Rating: 
Summary: Lost in The Forest
Review: "The Forest" offers the reader bulk without satisfaction. Like Michener's before him, Rutherfurd's books have become formulaic. His technique is to string a series short tales upon the thread of the history of a common locus -- in this case the "New Forest" in SW England. Perhaps because we are familiar with the formula, it becomes easier to be critical of the components. His tracing of certain physical and intellectual chracter- istics down through the generations of the families that figure in "The Forest" stikes me as clumsier and more objectionable than when he did the same thing in "Sarum" or "London". Must the Grockletons forever be claw-handed and clench-minded and the Prides always fast-walking, fairminded and upstanding? It beggars belief. The gentry seems to play a more central roll -- or is it just a more boring roll? -- in "The Forest" than in earlier Rutherfurd books. In the "Albion Park" story we are asked to believe that a wealthy young gentlewomen in Georgian Bath would be brought to trial for stealing a piece of lace and worry that she will be transported because she is too lovelorn to defend herself. As that story ends, the aristocratic, remote, intellecutal man she has married rises in the night and pens a "confession" to her. We learn at the end of the book that it was only a love letter. Maybe the Brontes could have carried it off, but Rutherfurd can't. I also found Rutherfurd's coy toying with the theme of witchcraft in the New Forest uninformed. At time of the Conquest, where the book begins, many of the inhabitants of the New Forest probably belonged to pre-Christian religions. In Rutherurd's forest you are either a christian or a witch.
Rating: 
Summary: Rutherfurd's best so far.
Review: "The New Forest," set aside as a royal game preserve (or to be more accurate, as a royal deer farm) by William the Conqueror, comes to life through six of the families inhabiting it in Edward Rutherfurd's fourth novel. Opening and closing with a framing story set in 2000, the book's seven intervening chapters span the years from 1099 until then. Each chapter is a self-contained tale that covers a generation or two, telling the lives of the principal families - and the changes that time, technology, and politics bring to their beloved Forest. I'm fascinated, after finishing this book, to go back to its preface and discover that the Austen-like feel of "Albion Park" may be partly due to the author's use of a real-life incident to craft its turning point. That incident, it seems, happened to Jane Austen's aunt! Both "Albion Park" and the chapter following it, "Pride of the Forest," show Rutherfurd's characters acting within the tight cultural boundaries of their time and place - and yet, like Austen's people, they manage to transcend those boundaries. To show themselves fully, and timelessly - *human.* Even the women! After reading all four of Rutherfurd's novels, I don't hesitate to call this one his best. My one criticism is that I found the end of its framing story something of an anticlimax. However, that's nowhere near sufficient to keep me from giving it the top rating it otherwise richly deserves.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent epic ...
Review: ... in the style of London and Sarum. Will begin reading Russka later this summer. I write this review in the hope that the author will read this. Being somewhat of a Francophile, I hope one of his next efforts might be centered somewhere in France, perhaps Paris or an alternative region.
Rating:
Summary: The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd
Review: A novel that spans a period of 1000 years in a small region of England? The premise sounded original and I was willing to rely on my love of history carrying me through. And you know what? I got more that I expected out of this book.
Having not read any other titles by Rutherfurd, I had no previous experience of his style and though curiosity led me at first, I was soon hooked.
Following the fortunes of six families through the years, most notably the Albions, Rutherfurd not only relates a series of great stories, he also tells the history and politics of England's New Forest, and the life of its deer and famous oaks. The characterisation is strong, both heros and heroines are well drawn, from the Norman noblewoman Adela de la Roche to the mysterious Puckle and his many equally mysterious descendents. All in all, a pretty damn good book. The chapter 'Albion Park' left me with a craving for Jane Austen again and as a whole leaving me with a strong inclination to read some more of Edward Rutherfurd's work some time soon.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
Summary: The sustainibility of the human spirit!
