Status
Available
Publication
The New American Library (1944), Unknown Binding
Description
Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England-- that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from events such as the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary-- and extraordinary-- men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have. Frequently compared to "Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber" is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s-- despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.… (more)
Media reviews
If, like me, you nursed a secret teenage passion for novels by Jean Plaidy, books in which men in britches seduced girls in corsets on horsehair mattresses, then here is some good news. This week, Penguin republishes Forever Amber, a big, fat tombstone of a bestseller that has been out of print for
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30 years. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member alana_leigh
It was the evening following a wake for a family friend and the immediate family (including those of us deemed honorary family) was gathered about the kitchen table, talking and watching the number bottles of wine begin to outnumber us. Not normally a crowd to show deference to any one person when
Forever Amber was published in 1944. The published version was Kathleen Windsor's fifth draft of the novel... and those 972 pages represent only ONE FIFTH of the original manuscript. Fourteen states banned the novel, classifying it as pornographic, but sex wasn't the only issue. From the Independent's obit on Kathleen Winsor: "The Attorney-General of Massachusetts, in explaining his reasons for banning the book, said that he had counted 70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, seven abortions, 10 descriptions of women undressing in front of men and 49 'miscellaneous objectionable passages'." Of course, this only helped it become a best-seller. In its first week, 100,000 copies were sold, and went on to sell over three million copies.
The novel tells the story of Amber St. Clair, a sexual adventuress who makes her way up the ranks of 17th century English society by using her wits and her... ahem... other endowments. She sleeps with and marries men who can offer increasing amounts of wealth or better titles, ultimately reaching great heights in society, though with a rather sullied reputation. Early in the novel, she has her fortune told and is appalled when it suggests she will have many husbands and several children, for she only loves one man -- Lord Carlton. Lord Carlton is "responsible" for taking her away from her small country town to London (I have to use quotes because really, Amber's the one who's really responsible for it and she begs Lord Carlton to take her), and it is Lord Carlton that Amber loves and loses again and again throughout the novel. He swears from the beginning that he'll never marry her, but this doesn't stop Amber from clinging to her hope that one day, they will be together.
Now, you might suspect that with such a racy novel, perhaps we'll be dealing with a story where our heroine goes on a journey and learns something in life. Well, you'd be wrong. The title is rather indicative of what to expect... because Amber never changes from being a selfish creature who is willing to do anything to get what she wants, but she's unwilling to accept certain facts and realities. From country girl to actress to duchess, Amber is forever Amber.
Throughout this novel, I kept thinking about Gone with the Wind (that "other" historical romance of the late 30s/40s) and, unsurprisingly, it is frequently compared to that novel for many reasons, such as the presence of multiple husbands that are almost entirely being used (as opposed to being married for love or such nonsense) to get back at another man (who she never marries), and an ending that leaves you with a vague "wtf?" feeling. (Though I have a somewhat higher opinion of Scarlett than I do of Amber.) It's not that I feel cheated, necessarily, it's just that the ending made me question whether or not I was supposed to be judging Amber, for such a fate suggests that she's getting her comeuppance. I had never before felt like the book was passing judgment on her, so I felt rather thrown.
Even so, from the first chapter, you can definitely see the origin of every historical romance novel in the pages of Forever Amber. It's easy to see why it caused such a fuss at the time, and, once you set all the scandalous stuff aside, it's an interesting account of various historical events (the plague, the Great Fire of London, etc.). Of course, why would you want to set the scandalous stuff aside?
