Rating: 
Summary: a good read
Review: I would recommend this book to someone who wants an entertaining overview of Restoration England. But I would urge you, if you enjoy this novel, to go to the real source, Samuel Pepys diary. The audio version, narrated by Kenneth Branaugh, is exceptional. Like R Tremain's main character, Pepys was an intimate of CharlesII's court. He was also an exceptionally honest and self-discerning diarist. The only real comparison in literature is Rousseau's Confessions. Personally, I feel that Pepys' is the more genuine self-examination.
Rating: 
Summary: Great literary work
Review: It's been a while since I read this, and I was absolutely wild about it when it first came out. Merivel is an eighteenth century party animal, indulging in the most fun of the seven deadly sins like gluttony and lust. He's too good natured to indulge in the nastier ones, and he's usually drunk. He's attending medical school, and he has a gift for healing; he's not in the least bit squeamish. But he doesn't recognize the most valuable part of himself, because he's so caught up in the glitter of materialism and the resplendency of his idol, the larger than life Charles II. The king decides to make use of his merry but obsequious devotee and give one of his many mistresses a husband. But Merivel breaks the cardinal rule and falls in love with his charge. The king is furious, but he doesn't react as Merivel would expect. This is a joyful novel that beautifully illustrates the splendor and tawdriness of its time and setting while creating a timeless parable about self-worth and coming to spiritual and moral enlightenment. Ultimately the main character, his wife and the king discover and rediscover what is truly valuable. More to the point Rose Tremain has a wonderfully delicate, tactful and strong prose style that is a pleasure to read. This book comes highly recommended, though Tremain truly outdoes herself in Restoration's literary sequel, Music and Silence, which is set in the same period at the court of Charles II' cousin, the king of Denmark. That book is even better than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Great literary work
Review: It's been a while since I read this, and I was absolutely wild about it when it first came out. Merivel is an eighteenth century party animal, indulging in the most fun of the seven deadly sins like gluttony and lust. He's too good natured to indulge in the nastier ones, and he's usually drunk. He's attending medical school, and he has a gift for healing; he's not in the least bit squeamish. But he doesn't recognize the most valuable part of himself, because he's so caught up in the glitter of materialism and the resplendency of his idol, the larger than life Charles II. The king decides to make use of his merry but obsequious devotee and give one of his many mistresses a husband. But Merivel breaks the cardinal rule and falls in love with his charge. The king is furious, but he doesn't react as Merivel would expect. This is a joyful novel that beautifully illustrates the splendor and tawdriness of its time and setting while creating a timeless parable about self-worth and coming to spiritual and moral enlightenment. Ultimately the main character, his wife and the king discover and rediscover what is truly valuable. More to the point Rose Tremain has a wonderfully delicate, tactful and strong prose style that is a pleasure to read. This book comes highly recommended, though Tremain truly outdoes herself in Restoration's literary sequel, Music and Silence, which is set in the same period at the court of Charles II' cousin, the king of Denmark. That book is even better than this one.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful novel full of energy, historical setting.
Review: Restoration is full of energy and continually fascinating. I loved it. It's one of those novels in which all the elements are satisfyingly resolved by the end of the story. The setting, seventeenth century England, reflects an astonishing amount of research into the life of that time: a Quaker community established to heal the insane, with its division of patients by their potential for harm; details of dress (Robert Merivel, the hero, often tells us how he removes his wig, or puts it on, and the condition of his scalp underneath); chocolate cake as a normal breakfast food; and seventeenth century medicine. Robert is trained as a doctor, but has lost his will to practice after the death of his parents by fire, and the book is about his restoration and accession to maturity following this loss. Robert begins as a fool for King Charles II, marrying the King's mistress but forbidden to touch her, and it is this relationship to the King that shapes his life in the story. One aspect of Robert's restoration is his work with the patients at the Quaker asylum: in addition to the ideas and attitudes of the time, we are allowed to see Robert developing his own notions of the causes and cures of madness, which are applied with some success and some ruinous results. Robert's dear friend Pearce, a lugubrious Quaker who introduces him to the asylum, is a beautifully developed character of great depth, annoying and admirable and pathetic; they are orphans together. Two aspects of the novel I found especially powerful: descriptions of the Great Fire of London, including the geography of its spread and the behavior of the fleeing crowds, and Robert's love for King Charles. Nowhere else have I ever seen conveyed so well the notion of tender love for a King as a wise and mature parent, a love essential to European ideas of kingship before the eighteenth century. The intensely personal nature of Robert's devotion to the King-as-Parent is a fable, a fairy story, but it is brilliantly woven into a realistic story of adventure, failure and grace.
Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: Restoration is the story of one man's growth from selfish hedonist to loving father and gentle doctor. Sounds a bit like a heavy-handed lesson, doesn't it? It could have been were it not for Rose Tremain's tremendous development of the character of Robert Merivel. Sure, he starts out as someone we should hate-forsaking a noble career in medicine to hang with King Charles II, and wallow in gluttonous luxury. Instead, though, he's so darn funny and charming, you can't help but be caught up in his silly exploits, from his garishly decorated country manor to his persistently studying painting, despite showing no aptitude for it whatsoever. Then, when a foolish mistake casts him out of the king's favour, he's forced to find his own place in the world. Here, Tremain could have turned Merivel's maturation into a ... sermon, but instead, she lets him find his way, believably, back to humanity. He stumbles a few times along the way, but eventually he grows into a rather wise and compassionate man, while still retaining a bit of the twinkle of his wild youth. In the end, he is justly rewarded for his "restoration", and so too is the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: Restoration is the story of one man's growth from selfish hedonist to loving father and gentle doctor. Sounds a bit like a heavy-handed lesson, doesn't it? It could have been were it not for Rose Tremain's tremendous development of the character of Robert Merivel. Sure, he starts out as someone we should hate-forsaking a noble career in medicine to hang with King Charles II, and wallow in gluttonous luxury. Instead, though, he's so darn funny and charming, you can't help but be caught up in his silly exploits, from his garishly decorated country manor to his persistently studying painting, despite showing no aptitude for it whatsoever. Then, when a foolish mistake casts him out of the king's favour, he's forced to find his own place in the world. Here, Tremain could have turned Merivel's maturation into a ... sermon, but instead, she lets him find his way, believably, back to humanity. He stumbles a few times along the way, but eventually he grows into a rather wise and compassionate man, while still retaining a bit of the twinkle of his wild youth. In the end, he is justly rewarded for his "restoration", and so too is the reader.
Rating:
Summary: personal restoration
Review: Robert Merival believes he has a wonderful place in the court of King Charles II. He has been given the honour of marrying one of the King's most treasured concubines who needs to be temporarily removed from court to avoid the King's wife. They are given an estate and an income in return for the promise that Robert will not lay a finger on his wife. Robert becomes quite comfortable in his new found luxury, splurging on food, drink, toys and furnishings, believing himself to be quite the gentleman. However, he begins to become aware of one small problem, he is falling in love with his wife. Through certain events he comes to realise that he was not chosen to be married to the King's lover because of their friendship, but because he was the only fool that would do it without question. He is a laughing stock. When everything is taken away from him, his wife, his estate and money, he seeks out an old friend who works in a lunatic asylum. This is where Robert begins his personal restoration. Through studying and attempting to help and cure the people of their madness, he begins to see just exactly what kind of person he is. Rose Tremain is wickedly comedic, with stories of people that we can laugh with and relate to, despite centuries separating us. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as I have done with all of the others I have read from this wonderful author.
Rating:
Summary: personal restoration
Review: Robert Merival believes he has a wonderful place in the court of King Charles II. He has been given the honour of marrying one of the King's most treasured concubines who needs to be temporarily removed from court to avoid the King's wife. They are given an estate and an income in return for the promise that Robert will not lay a finger on his wife. Robert becomes quite comfortable in his new found luxury, splurging on food, drink, toys and furnishings, believing himself to be quite the gentleman. However, he begins to become aware of one small problem, he is falling in love with his wife. Through certain events he comes to realise that he was not chosen to be married to the King's lover because of their friendship, but because he was the only fool that would do it without question. He is a laughing stock. When everything is taken away from him, his wife, his estate and money, he seeks out an old friend who works in a lunatic asylum. This is where Robert begins his personal restoration. Through studying and attempting to help and cure the people of their madness, he begins to see just exactly what kind of person he is. Rose Tremain is wickedly comedic, with stories of people that we can laugh with and relate to, despite centuries separating us. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as I have done with all of the others I have read from this wonderful author.
Rating:
Summary: Great historical fiction
Review: Rose Tremain's book about 17th century England is glorious. It's a love story, but definitely not a typical one. Robert Merivel begins the book as an irresponsible fool that enjoys living the lavish life. Later, his circumstances change as he begins serving as doctor to the mad and then the plague-ridden. By the end of the book, he "grows up" and has his faith in the world and the King restored. Beautifully written, fun to read...this is a great historical novel.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Romp
Review: Set during 17th century England and the "restoration" of Charles II, Rose Tremain's novel, "Restoration" is the story of Robert Merivel, a man set on "restoring" himself. Merivel is a walking contradiction. He longs for money and power but admits that he is lazy about doing what needs to be done in order to obtain them. In fact, Merivel even eschews his profession as a physician in favor of an easier life, one that did not entail so much hard work and long hours. He actually marries the king's mistress though he is absolutely forbidden to touch her. Complications arise when Merivel makes the mistake of falling in love with, who else...his own wife. It was, however, Merivel's laziness that caused Charles II to look upon him with askance. Feeling that Merivel still had potential, Charles forced him to practice his profession at a Quaker asylum, thus restoring Merivel to his status as a working man. Although Merivel develops great compassion for the poor and the insane of the asylum, he does not completely transform himself. He still desires power and wealth, but his self-control have at least taken a turn for the better. This is the thrust of the book as I see it, the restoration of self-respect and self-sufficiency to Robert Merivel, although all of the other aspects of the book were interesting as well. Details of 17th century England abound in this novel and they all serve to elevate the book beyond what it would have been had they not been included. This is historical fiction with a comedic twist, and it is very, very good historical fiction. At its heart, though, "Restoration" is the portrait of a man, a very flawed man, who, through the acknowledgement of his own flaws, perhaps, is restored. In Robert Merivel, Rose Tremain has created a wonderful character: a man who is flawed, but honest about those flaws, a man who is lazy but caring, vain but concerned about his own vanity. It is easy to love Robert Merivel and even easier to relate to him and to his contradictions. It is Merivel's trials and contradictions, his loves and desires, that shape the course of this book. His transformation from a self-centered, hedonistic fool to a serious and sensitive man is beautifully rendered. "Restoration," though a commentary on 17th century England, could very well be a commentary on the entire 21st century world as well. As Charles II, himself, says, "Even in an age in which we wisely practice the excellent art of oblivion, certain things remain." It is the wise reader who will remember Charles' words..."certain things remain"...and proceed, like Merivel, to do something about the situation.
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