A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Dangerous Fortune
Book Review: A Safe Bet.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not Ken Follett's best work, but that still makes it twice as good as most fiction. Follett introduces us to the world of English finance in the late 1800s. The rich period detail and somewhat dry subject matter tend to make this a plodding tale a times, but well worth the effort.The story opens with the mysterious drowning death of a student at a boy's school. Was it murder? This questions hangs for decades as Follett wends his way through the Victorian upper crust and its seedy underbelly, and ultimately--as you know it must--the answer has tremendous and exciting implications for the dueling families we've come to know.
Follett's ability to present a large cast of fully-fleshed and complex characters, who follow motivations that take hundreds of pages to define, is unparalleled. Never in his books do you have to say to yourself, "Oh yeah, right."
The scope of the novel is impressive. I call it sophisticated fiction. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.
Book Review: A captivating, historical novel
Summary: 4 Stars
This book captivated me from the beginning and I loved every minute of it. The only negative I had about this book was the ending. I guess I expected some sort of surprise but was disappointed when the book ended logically. But now I realize what Follet did with this novel. Maybe if he wrote the same story now he would add a twist because those are popular now. But he didn't and I still loved this book.Dangerous Fortune tells the story of the Pilaster Bank and its fall. Most of the characters seem to be stereotypes, forced into a role by their position in society. But I soon realized that was how real life was in 19th century London. Your roll in life was largely determined by your ancestors, your profession, or your title.
All characters acted like they were expected to, the loyal wives, the respected businessmen, the sons who were the heirs, but Follet shows us how they got around being respectful by gambling, visiting brothels, and lying and stealing. This book is full of intrigue and lust and greed. I liked that but I also enjoyed the educational aspect of what life was like for the upper class of England long ago. I assume Follet knows what he is talking about.
I recommend this book!
Book Review: A couldn't put it down type of book.
Summary: 5 Stars
As close to a page-turner as I've read in the past ten years. A bit soapy at times, but a lot of skulduggery, richly drawn characters and some truly surprising plot twists. Enjoyed it immensely.Book Review: A riveting story, but too flat
Summary: 3 Stars
I was swept up by this story, but didn't feel that it offered anything substantial. It was like watching a soap opera: the intrigue is in seeing the villianess receive her just desserts. Unfortunately there was not much else to the story. No great prose or description. No great lesson to learn. Entertainment, but not literature.Book Review: A well developed plot and great charcters
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was as good as any I have ever read. The 500 and some pages went by quickly and I hated having to put the book down. The amount of details in this book is numerous, and you never know when a seemingly insignificant detail will become important. And, the fact that the book was set in the 1800's only added to the realism and probable accuracy of the book. If you have never read a book by Ken Follet, you should stronglyconsider this book.