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it comes to directing the conversation, it seemed like the widow was enjoying this unusual honor and for whatever reason, she led us to Forever Amber. She was explaining just how scandalous this book was when she and her girlfriends read it in their youth; they shared a dog-eared copy and circulated between them to read again and again. The wicked sparkle in her eye told us more than enough (though despite our protests, she went on), and within a week after returning home, I found a stack of Forever Ambers at the Strand -- so I sent one off to all the women who had been part of our conversation as a memento of quite an evening. But once the gifts were sent off, I didn't actually pick up my own copy for quite some time. (It is a little shy of 1000 pages, after all, and even with a book that isn't in hardcover, that's a bit unwieldy for subway reading.) I shelved it, amused by the script on the spine and wondered where it would attract little notice from friends. It was only recently, wishing I had a trashy novel handy with which to spend an afternoon, that I plucked Forever Amber from its tucked away corner on the shelf and found myself with a romance novel that might have been written in the 40s, but had all the feel of a contemporary historical romance epic. Clearly, here was the grandmother (grand madam?) of a literary tradition...Forever Amber was published in 1944. The published version was Kathleen Windsor's fifth draft of the novel... and those 972 pages represent only ONE FIFTH of the original manuscript. Fourteen states banned the novel, classifying it as pornographic, but sex wasn't the only issue. From the Independent's obit on Kathleen Winsor: "The Attorney-General of Massachusetts, in explaining his reasons for banning the book, said that he had counted 70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, seven abortions, 10 descriptions of women undressing in front of men and 49 'miscellaneous objectionable passages'." Of course, this only helped it become a best-seller. In its first week, 100,000 copies were sold, and went on to sell over three million copies.
The novel tells the story of Amber St. Clair, a sexual adventuress who makes her way up the ranks of 17th century English society by using her wits and her... ahem... other endowments. She sleeps with and marries men who can offer increasing amounts of wealth or better titles, ultimately reaching great heights in society, though with a rather sullied reputation. Early in the novel, she has her fortune told and is appalled when it suggests she will have many husbands and several children, for she only loves one man -- Lord Carlton. Lord Carlton is "responsible" for taking her away from her small country town to London (I have to use quotes because really, Amber's the one who's really responsible for it and she begs Lord Carlton to take her), and it is Lord Carlton that Amber loves and loses again and again throughout the novel. He swears from the beginning that he'll never marry her, but this doesn't stop Amber from clinging to her hope that one day, they will be together.
Now, you might suspect that with such a racy novel, perhaps we'll be dealing with a story where our heroine goes on a journey and learns something in life. Well, you'd be wrong. The title is rather indicative of what to expect... because Amber never changes from being a selfish creature who is willing to do anything to get what she wants, but she's unwilling to accept certain facts and realities. From country girl to actress to duchess, Amber is forever Amber.
Throughout this novel, I kept thinking about Gone with the Wind (that "other" historical romance of the late 30s/40s) and, unsurprisingly, it is frequently compared to that novel for many reasons, such as the presence of multiple husbands that are almost entirely being used (as opposed to being married for love or such nonsense) to get back at another man (who she never marries), and an ending that leaves you with a vague "wtf?" feeling. (Though I have a somewhat higher opinion of Scarlett than I do of Amber.) It's not that I feel cheated, necessarily, it's just that the ending made me question whether or not I was supposed to be judging Amber, for such a fate suggests that she's getting her comeuppance. I had never before felt like the book was passing judgment on her, so I felt rather thrown.
Even so, from the first chapter, you can definitely see the origin of every historical romance novel in the pages of Forever Amber. It's easy to see why it caused such a fuss at the time, and, once you set all the scandalous stuff aside, it's an interesting account of various historical events (the plague, the Great Fire of London, etc.). Of course, why would you want to set the scandalous stuff aside?
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LibraryThing member kren250
Set in the mid to late 1600s, Forever Amber follows the ambitions of a young girl. Born in the countryside and raised by a yeoman farmer and his wife, Amber believes she is destined for better things. When a handsome Lord Carlton visits her small hamlet, she takes the oppurtunity to leave town with
I loved this book. It's long, but so filled with an interesting plot and sub-plots that I had a hard time putting it down. Apparently it was banned in some places when it first came out in 1944; but by today's standards it's quite tame. You can't help but feel sorry for Amber at times; this book really hits home the point that everything that glitters isn't gold.
