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Summary: Exquisite stories
Review: If you have not read this author's other books, London and Sarum please do so for they are as outstanding as is this newest book by a wonderful author and historian.I don't know when I have enjoyed history as much for Rutherfurd tells it in the most beguiling ways through stories of real people, their trials, loves and losses. At times one can find tears flowing because they are so poignant and heartbreaking yet one is left with a marvellous sense of seeing history and tradition so revered by our British friends lovingly revealed here. It is difficult to put this book down for many reasons. Each story in each period of time that he writes of has so many nuances that one may want to race through the pages, yet, it is not the best course for a lot of information relevant to the foundation of the early settlement of America by British colonists becomes increasingly clear and a new respect for the traditions our own American land are wonderful to recognize. What is especially delightful is the story of those early forest dwellers, both human and animal. The reader is brought to a keen awareness of how deeply Britians revere their land and their ancestral roots that trace backwards into antiquity and are still present throughout countless descendants who carry on a reverent legacy of respect and love for their great forests. From shipbuilding timber to charcoal to wood for heating and cooking,to acorns and other benefice for the animals, the forest is an everlasting symbol of nurturance and as an invaluable resource for their life and livelihood. This book is a marvellous Christmas, Birthday, or general gift to a person whom you love and know is an avid book reader, and a guarantee that the recepient will be well pleased. You may find that you may want to read it yourself. And then read his other books for a continuation of his vast knowledge and delicious storytelling vignettes of life as we can only imagine it was in the British Islands over the past thousand or so years. A wonderful journey.
Rating: 
Summary: James Michener is alive and well!
Review: Even though Michener died four years ago, Mr. Rutherfurd has picked up his spirit and has done a great job. I recommend the Forest to anyone who is a fan of Michener, and to anyone who loves to get lost in great stories.
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Summary: my review
Review: In this book the author has taken the existence of the Crown Forest in Central South England and has used it as his background to present different lifes throughout England's history and how they are all interconnected through because of this Forest. The description of the scenery and the people, all faithfully following history is very interesting. The stories are fun and easy to read and keep you interested in thier individual plots. I also really enjoyed the description of the Forest in itself, all the lives that are connected to trees: insects, etc. This is certainly the result of some incredible research and I congratulate the author on his book. Good read.
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Summary: Dear Mr. Rutherford, Please keep on writing books like this.
Review: What can be better than to have a long train ride and have a huge, highly entertaining book to read. Mr. Rutherford has not let me down yet. As much as I loved Sarum and London that's how much I absolutely love The Forest. In every book he focuses on a few families and takes us up through history with them and you wonder about the origins of your own family.
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Summary: you hate for it to end
Review: A writer must be talented when you are loathe to see their work end after nearly 800 pages, and Rutherfurd is both a talented writer and a fine storyteller. The forest itself becomes a defining character in this work which begins in AD 1099 with William the Conqueror's designation of southern England's forest area as a royal hunting grounds and ends in the year 2000 with a reporter exploring the issues involved with recent controversies over the preservation of the area. In between we come to know several families and their ongoing stories. One chapter, 'Albion House', seems to be a conscious homage to Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' (with a smattering of Daphne Du Maurier) and is an especially wonderful story. Comparisons to James Michener are valid, and if you enjoy one author's work you will most likely enjoy the other's.
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Summary: Well-tried recipe
Review: Edward Rutherfurd has done it again: take a location and describe crucial episodes in its history using the fictitious characters of a few local families through the ages. What remains is a very bulky, entertaining though not earth shattering book. After his "histories" of Salisbury, London and Russia he has now chosen the Forest, an extensive woodland area south of Salisbury. The book is well written and reads fast despite its 800+ pages. The book starts in 1099, when King Rufus is killed during a hunt in his royal Forest. Edward Rutherfurd gives an alternative description of this killing. In this first chapter the author is quite keen on venting facts: a bit boring and interruptive to the story. Luckily this is less so in the remaining 6 stories which describe such events as the life in a medieval monastery, the Spanish Armada, a witch process, the time of the Puritans, the business of the smugglers which have always been active on the southern shores of England, and finally the way in which the Forest became a national protected area. I look forward to reading his next novel on Dublin...
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Summary: Masterful blend of history and storytelling
Review: Spanning centuries of British history, The Forest keeps the reader engrossed with the lives and emotions of its characters. Not only does Rutherfurd offer a continuing saga of the various families who inhabit the area, but also a natural history, detailing the behavior of the deer and the cycle of the trees, which form a constant backdrop for the human drama. The author's command of the language and of interesting tidbits of knowledge, such as the process of charcoal production, make this a very satisfying read. It was a great book to settle in with for the summer.
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Summary: WOW !!!!!
Review: I've just finished reading this wonderful book and feel as though I've just gorged myself on the whole of a very large block of chocolate--sated but VERY satisfied ! The story of The Forest begins shortly after the closure of these acres by William the Conqueror ,to create a natural hunting reserve for the benefit of himself and the nobles of his court. The saga continues through the major periods of English history and involves both the more aristocratic of the forests inhabitants as well as the local peasantry.The family lines of both of these classes of the forests inhabitants,weave their ways down through the years, occasionally intertwining and always maintaining the forest as an entity in it's own right. This is a fascinating glimpse of history through the ages and an equally fascinating look at the lives and customs of the forest dwellers over the centuries. Can't wait for Mr.Rutherfurds next offering , "Dublin".
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Summary: History alive!
Review: Rutherfurd's style makes English history come alive for me! In "The Forest", we follow inhabitants on a timeline spanning centuries, with interwoven ancestries and fascinating insights. My only regret is that Mr. Rutherfurd was not able to expand on each character; I would love to hear more!
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Summary: Delightful!
Review: I'm rarely moved enough by a novel to write an Amazon review on it (maybe that's because I read a lot of formulaic authors!) But, this one was something special. It's my first Rutherfurd. I know readers of his previous works were a bit disappointed in this one. But being my first and having no frame of reference . . .let's just say, I can't wait to read more of Rutherfurd! I normally read popular authors like Grisham and King, while I like them, this was a welcome change. It's labeled a "novel" but I'm sure most people would agree it reads like a series of short stories with a common thread, that being the settings, and the generations of the same eight or ten families that keep showing up as characters. While I didn't find all eight stories to be great, most of them were at least four star stories. My favorites were Beauliu, Lymington, and Pride of the Forest. Least favorite The Hunt. The characters were just so human . .from Brother Adam's moral dilemnas in Beaulieu, to the beautiful realization of father-son love in Lymington, to Fanny Albion's rollercoaster ride of emotions and problems in Albion Park, the plots and characters are very down to earth. I love some of the comic relief as well . . .for example The Grockletons in Albion Park, and more. One might wonder with such rave reviews, why didn't I give it five stars? Well, my only minor complaints were that on occasion it got a little hard to follow the political happenings and royal families. But . . .overall the stories were easy to follow. Highly recommended!
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