What a way to end the year! This is an absolutely blistering read and, I would say, the best Wilbur Smith novel I've read yet, and I've already encountered plenty of exceptional books from this author. THE ANGELS WEEP is the third in the Ballantyne series, following on from A FALCON FLIES and MEN OF MEN, and it truly is a fascinating experience.The story picks up right from where we left off in MEN OF MEN as the various characters of the Ballantyne family (and friends) continue their colonisation and expansion of modern-day Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia, formerly Matabeleland, under the pioneering Cecil Rhodes. Before long the ugly face of war appears in the form of an uprising by the oppressed Matabele, and it makes for an exceptionally tight and exciting read. I can't think of a better way to build suspense than with knowledge of an impending massacre.Smith's writing style is exhilarating here and this is an epic in the true sense of the word, really bringing to life the situation in Rhodesia at the tail-end of the 19th century. As with all epics, it's a multi-genre novel, featuring suspense, war, thrills, political machinations, romance and family drama. The characters are larger than life and the many twists and turns are constantly surprising. I haven't been caught up and immersed in a novel like this in a long time.The only detraction is that the story finishes, and then abruptly cuts to 1977, featuring a whole new cast of characters with their own problems. Nothing wrong with the new section, but it feels tacked-on and at a mere 200 pages it's more like a taster of the last novel in the series, THE LEOPARD HUNTS IN DARKNESS. Smith should have just ended this book in the 19th century and left the modern-day stuff till the next volume. Saying that, it is equally as gripping as the previous writing, and the depictions of savage violence in the face of war are truly revolting and upsetting. I guess the motto of this book is that war makes savages of us all.
Imported from tablet:Ballantyne Angels WeepFinished 8/5/20123.5*Dropped star value when Part One stopped at the death of that bastard Rhodes, and Part Two started out 1977, introducing us to events surrounding the fall of Rhodesia and the Ballantyne Grandchildren's shenanigans. Read By: Jon Cartwright Duration: 22:15Description: An exciting story of action, adventure and romance. Set in Rhodesia the novel's characters, both black and white, play out their parts in a turmoil of action during which the seeds of hatred and future tragedy are sown. BALLANTYNE:4* A Falcon Flies (1980)4* Men of MenCR The Angels WeepThe Leopard Hunts in DarknessThe Triumph of the Sun (Ballantyne #5 = Courtney #12)ANCIENT EGYPT 4* - River God (1993) 4* - The Seventh Scroll (1995) 4* - Warlock (2001) 3* - The Quest (2007) STAND ALONES:3* - The Diamond Hunters (1971) 4* - The Sunbird (1972) 3* - Golden Fox (1990) 3* - Birds of Prey (1997) 3* - Blue Horizon (2003) 1* - Those in Peril (2011)
What do You think about The Angels Weep (2006)?
Exhilarating is the word which comes to my mind after reading this book..Wilbur Smith takes the Ballantyne series further with this third book. In his historically accurate style, Smith chronicles the transformation of Rhodesia into Zimbabwe.This book definitely makes you understand why Zimbabwe got into severe problem 4 years back when the locals started taking everything in their own hand by force...Smith rips your heart out one minute and makes it soars the next. A must read for someone who wants to know more about the the colonial history of Africa.
—Rishi Prakash
El libro consta de dos partes, muy distintas una de otra.La primer parte sigue la saga, no muy lejos de donde culminó el anterior libro, y los protagonistas son los mismos. La historia narra de forma muy descriptiva y atrapante la guerra entre los matabele y los ingleses, y las peleas por el poder de Ralph con Rhodes. Los sucesos se encuentran excelemente interconectados, donde todo vale. En un lugar, donde las leyes parecen no aplicar, y, en especial, en la guerra, donde los civiles no existen. Luego la segunda parte presenta a Jon-Jon (el hijo de Ralph) y a Craig Mellow, el principal protagonista de esta segunda parte. Craig comienza a interesarse por la historia de sus antepasados, mediante Jon-Jon y los diarios escritos en los libros anteriores, se conecta con la primera parte de la saga. Craig aparece como la sombra de su primo Ballantyne al comienzo de esta parte del libro, y luego del resultado de la guerra esta situacion cambia. En esta parte se muestra una guerra moderna en africa, siendo este el nudo de la historia; teniendo tambiíen al bisnieto de Bazo como pieza fundamental de la guerrilla matabele. Esta historia resulta menos shockeante para el lector, y con menos profundidad que la primer parte del libro.Sin lugar a dudas la primer historia resulta de mayor interes, y mas apasionante que la segunda.
—Nahuel
Not WS's best. Though I learned a lot about the colonial history of Africa from this book. Especially the rise of Cecil Rhodes. No wonder that place is such a mess. The book is centered in Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe... This one made almost no sense as a story. Among the many confusing turns was a sudden skip 70 years into the future. I know WS is from there. I looked at the front and figured out that he wrote this a few years after the Africans took over again. So I suppose this might be a stream of consciousness book from a man who saw his version of the world destroyed and himself run out of the country.
—Michael