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him. From there she becomes everything from a mistress to an actress to a countess, living a very full---but not very rewarding--life.I loved this book. It's long, but so filled with an interesting plot and sub-plots that I had a hard time putting it down. Apparently it was banned in some places when it first came out in 1944; but by today's standards it's quite tame. You can't help but feel sorry for Amber at times; this book really hits home the point that everything that glitters isn't gold.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I've seen this more than once compared to Gone With the Wind as the epitome of historical romance. I'm afraid I didn't find this compared well, and given the nature of the heroine, aspects of the plot, and that this was written after Gone With the Wind, I couldn't help but feel Forever Amber was
The style is decently written omniscient, and there's a wealth of well-rendered historical detail, giving you the sights and sounds and smells of Restoration England. That's its greatest virtue. It's not an era I know well, and I found the portrait of King Charles II and his times engrossing. The book takes you from low to high, from Newgate Prison to Whitehall Palace, and though there are no explicit sex scenes, there's depiction of prostitution, adultery, unmarried pregnancy, abortion, etc that explains why this novel was notoriously "banned in Boston" and 14 states. The scenes involving the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London alone made the book worth reading. I won't soon forget the cries of "Bring out your dead." There's such a wealth of fine detail, from cuisine, dress, manners, superstitions, I can well credit the claim that Winsor read hundreds of scholarly books on the period before starting the novel. It's the kind of novel that makes me want to read more on the period, and that's about the highest compliment I can pay a historical novel.
The problem for me is the titular heroine, Amber. She's to me by no means as entrancing a figure as Scarlet O'Hara. Scarlet is not kind, she's no intellectual, she's greedy and vain. But she's smart, practical and a survivor--that's not fluff between her ears. Amber on the other hand... Well, when we meet her she's only 16 years old, a country miss of no education or sophistication. But she acts in impulsive, foolish ways you know when reading will lead to disaster. Like Scarlett she's greedy for pleasure and vain--but not a lick of the sense that redeems that other character for me. I thought at the end of Part I that maybe I could put it down to Amber still being a teenager, but she never learns--especially when it comes to pursuing the man she's obsessed with, Lord Bruce Carlton.
Still, I kept reading, because this reminded me somewhat of Anya Seton's Katherine, which I wound up loving. In that novel the heroine also starts out as a callow teen, and Winsor, like Seton, is good at conjuring up her era. But unlike Katherine Swynford, Amber St Clare never grew into a character I could root for. She has her moments, and rises to near-heroism when she nurses Bruce during the Plague--her finest moment. At times Amber would show some disinterested kindness or her (self-inflicted mostly) problems would cause me to feel sympathy for her. But those moments would be fleeting, because Amber would soon do something so appalling, I'd go back to being disgusted at her. The most likable and appealing characters are her victims: her second husband, Samuel Dangerfield, and his daughter, Jemima, the son of her third husband, Philip Mortimer, and his wife Jean, and Bruce's wife Corinna. I also felt disappointed at the abrupt open ending, which left me going "Huh?"
I'd give this a base of five stars for the wonderful portrait of a boisterous, bawdy era, then take off a point because I can't remember the last time I've despised a protagonist more, and another half point for an unsatisfying ending. If having a likable, sympathetic main character, or at least one of some depth doesn't matter to you, and you love to be truly immersed into another place or time, revel in a sprawling, trashy read, than this novel is for you.
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heavily influenced by it. The style is decently written omniscient, and there's a wealth of well-rendered historical detail, giving you the sights and sounds and smells of Restoration England. That's its greatest virtue. It's not an era I know well, and I found the portrait of King Charles II and his times engrossing. The book takes you from low to high, from Newgate Prison to Whitehall Palace, and though there are no explicit sex scenes, there's depiction of prostitution, adultery, unmarried pregnancy, abortion, etc that explains why this novel was notoriously "banned in Boston" and 14 states. The scenes involving the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London alone made the book worth reading. I won't soon forget the cries of "Bring out your dead." There's such a wealth of fine detail, from cuisine, dress, manners, superstitions, I can well credit the claim that Winsor read hundreds of scholarly books on the period before starting the novel. It's the kind of novel that makes me want to read more on the period, and that's about the highest compliment I can pay a historical novel.
The problem for me is the titular heroine, Amber. She's to me by no means as entrancing a figure as Scarlet O'Hara. Scarlet is not kind, she's no intellectual, she's greedy and vain. But she's smart, practical and a survivor--that's not fluff between her ears. Amber on the other hand... Well, when we meet her she's only 16 years old, a country miss of no education or sophistication. But she acts in impulsive, foolish ways you know when reading will lead to disaster. Like Scarlett she's greedy for pleasure and vain--but not a lick of the sense that redeems that other character for me. I thought at the end of Part I that maybe I could put it down to Amber still being a teenager, but she never learns--especially when it comes to pursuing the man she's obsessed with, Lord Bruce Carlton.
