Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (1997), Edition: Trade Paperback Edition, 912 pages
Description
Covering the entire course of English history, this epic follows five families that mirror the social and political forces that have shaped Britain--the Wilsons, the Masons, the Porteuses, the Shockleys, and the Godfreys. A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, Sarum is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The book grew on me. I was pulled in from the start by this monster 897 page book, and quickly knew I'd finish the journey. But then, like many Americans, even though, as far as I know, I don't have a drop of English blood, that country fascinates me, because of how its culture and history formed
I didn't expect however, to love the novel as much as I did in the end. The style isn't anything special, even clunky at times, I don't agree with all of Rutherford's takes on history, I wasn't strongly taken with the characters centered upon in several of the chapters, and I think the prehistoric period that forms the first few chapters aren't his strongest. But I think the effect is cumulative, especially since the novel is obviously so well researched and thought out. Everything from the way people affected the natural environment, what and how they worshiped, their day to day life, their shifting attitudes is so wonderfully depicted, and in that way you get a painless and impressive lesson on English history. The book follows five lineages down the ages from the waning of the Ice Age 9,500 years ago when Britain broke off from the continent to become an island down to the present day.
My major problem with the book is how stereotyped are the five families. If there's a member of the Mason lineage around, well then they have heavy heads, are rather simple and are skilled craftsman. If a Porter, well, then we have a punctilious, pompous prig. Shockleys are usually decent as the day is long and shrewd merchants and their women tend to have a strong warrior spirit. Godfreys, descended from Norman knights, are chivalrous but bad with money. And Wilsons with their long fingers and toes? Dear God, don't turn your back to any of them! Whenever one steps onto the scene, you can practically hear the ominous music. When Cristina in "The Founding" is depicted as treacherous and sly, I knew she'd either be related to the Wilsons or marry into that family. And lo and behold...
There are 19 sections to the book, each of which are more like connected novellas than chapters making up a unified novel. Partly as a result of this, few characters get fleshed out and this is a novel more broad than deep. This is historical fiction, almost more dramatized history than stories with history as a backdrop. But I loved how through these families Rutherford could lead me through the sweep of history in a very human way.
There were some lovely grace notes within though, and some chapters and scenes stand out. There's the story of the Roman Caius Porteus (particularly his affair with the Jewish slave Naomi) in "Sorviodunum" that takes in the Roman invasion in 42 AD and the building of Bath. Another favorite is "The Two Rivers" where the punctiliousness of Caius' descendant Port is used to both poignant and comic effect and we get a Anglo-Saxon woman warrior in Aelgifu, of the Shockley lineage, worthy of Tolkien's Eówyn. My favorite chapter of all might be "The Founding" about the building of Salisbury Cathedral where the motif of the Seven Deadly Sins is skillfully woven into the story of stone carver Osmund Mason. In "New World" set in the reign of Bloody Mary there's a powerful moment between the Puritan Abigail Mason and former prostitute, Nellie Godfrey. The chapter "The Unrest" fascinated me in its picture of civil war pitting brother against brother and the dangerous time of the Burnings with the portrait of the historical "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins.
In "The Calm" a chapter depicting the Georgian era, Adam Shockley, a British captain, returns to Sarum from the American Revolutionary War changed. His conversation with a young Revolutionary War soldier, John Hillier, proved life-changing and he later returns to settle in Pennsylvania. In a later chapter, "The Encampment" his descendant comes to Sarum with the American army to fight the Nazis, and his conversation with a British girl he's in love with reveals a wide divide between them. Both conversations stuck in my mind as an illustration of the different mindsets of the Old and New Worlds.
I had to smile at the note which Rutherford ends the novel. He refuses to leave on a note of triumphalism but more with a gentle head-shaking moment about the perverse persistence of chaotic human nature.
Reading other reviews, I can see criticisms this is a "dead white male" history. I think this an unfair criticism. The whole conceit and premise of the novel is to focus on five families in the English midlands over the centuries. You just don't have much of a presence other than white, particularly in that area of England (this isn't London after all) until after World War Two and only the short closing chapter focuses on the post-war, post-colonial era so naturally the focus remains on the already established families. As for it being malecentric. Well, sorry, women's roles were circumscribed for most of history--and actually I think there are several strong and positive female characters in Sarum--it's their stories by and large I found most memorable. As for the "dead" in dead white male--well, this is a novel focusing on history centuries deep. Duh! What do you expect? Nor do I think it's fair to say this novel doesn't depict the plight of the poor and lower classes. It's a major theme throughout. About the only socio-political criticism of the book I think would be valid is its depiction of gay characters. There are none--except for a pedophile monk. But then this was written in the mid-1980s--so maybe ironically that's just an inadvertent illustration of a recent historical blind-spot given gay issues gained more prominence and sympathy after AIDS made its mark.
Rutherford wrote a novel along these lines for New York City, my own city. And after reading Sarum I'm certainly eager to read it!
