Poldark series; Ross, Demelza, Jeremy and Warleggan by Winston GrahamAddictive! This is the word to describe what happens when you start reading the first book in thisseries. Winston Graham has written historical fiction at its best. Cornwall in the end of the 18th century, where people are mainly depending on the tin and copper mines.The story starts when Ross, a young man from the higher classes, but without money, comes back after having fought in the American wars. Being rather disillusioned by his experience, he is on his way home. Already in the stage coach he gets news that his father has died. Deciding at the spur of the moment, not to go directly home, but visit his uncle to inquire more about the circumstances, he get his second chock when he learns that his first love, Elizabeth, is to marry his cousin Francis. With these devastating news he goes back to his house, Nampara, where he grew up. It is in an appalling state, and no money to take care of it. However, he is determined to take it back to how it once was. The other part of his inheritance is a couple of mines, where his father already had given up on finding anything. His prospects does not look that good.I don’t want to reveal too much for you, who are still happy enough, to have the enjoyment of reading the books ahead of you. It is a family saga of the Poldark family, and the people surrounding them. It is a tale of family, love and betrayal, the rich and the poor, the mining business which seemed to have thrived during the time, but now in decline, the miners and their miserable life, but with highlights at times, the people making money on banks and businesses, not always fair, the unrest in France, the smugglers of the Cornwall coast and much more. They just go about their daily life, but Winston Graham has managed to make it into a very exciting and eventful time.How did he manage? Mainly, I would say, in the narrative. It is written in a cool, almost neutral kind of way, but he still manages to put sparkles on the pages. He tells the story of a number of different kinds of people in a very inspiring way. He lets their life be shadowed by real life events, but otherwise you have the feeling that this is the world as it exists. It is highlighted in all the things that is happening with the mines, the village, the workers, the family situations and is woven into a beautiful ‘piece of cloth’. The other remarkable thing is the characters he has created. They overtake everything, especially the main characters Ross and Demelza. Even when the story is told with other actors, their characters are lingering over the story. Apart from that, you have the people working in Nampara, Ross’ cousin Francis and his wife Elizabeth, George Warleggan, a newly rich banker who is also in love with Elizabeth, other countryside gentry, the miners and people in the village. After four books they are all you friends. Hmm, maybe not all of them!Just a few notes on the main characters, which hopefully will not destroy it for anyone else. Ross is a fantastic romantic character. Strong willed, making friends over the class borders, a natural, thinking of other people (most of the time). He is sometimes a little bit too emotional and lets his anger take the better of him, which puts him in difficult situations. There are times when you don’t like him so much, but he always manage to justify the means in the end.Demelza is another fantastic character moulded out of a miner’s daughter and coming to Nampara by coincidence. She is the one who makes the longest ‘journey’ over the class borders, and has enough power to overcome the obstacles. Slowly, slowly, she works herself into the confidence of people and they very soon realise, that when she is not there, they miss her.Francis, is a good natured boy, too kind, too easy to lure into a wrong path. Getting disappointed in his marriage rather early, he starts playing and loosing his money. He always have a minority complex towards Ross.Elizabeth is beautiful and sensitive. Like a beautiful flower who is there to get admiring looks from men, but will bend with the first wind. It is difficult to understand what the men see in her, but maybe this was the ideal at the time. She is the one most difficult to get a grasp of.Winston Graham wrote many books, and being so impressed by the way he tells a story, I think it is a must to try some of the rest. The first four books in the Poldark series were written in the fifties. It was only twenty years later, that he continued with the other eight(!) books. I only bought the first four, but I have to admit that I just have to read the others as well. Cannot leave this story without knowing how it will be developed. However, since I tend to get so captivated by the books, and have a lot of other books to read, I will not yet buy the rest! I hope you realise how disciplined I am in this venture?I have some favourite books when it comes to strong stories and characters. Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, Scarlett and Rhett in Gone With the Wind, and Claire and Jamie in the Outlander series. To this list I can now add Ross and Demelza. He also wrote Marnie which was a successful Hitchcock film with Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren.From my blog: thecontentreader.blogspot.com