Still, I kept reading, because this reminded me somewhat of Anya Seton's Katherine, which I wound up loving. In that novel the heroine also starts out as a callow teen, and Winsor, like Seton, is good at conjuring up her era. But unlike Katherine Swynford, Amber St Clare never grew into a character I could root for. She has her moments, and rises to near-heroism when she nurses Bruce during the Plague--her finest moment. At times Amber would show some disinterested kindness or her (self-inflicted mostly) problems would cause me to feel sympathy for her. But those moments would be fleeting, because Amber would soon do something so appalling, I'd go back to being disgusted at her. The most likable and appealing characters are her victims: her second husband, Samuel Dangerfield, and his daughter, Jemima, the son of her third husband, Philip Mortimer, and his wife Jean, and Bruce's wife Corinna. I also felt disappointed at the abrupt open ending, which left me going "Huh?"
I'd give this a base of five stars for the wonderful portrait of a boisterous, bawdy era, then take off a point because I can't remember the last time I've despised a protagonist more, and another half point for an unsatisfying ending. If having a likable, sympathetic main character, or at least one of some depth doesn't matter to you, and you love to be truly immersed into another place or time, revel in a sprawling, trashy read, than this novel is for you.
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LibraryThing member NancyJak
I LOVED this book, I LOVED this movie. Amber starts out fairly innocent but watch out! It had twists and turns and corruption - and a great ending!
LibraryThing member bollix
Well-written, but I hated Amber A LOT. She is a Shallow Bitch.
LibraryThing member Kasthu
Forever Amber takes place in the 1660s, immediately follwing Charles II's ("the Merry Monarch") return of the Stuarts to the English throne. The book features Amber St. Claire, a young woman who starts out as a sixteen-year-old country girl, naieve to the workings of the world. She immediately
Upon following Bruce to London, he goes to Virginia, leaving her to fend for herself. What follows is a series of affairs and four marriages, with Bruce coming back from America now and then. Amber's marriages are imprudent: her first husband is a gambler, her second is an old dotard, her third locks her up in the house for days and won't let her out; and the last is a fop who allows himself to be cuckolded. Amber starts out in jail for debt, then becomes a thief, then moves on to the theatre, entertaining the college-age fops who attend. Her ambitions only rise from there as she sleeps with some of the most influential men in England.
Eventually Amber follows her ambitions using her two strengths: her personality and beauty, ending up as the mistress to King Charles himself. The last quarter of the book involves itself in the court scandals of the time, not the least of which were sexual. Winsor is a little prudish and shies away from the sex that occurs in the book, but she places most of her focus on the clothes the people in London wore in the 1660s. The details are lavish and gorgeous, and made me wish I'd lived in that time period.
Amber is NOT supposed to be a likeable character. She is probably has the most character flaws of anyone who appears in this book. Her desperate love for Bruce is the cornerstone of the story, and Amber seems almost too desperate. Even though she insists that next time she will act aloof and sitant, she throws herself at him like a puppydog. When she finds out that Bruce has a wife, whom he met in America, Amber becomes hysterical with rage. Eventually she and Lady Carlton will become acquainted at court--and the outcome is not good. Once King Charles finished with one of his mistresses, her never gave up on her. That is, he never turned her out of Whitehall Palace. Amber quickly becomes one of those mistresses, liked by absolutely no one at court. However, she continues to hang on. The plan that Buckingham devises to get rid of her for once and all is clever and leaves the reader hanging on the edge of thier seat in the final pages of the novel.
It was a beautifully written book that I will probably re-read over and over again. It gave a great insight into the lives people led at Charles's court, one that was decadent and sinful in comparison to the Puritans who had preceded him. A must for those who love this period in history or historical fiction in general. I also recommend: the works of Anya Seton, especially Katherine and Green Darkness; Slammerkin; and The Crimson Petal and the White.