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the basis for American society, and because of the wonderful legacy of literature in our common language. So a story that follows the history of Sarum (the area around Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge) naturally would hold a strong appeal. I didn't expect however, to love the novel as much as I did in the end. The style isn't anything special, even clunky at times, I don't agree with all of Rutherford's takes on history, I wasn't strongly taken with the characters centered upon in several of the chapters, and I think the prehistoric period that forms the first few chapters aren't his strongest. But I think the effect is cumulative, especially since the novel is obviously so well researched and thought out. Everything from the way people affected the natural environment, what and how they worshiped, their day to day life, their shifting attitudes is so wonderfully depicted, and in that way you get a painless and impressive lesson on English history. The book follows five lineages down the ages from the waning of the Ice Age 9,500 years ago when Britain broke off from the continent to become an island down to the present day.
My major problem with the book is how stereotyped are the five families. If there's a member of the Mason lineage around, well then they have heavy heads, are rather simple and are skilled craftsman. If a Porter, well, then we have a punctilious, pompous prig. Shockleys are usually decent as the day is long and shrewd merchants and their women tend to have a strong warrior spirit. Godfreys, descended from Norman knights, are chivalrous but bad with money. And Wilsons with their long fingers and toes? Dear God, don't turn your back to any of them! Whenever one steps onto the scene, you can practically hear the ominous music. When Cristina in "The Founding" is depicted as treacherous and sly, I knew she'd either be related to the Wilsons or marry into that family. And lo and behold...
There are 19 sections to the book, each of which are more like connected novellas than chapters making up a unified novel. Partly as a result of this, few characters get fleshed out and this is a novel more broad than deep. This is historical fiction, almost more dramatized history than stories with history as a backdrop. But I loved how through these families Rutherford could lead me through the sweep of history in a very human way.
There were some lovely grace notes within though, and some chapters and scenes stand out. There's the story of the Roman Caius Porteus (particularly his affair with the Jewish slave Naomi) in "Sorviodunum" that takes in the Roman invasion in 42 AD and the building of Bath. Another favorite is "The Two Rivers" where the punctiliousness of Caius' descendant Port is used to both poignant and comic effect and we get a Anglo-Saxon woman warrior in Aelgifu, of the Shockley lineage, worthy of Tolkien's Eówyn. My favorite chapter of all might be "The Founding" about the building of Salisbury Cathedral where the motif of the Seven Deadly Sins is skillfully woven into the story of stone carver Osmund Mason. In "New World" set in the reign of Bloody Mary there's a powerful moment between the Puritan Abigail Mason and former prostitute, Nellie Godfrey. The chapter "The Unrest" fascinated me in its picture of civil war pitting brother against brother and the dangerous time of the Burnings with the portrait of the historical "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins.
In "The Calm" a chapter depicting the Georgian era, Adam Shockley, a British captain, returns to Sarum from the American Revolutionary War changed. His conversation with a young Revolutionary War soldier, John Hillier, proved life-changing and he later returns to settle in Pennsylvania. In a later chapter, "The Encampment" his descendant comes to Sarum with the American army to fight the Nazis, and his conversation with a British girl he's in love with reveals a wide divide between them. Both conversations stuck in my mind as an illustration of the different mindsets of the Old and New Worlds.
I had to smile at the note which Rutherford ends the novel. He refuses to leave on a note of triumphalism but more with a gentle head-shaking moment about the perverse persistence of chaotic human nature.
Reading other reviews, I can see criticisms this is a "dead white male" history. I think this an unfair criticism. The whole conceit and premise of the novel is to focus on five families in the English midlands over the centuries. You just don't have much of a presence other than white, particularly in that area of England (this isn't London after all) until after World War Two and only the short closing chapter focuses on the post-war, post-colonial era so naturally the focus remains on the already established families. As for it being malecentric. Well, sorry, women's roles were circumscribed for most of history--and actually I think there are several strong and positive female characters in Sarum--it's their stories by and large I found most memorable. As for the "dead" in dead white male--well, this is a novel focusing on history centuries deep. Duh! What do you expect? Nor do I think it's fair to say this novel doesn't depict the plight of the poor and lower classes. It's a major theme throughout. About the only socio-political criticism of the book I think would be valid is its depiction of gay characters. There are none--except for a pedophile monk. But then this was written in the mid-1980s--so maybe ironically that's just an inadvertent illustration of a recent historical blind-spot given gay issues gained more prominence and sympathy after AIDS made its mark.
Rutherford wrote a novel along these lines for New York City, my own city. And after reading Sarum I'm certainly eager to read it!
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LibraryThing member marcLeroux84
A friend of mine recommended this book to me; unfortunately after I visited Salisbury. I was completely fascinated by the Cathedral, and only wish that I had read Sarum before going there.
The novel is long, but once I started it I couldn't put it down.
The novel is long, but once I started it I couldn't put it down.
