Rating: 
Summary: a good summer read
Review: If you want a good summer read by all means pick up Edward Rutherfurd's the Forest. It is by no means a heavy read but a solid enjoyable romp through history. There are loads of details, lots of twists and enough interesting characters to keep you moving along at a brisk pace.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful to hear, painful to the ear
Review: In seeking a way to alleviate the boredom which hours of car driving can bring on - I thought I'd try the much recommended books-on-tape strategy. 'The Forest' was not the best choice with which to start - and this is where I disagree with Audiofile - the multiple voices of Lynn Redgrave get to be near laughable by the third or fourth disk - especially when she tries to sound like a French person speaking English - layer that over trying to sound like a man - and it gets really weird. It was very painful to listen to and we never finished the tape.
Rating: 
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.
Rating: 
Summary: A book to savor
Review: It's been slow going with 'The Forest', but some of it could be intentional. Edward Rutherfurd's latest offering is truly something to read and savor. This book (there's no other way to describe it) is composed of eight stories (and an epilouge) that vary in length and follow generations of families--everyone from gentry to poor commoners who've been on the land since the beginning. Contrary to some of his other work, I was captivated in all of the stories. Most are no more than 50 or 60 pages long, so the form of the plot is quick-paced and literal. Longer stories (the longest being 'Albion Park') cover larger blocks of time and can be excruciatingly slow. You keep waiting to come upon some action, while Rutherfurd is sweetly biding his time with his wonderful descriptions. However, if you try to hurry through any of the stories, you'll find yourself lost and confused because you missed a precious detail. Rutherfurd's storytelling is unmatched. The climax of the plot can fill your stomach with butterflies. He also manages to skirt the "big" events in England's history, never directly putting his characters in a traumatic and dramatic period. (The closest he comes is the Spanish Armada.) He effectively describes everyday life for people and animals of the New Forest. 'The Forest' is most similar to 'Russka: The Story of Russia' to me. Both use a more saga-like form, careful to show the outcomes of the families as well as the setting. It is also the only English book of his I've been able to read (I couldn't bear trudging through 'London', which has been prasied as his best work). I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Rutherfurd's work or is interested in a historical fiction/saga-like epic.
Rating:
Summary: Nice short stories, light reading
Review: Like his other books, I enjoy the first few stories immensely, but I get restless with the leaps between centuries. I'm always wishing for more about the early characters. Because he writes this way I have trouble seeing this book and the others as "epic", because there is a lack of continuity between characters and stories. Sure, we know they're related and living in the same area but I see no grand theme, epic events or larger movements at work just because of that. I highly recommend this book for Rutherford fans, I actually enjoyed this more than London. Others might be aware that this book seems to skim the surface of the New Forest rather than plunge deep into its history, ecology and people.
Rating:
Summary: A true saga in the Michener vein
Review: Mr Rutherford has given us another story rich with delightful characters and vivid scenery. If you are a fan of James A Michener's books, you will enjoy the rich tapestry that is woven here. The story line covers an area within the catchment of his masterpiece "Sarum", but there is no duplication, and this book stands alone as a work of art. Also of interest is the fact that this book looks at great moments in English history, but almost skirts around them, giving us an insight into what it must have been like to be common folk, in the midst of great events. It is also very entertaining to read. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
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!
Rating:
Summary: Same song, different location
Review: Sarum was fabulous, London was fascinating, even Russka was interesting... but enough already! It's not that The Forest is a bad book. It's quite good, if you've never read another Rutherfurd book. It's just that it's like every other Rutherfurd book, which is getting a little monotonous. The families have physical or psychological attributes that carry on down through the millenia as if no other bloodlines ever come into the picture. It also seems like Rutherfurd is running out of interesting plots. The chapter Albion Park is simply a take off on Jane Austen (Mansfield Park?)and not a particularly good one. ("It was no doubt part of the divine plan that, having been endowed with an insatiable desire to rise in society, Mrs. Grockleton had also been created absent-minded.") Despite all of this it was interesting to learn about the New Forest, an area with which I am unfamiliar. I only hope the author will try to be a bit more creative in his next book.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
Summary: Despite what others say ...
Review: The Forest is a rich, vivid historical read ~~ with fiction intertwined with history of England's most lush forest. If you are a history buff, this book is a good read. It seems long but unlike "London", this book didn't drag in some places. Keeping track of the families were easier this time for some reason. Maybe it's because after reading all of his books, you tend to get an idea of how he writes. In my opinion, Rutherford gets better with every book, though "Russka" is still my favorite Rutherford book. Rutherford goes out of his way to find the little historical facts as well as the well-known ones. The characters are vividly drawn in their periods of time. The scenery is terrific ~~ the whole time I was reading this, it was below zero outside and all I could think of was hiding in the woods in the middle of summer to feel the breeze going through the treetops. If you are looking for a long read during these cold winter nights, this book is a great bet. Just grab your glass of wine, a blanket and light the logs in your fireplace and settle down for a nice winter read. It's worth it.
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