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meets Bruce Carlton, a dashing young Cavalier, with whom she has a passionate love affair in choppy intervals throughout the book. They have two children together, but Bruce won't marry her for the reason he tells his friend Lord Almsbury: that Amber just isn't the kind of woman one marries. Upon following Bruce to London, he goes to Virginia, leaving her to fend for herself. What follows is a series of affairs and four marriages, with Bruce coming back from America now and then. Amber's marriages are imprudent: her first husband is a gambler, her second is an old dotard, her third locks her up in the house for days and won't let her out; and the last is a fop who allows himself to be cuckolded. Amber starts out in jail for debt, then becomes a thief, then moves on to the theatre, entertaining the college-age fops who attend. Her ambitions only rise from there as she sleeps with some of the most influential men in England.
Eventually Amber follows her ambitions using her two strengths: her personality and beauty, ending up as the mistress to King Charles himself. The last quarter of the book involves itself in the court scandals of the time, not the least of which were sexual. Winsor is a little prudish and shies away from the sex that occurs in the book, but she places most of her focus on the clothes the people in London wore in the 1660s. The details are lavish and gorgeous, and made me wish I'd lived in that time period.
Amber is NOT supposed to be a likeable character. She is probably has the most character flaws of anyone who appears in this book. Her desperate love for Bruce is the cornerstone of the story, and Amber seems almost too desperate. Even though she insists that next time she will act aloof and sitant, she throws herself at him like a puppydog. When she finds out that Bruce has a wife, whom he met in America, Amber becomes hysterical with rage. Eventually she and Lady Carlton will become acquainted at court--and the outcome is not good. Once King Charles finished with one of his mistresses, her never gave up on her. That is, he never turned her out of Whitehall Palace. Amber quickly becomes one of those mistresses, liked by absolutely no one at court. However, she continues to hang on. The plan that Buckingham devises to get rid of her for once and all is clever and leaves the reader hanging on the edge of thier seat in the final pages of the novel.
It was a beautifully written book that I will probably re-read over and over again. It gave a great insight into the lives people led at Charles's court, one that was decadent and sinful in comparison to the Puritans who had preceded him. A must for those who love this period in history or historical fiction in general. I also recommend: the works of Anya Seton, especially Katherine and Green Darkness; Slammerkin; and The Crimson Petal and the White.
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LibraryThing member damsel58
My feelings about this book? Eh. I found the title character too spoiled, naive, and deliberately obtuse to be sympathetic, or even empathtic with. Don't get me wrong, I adore 'bad girl' leads, but Amber was just too dumb to be enjoyable. There is no sense of her controlling her own fate at all,
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despite the author's attempts to show that. Whether subjected to men's whims, or her own childish impulses, there is no growth or awareness on Amber's part, and by the last third of the book, I was skimming as fast as I could to get a sense of story and see if there was any redemption for the character. I never did find it. Show Less
LibraryThing member patience_crabstick
Awesome. I had so much fun reading this. The language is excellent. I particularly liked the many colorful ways in which the characters insult each other. If only "catchfart" and "fopdoodle" were still in common usage! I love Amber's strong instinct of self-preservation, her casual attitude toward
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sex, her cleverness. I don't know a whole lot about this period in history, but I'd like to learn more after reading Forever Amber. Show Less
LibraryThing member BellaFoxx
Synopsis
Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England-that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From
c1944
I did not finish this book, but since it took the better part of a month to get to a point where I decided I couldn't/wouldn't finish it, I felt I should at least post some of my thoughts about it. Please remember this is just my humble opinion. First I found the character Amber St. Clare to be self-absorbed, vain, stupid and a little pathetic. She was little more then a high-priced hooker. That being said, the book also highlighted the way the society at that time was seriously anti-women. A woman without a man or family to support her was in a very bad situation.
Unfortunately, as one reviewer on Amazon said, "This book has the right title, the characters go on forever with no end". I agree with that statement which is one reason I gave up on this book.
Did not finish, so no rating, no reviewing, total lost time for me.
Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England-that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From
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whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from events such as the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary-and extraordinary-men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have. Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s-despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.c1944
I did not finish this book, but since it took the better part of a month to get to a point where I decided I couldn't/wouldn't finish it, I felt I should at least post some of my thoughts about it. Please remember this is just my humble opinion. First I found the character Amber St. Clare to be self-absorbed, vain, stupid and a little pathetic. She was little more then a high-priced hooker. That being said, the book also highlighted the way the society at that time was seriously anti-women. A woman without a man or family to support her was in a very bad situation.