I've given the 4th book in the Poldark series a 5 star rating.The Poldark's continue to struggle along as Ross sinks every last penny he owns in a last ditch effort to revive the played out mine Wheal Grace, with his cousin Francis as his partner. The treacherous George Warleggan attempts to destroy Ross's life at every opportunity but thanks to a kind deed from an anonymous Good Samaritan he manages to thwart Warleggan's schemes.(view spoiler)[Sadly, Francis loses his life in the mine and he leaves his widow Elizabeth and their child destitute so Ross beggers himself by scraping up the 600 pounds to buy Elizabeth's worthless stock in the mine. Now that she is free the smitten George W. wants her to become his bride. But Elizabeth seems to want Ross and doesn't care what effect this might have on Ross's wife and child. When Ross learns that Elizabeth is to marry Warleggan he loses control and immediately confronts her. Needless to say, when Ross doesn't return that night Demelza realizes that Ross still loves Elizabeth after all these years.Ross's betrayal of Demelza was heartbreaking for me to read leading me to despise Elizabeth more than ever. But once Ross has partaken of forbidden fruit he surprisingly realizes he no longer desires her and never returns to see her after that incident, leaving her with no other option than to marry George Warleggan. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned though and Elizabeth is not taking her rejection well although I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Elizabeth brought down a peg or two.Demelza emerges triumphant leaving her rival in the dust. Unfortunately Elizabeth is now pregnant with what is probably Ross's child. Mr. George Warleggan will be extremely disturbed to learn he has a cuckoo in his nest if this new arrival unnaturally resembles Ross. There couldn't be a better way for Ross to achieve revenge either.FINALLY Wheal Grace's riches are discovered and the Poldarks are on their well deserved way to the top now. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Warleggan (1996)?
The Poldark's story continues in this fourth instalment and it is clear from the beginning that this could have been the end of the series and it would have been quite a satisfactory end as well. In this there are more changing circumstances with the mine as Ross' prospects dip then pick up again, there is trouble around as the King's men want to stop the smuggling that is rife, Francis has more bad luck and misfortune, and there are disastrous consequences as a result of one fateful night that lead to another fateful night, the ninth of May, which after reading this book I think the ninth of May will always be stuck in my head. As a result of this Demelza faces heartache and turmoil on her personal front but Jeremy continues to progress and give her some happiness. 'Warleggan' is a good instalment in the Poldark series but due to the direction Graham takes the plot I did not completely love this, the plot change is dramatic and quite surprising and I am not sure all that believable for the characters. However later in the book when motivations are explained it does seem like it would be something that happened. I did think that it ruined about 100 pages of the book although saying that Graham turns things around nicely and I really loved the last two hundred pages of the book and after all not everyone is happy for their entire lives. The plot was very exciting and as a result I could not put this down and I enjoyed that there were so many different things going on. All of the usual characters are in this again which is nice and there are not really any new characters, especially no major new characters, so I felt it allowed for the others to develop more. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Dwight and Caroline. Overall this was a good instalment and I start the next book intrigues as to what will
—Megan Jones
This series is hardcore addictive as it enters its fourth installment. The financial picture for the Poldarks and nearly all of Cornwall has gone from bleak to desperate as supposedly long-buried affections reignite with disastrous results. The wonderfully drawn Caroline takes center stage a bit here too as a woman fighting to make her own choices as the more generically characterized Dwight Enys finally comes into focus. The upstart George continues to grow in menace and power. In the middle of all this is deftly handled portrait of what years of grinding loss and disappointment can do to two people and a marriage.
—Sherry Sidwell
The best so far. There's a delicious family feud going on and it really gets going it this book plus we have some new characters that were introduced in the last book that we really get to know in this one. Our leading man finally has his way with his first love almost costing him his marriage and on and on. Good Stuff!
—Debbi