Review: Another intriguing novel by Edward Rutherfurd Through the eyes of the ancient forest near Bath, Rutherfurd takes us through the generations, exploring the great conflicts in English history such as Norman vs. Saxon, Merchant vs. Nobleman, Catholic vs. Protestant, Royalist vs. Cromwellian and Industrialist vs. Conservationist.
He does this through sympathetically tracing the lives people down the generations of seven families: The Albions, the Martells, the Prides, the Seagulls, the Puckles, the Furzeys and the Grockletons. We read about waxing and waning fortunes and about ongoing family feuds, but always the main interest is through the people themselves of who's trials and tribulations we read about: The experiences of a young Norman noblewoman, Adela De La Roche in 'The Hunt', the Monk, Brother Adam, struggling with the love of a woman, Mary Furzey, in Beuleau. The tragic tale of Alice Lisle, caught up in the political turbulence of the 17 th. Century England of the Stuarts and Cromwell, in Alice , and the pain and redemption of the young lady , Fanny Albion , in 'Albion Park'. Always to the backdrop of The Forest, and its varied life, it celebrates nature and the irrepressible strength of humanity. An exciting and interesting read.
Rating: 
Summary: Light reading for genealogues
Review: Another thoroughly enjoyable historical voyage by Rutherfurd. While I personally find Rutherfurd less engaging than Michener, he gives a vivid portrayal of the place and the people that make it up. I have some trouble with his anthropomorphic depictions of deer and trees. However, the archetypical families, which evolve through what amounts to several novellas, make a very satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: A Work of Art
Review: As I neared the end of "The Forest", a sadness moved over me as I realized that the wonderful journey through time in the forest was coming to an end. This is not just a book, it is an adventure into moments in history in a region of England not often covered. Rutherford has perfected the ability to tell stories of ancestry while incorporating beautifully described periods of English history into his tales. There are chapters in this book that are profound. The story of Alice, her heirs and ancestors, is a personal favorite. However, each chapter brings new twists and complications to the evolving families. For me,"Sarum" is still my favorite of Rutherfor's books but "The Forest" is very close. It is another brilliant effort and worthy of the highest praise.
Rating:
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...
Rating:
Summary: History at it's most accessible...
Review: Edward Rutherfurd specialises in "Michener"-style books. Even tho he did not originate this type of novel, I personally feel he is the best at writing them for 2 reasons: 1) Instead of dealing with a very large area (Hawaii, South Africa, etc) as Michener does, Rutherfurd picks a small geographical area such as London or England's New Forest. This makes the focus of the story more manageable. 2) Rutherfurd is much better at characterisation & plot developement than Michener. "The Forest" is Rutherfurd's latest 1000 year geographical epic, & altho not his best work, is eminently readable. Unlike his previous (& better) work, "London", "The Forest" deals with an area few people outside of the UK will be familiar with. This of course means the historical events he fictionalises will also be unfamiliar to the average American reader, thus adding some freshness to tales of Cavaliers vs. Roundheads, peasants relating to their feudal lords etc. In the chapter entitled "Albion Park" Rutherfurd even tries to adapt Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" to his multi-generational narrative! Does it work? For the most part, yes. Rutherfurd's novels are an excellent way for a reader to get a handle on history, & he makes large events personal to the reader. My main problem with his writings is his tendency to make family members thru the generations have the same appearance & mannerisms over hundreds of years. They never seem to inherit anything from their mothers; a Furzey is a Furzey whether in the 11th or the 19th century. This seems especially strange in "The Forest" as he has the same families marrying each other for the entire book without ever starting to share characteristics! I assume this is the author's way of making a protagonist instantly identifiable & not confusing the reader with too many different people to keep track of. The other fault I found with "The Forest" was starting the story at the end of the 11th century. Although the Roman period & Anglo-Saxon eras are mentioned, there is no narrative covering them as there was in "London". Personally, I would have welcomed the inclusion. If not quite as good as "London", fans of Edward Rutherfurd will not be disappointed with "The Forest".
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