Unfortunately, as one reviewer on Amazon said, "This book has the right title, the characters go on forever with no end". I agree with that statement which is one reason I gave up on this book.
Did not finish, so no rating, no reviewing, total lost time for me.
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LibraryThing member treehugger30032
Loved by many, Amber St. Claire uses her considerable charms and her wits to navigate through (or around) proper society and become the mistress of King Charles II of England. As we follow her journey from pregnant and abandoned sixteen year old village child to the highest positions in the land,
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we learn about the habits and mores of Restoration England. Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, sometimes reviled by those looking for a more intellectual read, this great read has been loved by everyone looking for a fine, engrossing historical romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member 2thnurse
This was my first romance novel I read whilst in junior high. I happened to have mentioned to my rather upright and moral grandmother what I was reading and she informed me that when she was a young girl, this book was very "scandalous" and that she had to hide this book "inside another one" in
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order to read it! (She was a young woman during the Depression.) For some reason, maybe the fact that I was an impressionable teenager, and my grandmother deeming it scandalous made this story one of my all-time favorites that I could read many times over and still enjoy! Show Less
LibraryThing member chrissie3
No, this is not a book I enjoy. I have read 267 of 972 pages and have decided to quit. I know the historical facts are correct so I have been forcing myself to continue to learn about the Restoration period in England, the plague, the London’s Fire, clothing, food, customs and manners. Yes, all
Remember, my one star doesn’t at all mean this is a bad book. It just means it was not for me. You have to decide for yourself what you are looking for in a book.
Dumped April 26, 2013
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that is here. Still, I did not enjoy it. The beginning was fun because Amber felt like a young, spunky girl determined to get what she wanted from life… and Bruce did blow her over! That was all fine and dandy, and they went off to London together. Then he disappears, and he had told her he would be leaving so he is no rotten schmuck. Don’t worry; this is all so soon in the book it is not a spoiler. It is just that I don’t like Amber at all anymore. Prison and thievery and marrying for personal gain, well, I just don’t like her anymore. OK, I could follow her footsteps to learn about the events at the end of the 1600s. It is just that I don’t care for any of the characters; in fact I dislike all of them. I would only recommend this book to those who particularly enjoy plot oriented novels because the characters just do not draw you in. Maybe I am too picky, but I want more than just plot. I want characters that feel real, some bad, some good, at least one for whom I can feel empathy. Nope, this is not my thing. I am going to stop here. I tried.Remember, my one star doesn’t at all mean this is a bad book. It just means it was not for me. You have to decide for yourself what you are looking for in a book.
Dumped April 26, 2013
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LibraryThing member Dream24
I thought this would be a real page turner but boy was I wrong.
Amber....I did not like her at all. From the get go, all she cares about is Bruce and getting away from her small town. Basically, she takes what she wants and doesn't hear anything that doesn't matter to her (basically about herself,
Her character and personality is just so annoying an grating. She is so damn selfish, wants Bruce no matter who she is with, doesn't care about anyone other than herself, is so clingy, doesn't learn from past mistakes (seriously Bruce already said he's not marrying you!), somehow schemes her way into titles and various beds and so totally stuck up. Honestly, she should have either stayed at home in the country or died in the plague.
Bruce. Well he certainly isn't Prince Charming, the way he leads Amber and countless women on throughout the years. What a womaniser. He comes and goes from Amber's life over and over again. Never promising her anything, yet always returning to her bedside. At least he was a little redeemed in the end by treating his wife with some respect. Honestly, I wish he kept out of Amber's life after the incident with Rex Morgan, you would have thought he would have learned that Amber is nothing but a troublemaker who lives to stir up mischief and can never be satisfied with what she has.
I get the feeling that Bruce and Amber are at times portraying a parallel of the lives that Charles II and Catherine of Castlemaine lead. But at least Charles is likeable and charming! And Castlemaine...well....she has at least doesn't seem as despicable as Amber, but I don't doubt her tactics and methods are pretty effective at getting what she wants as Charles' mistress for so many years.
