to steal back the necklace that should have been granted her mother in the divorce.I enjoyed Adrianne's forays as a jewel thief. I had less enjoyment for her relationship with rival jewel thief Philip who seemed more dominating than anything else. Did she really want to be with him or was she just lonely? It's hard to tell.Also, the ending was less emotionally satisfying than one would hope with an "heroic couple" battling a one note villain.I don't mind having read it. I'm very glad it was free.
—Romanticdryad