The ending...well I like how Amber is in for a treat, I felt that it was like "meh". Like after all the things she did in the last 10 years, this is how it's going to end?! I would have liked to have her humiliated more and maybe a dramatic fall from grace would serve to satisfy my immense dislike of her.
The parts that talk about the time period felt so isolated and disjointed from Amber's story. Like one moment we are reading about another of her schemes or "entertainment", the next we are reading about the great fire or about Charles' other mistresses. It felt like the plot was forcibly tied in with actual historical events and moments, like sticking a square into a circle.
Some of the redeeming points was the description of the outfits, the appearances of interesting/important historical figures, what life was like for all kinds of people (those in jail, actresses, nobles, etc) and the intrigues of court life.
I would have loved to know what happened to Amber's father and more about her mysterious husband #3. It would have been interesting if husband #1 suddenly showed up, while Amber was on the rise, and made trouble. Now that would have been entertaining.
Overall, I really wanted Amber to have her comeuppance, cause karma doesn't seem to apply to her and she has all the luck in the world to get away with...well basically a lot! From bribes, cuckolding her husbands, numerous affairs, endless spending, etc. And this is several hundred pages too long for me to develop any sense of connection with this spoiled brat.
Amber....I did not like her at all. From the get go, all she cares about is Bruce and getting away from her small town. Basically, she takes what she wants and doesn't hear anything that doesn't matter to her (basically about herself,
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money, Bruce and power/influence). Sure, she goes through some tough times (thrown in jail, got swindled, abandoned, etc) but she always comes out on top, more fierce and stronger than ever. Her character and personality is just so annoying an grating. She is so damn selfish, wants Bruce no matter who she is with, doesn't care about anyone other than herself, is so clingy, doesn't learn from past mistakes (seriously Bruce already said he's not marrying you!), somehow schemes her way into titles and various beds and so totally stuck up. Honestly, she should have either stayed at home in the country or died in the plague.
Bruce. Well he certainly isn't Prince Charming, the way he leads Amber and countless women on throughout the years. What a womaniser. He comes and goes from Amber's life over and over again. Never promising her anything, yet always returning to her bedside. At least he was a little redeemed in the end by treating his wife with some respect. Honestly, I wish he kept out of Amber's life after the incident with Rex Morgan, you would have thought he would have learned that Amber is nothing but a troublemaker who lives to stir up mischief and can never be satisfied with what she has.
I get the feeling that Bruce and Amber are at times portraying a parallel of the lives that Charles II and Catherine of Castlemaine lead. But at least Charles is likeable and charming! And Castlemaine...well....she has at least doesn't seem as despicable as Amber, but I don't doubt her tactics and methods are pretty effective at getting what she wants as Charles' mistress for so many years.
The ending...well I like how Amber is in for a treat, I felt that it was like "meh". Like after all the things she did in the last 10 years, this is how it's going to end?! I would have liked to have her humiliated more and maybe a dramatic fall from grace would serve to satisfy my immense dislike of her.
The parts that talk about the time period felt so isolated and disjointed from Amber's story. Like one moment we are reading about another of her schemes or "entertainment", the next we are reading about the great fire or about Charles' other mistresses. It felt like the plot was forcibly tied in with actual historical events and moments, like sticking a square into a circle.
Some of the redeeming points was the description of the outfits, the appearances of interesting/important historical figures, what life was like for all kinds of people (those in jail, actresses, nobles, etc) and the intrigues of court life.
I would have loved to know what happened to Amber's father and more about her mysterious husband #3. It would have been interesting if husband #1 suddenly showed up, while Amber was on the rise, and made trouble. Now that would have been entertaining.
Overall, I really wanted Amber to have her comeuppance, cause karma doesn't seem to apply to her and she has all the luck in the world to get away with...well basically a lot! From bribes, cuckolding her husbands, numerous affairs, endless spending, etc. And this is several hundred pages too long for me to develop any sense of connection with this spoiled brat.
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LibraryThing member amandacb
Oh my gosh, how did I ever despise Amber. She's such a self-absorbed little twit. I suppose that's great that the author created such a polarizing character, but really, it just ruined the novel for me. Not to mention I found the underlying plotline quite farfetched. Disappointing, ultimately, and
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a waste of time. Show Less
LibraryThing member Misfit
What fun! A grand glorious adventure, an absolute blast to read. It's like a bodice ripper without the bodice ripping, if that makes any sense. Don't let the page count deter you, the print is on the large side and it reads very quickly. I'm also having fun learning about the court of Charles II
I loved the ending!! Amber got EXACTLY what she deserved. I wish there had been a sequel.
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and the times -- the plague, the great fire, the plays, the scheming, etc. A great, grand romp through history. I loved the ending!! Amber got EXACTLY what she deserved. I wish there had been a sequel.
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LibraryThing member BonnieJune54
A fun bit of fluff. I shouldn't have liked it because it's very long and the main character is unlikable. But it moves along very well. All kinds of things happen to her. It reads more like a series than a giant novel. I didn't feel like the author was trying to force me to like Amber. It was like
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the author was telling me the gossip about her slutty sister. There is a fantastic sense of time and place. Things foreshadowed don't always happen and because she's not nice you wonder what will happen rather than knowing that she will live happily ever after. Show Less
LibraryThing member weikelm
My impression from reading this book was that it was as if the author heard all of the criticism of Scarlett O'Hara, and said "I'll show them a truly despicable heroine." But the novel is great fun, and very historical accurate. My favorite part is the plague and great fire. Amber's bad, but nearly
(Is it just me or was one of the villians her biological father? Compare her birth scene with lifestories of the male character to see who I'm talking about...)
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everyone else is far worse, so you end up rooting for her by default almost halfway through the novel. It's really is a blessing that she has no shame. (Is it just me or was one of the villians her biological father? Compare her birth scene with lifestories of the male character to see who I'm talking about...)
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LibraryThing member weikelm
My impression from reading this book was that it was as if the author heard all of the criticism of Scarlett O'Hara, and said "I'll show them a truly despicable heroine." But the novel is great fun, and very historical accurate. My favorite part is the plague and great fire. Amber's bad, but nearly
(Is it just me or was one of the villians her biological father? Compare her birth scene with lifestories of the male character to see who I'm talking about...)
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everyone else is far worse, so you end up rooting for her by default almost halfway through the novel. It's really is a blessing that she has no shame. (Is it just me or was one of the villians her biological father? Compare her birth scene with lifestories of the male character to see who I'm talking about...)
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LibraryThing member joditid
I read this book when i was pregnant aftere my mother bought it for me and have since recommended to all my friends---this is a great steamy romance---historical and fun to read. Can't wait to read it again! Not normally my kind of book, but great anyhow.
LibraryThing member PandorasBox
Story of Amber-ruthless, cunning and hopelessly in love with a man who can't committ.
Amazing book-follows the London Fire, plague, etc...couldn't put it down
Amazing book-follows the London Fire, plague, etc...couldn't put it down
LibraryThing member lovelyluck
I love this book and everytime I read I fall in love all over again.
LibraryThing member mearso
The central character is breathtakingly selfish and grasping, such much so she becomes almost an anti-hero.My first go at this kind of genre, and I assume modern incarnations are even racier. There was enough of a story to keep me interested, but I think I've had my fill for a while.
LibraryThing member BALE
I loved this novel for many reasons. Theatrical, the fact that it was banned (like Lady Chatterly's Lover-banned books are usually greats), historical references, etc. The only disappointment was the ending. It did not match the scope of the book. I would love to read the original manuscript (972
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pages was 1/5th the original novel). I do not ordinarily read novels like this (romance). Earlier in the year, I decided to widen my scope, and read Gone With The Wind. I found Forever Amber "by accident", while browsing at a bookstore. It was so reminiscent of Gone With The Wind, I decided to check out some old (& new) reviews and articles on Forever Amber. What a fun surprise to find I was not alone in my view. Show Less
LibraryThing member TeenieLee
Ooooh... a romantic epic, very similar to Gone with the Wind, but set in the 1600s and in London.
LibraryThing member coolpinkone
This was a fun book to read. It was fun to follow the life of the characters along with the customs of the King of England. Could have used a bit of sizzle.. but it was written long ago and I believe it was banned when it came out. Fun book to read.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1944
Physical description
7.3 inches
Local notes
fiction