LibraryThing member pandorabox82
Sarum is one of those books that you want to read slowly because you don't want to miss anything. I loved this book, and while it did take me awhile to finish it, I found myself remembering the characteristics that Rutherfurd gave to each of his families. This is one book not to be missed, and it
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is so clear how much Rutherfurd loves Sarum. Show Less
LibraryThing member sswright46168
If you like sweeping historical epics, this is for you. This author is the British James Michener.
LibraryThing member mazda502001
This is an absolutely magnificent novel some 1350 pages long. Don't be put off by this because you will miss out on a superb book.
Back Cover Blurb:
The towering story of five families through 100 centuries of turmoil, tyranny, passion and prosperity.
In a novel of extraordinary richness the whole
The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families. The Wilsons and the Shockleys, locked in a cycle of revenge and rivalry for more than 400 years. The Masons, who pour their inspired love of stone into the creation of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. The Porters, descended from a young Roman soldier in exile. And the aristocratic Norman Godefroits, who will fall to the very bottom of the social ladder before their fortunes revive.
Back Cover Blurb:
The towering story of five families through 100 centuries of turmoil, tyranny, passion and prosperity.
In a novel of extraordinary richness the whole
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sweep of British civilisation unfolds through the story of one place, Salisbury, from beyond recorded time to the present day.The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families. The Wilsons and the Shockleys, locked in a cycle of revenge and rivalry for more than 400 years. The Masons, who pour their inspired love of stone into the creation of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. The Porters, descended from a young Roman soldier in exile. And the aristocratic Norman Godefroits, who will fall to the very bottom of the social ladder before their fortunes revive.
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LibraryThing member Gail.C.Bull
A grand saga following the lines of 5 families from hunter-gatherer times to modern day around Salisbury, England.
I read Paris first (which also follows five families through the ages) and that story was much better executed. The characterizations of the descendants weren't as strong in Sarum, and
If you love historical fiction and have an interest in English history, Sarum is a fascinating read. But if you've never read Rutherford's work before and are looking for a place to start, I recommend Paris over Sarum.
I read Paris first (which also follows five families through the ages) and that story was much better executed. The characterizations of the descendants weren't as strong in Sarum, and
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at times, the personalities of fathers and sons (or great-grandsons) were so much alike that you couldn't help but wonder if the family had been cloned rather than bred.If you love historical fiction and have an interest in English history, Sarum is a fascinating read. But if you've never read Rutherford's work before and are looking for a place to start, I recommend Paris over Sarum.
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LibraryThing member gregory_gwen
made me want to visit Salisbury immediately!
LibraryThing member daleaz
This story was a little long at 1000 pages. There were some slow spots. It is the history of Sarum in England from 7500BC to 1985. It follows the family tree of 3-4 families from early England to present day. Over all it was a good read, but not good enough to seek out one of Edward Rutherfurd's
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books in the near future. Show Less
LibraryThing member rudyleon
great story, but slow-going reading
LibraryThing member alisonb60
Such a wonderful walk through English history, I loved it.
LibraryThing member sfs34
a 1000 year sweeping historical saga and one pesky statue
LibraryThing member santhony
Historical fiction with the region surrounding Salisbury, England (named Sarum is medieval England) as the topic. Not up to par with some of Rutherfurd's other work, but worthwhile nonetheless.
LibraryThing member LTFL_JMLS
made me want to visit Salisbury immediately!
LibraryThing member Mary_Overton
A collection of 19 linked stories & novellas, historical fiction, each one a snapshot of the social & political changes in the area around Salisbury Plain, beginning with an Ice Age hunter and ending in 1985. My interest is the time up to about 1000, culminating in the legends that become the King
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Arthur stories. I made it that far through the book - through the section called "Old Sarum." The take on history is interesting, but the characters and story lines could not hold my attention. I did enjoy the hunter, Hwll and his shrewd wife, Akun, who migrate to Sarum in the beginning -- probably because I am a sucker for quest stories. Also was intrigued by the disgraced Roman soldier, Caius Porteus, again because I am touched by stories about exile. Show Less
LibraryThing member saturnloft
A truly successful epic novel*, one that covers very long periods of time, is a tricky undertaking. You have to provide enough information to feed the appetites of history buffs, but you also have to balance that with a convincing human story. Rutherfurd doesn't quite achieve that balance.
Long time
The characters become less wooden outside of their personal dramas, when they're responding to larger patterns of political intrigue, plagues, changing technologies, and war over the centuries. That's where this book is at its best. The coming of the Black Death and the construction of Salisbury Cathedral were both particularly interesting.
So, to sum up: the historical part of this book gets an 8 out of 10, the novel part gets a 6.
* Truly successful epic novel usually = James Michene
Long time
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spans in a novel require a circus truckload of diverse characters. And at least a third of those characters have to be rich and interesting rather than an endless line-up of Whats-His-Name, So-and-So, Bad Guy, Good Girl, That-Weird-Dude-Again, etc. Rutherfurd's characters are more of the latter, unfortunately. There are a couple of stand-outs but the author gave each generation of the novel's core families repetitive traits (stuff like unusually long toes, short stature, criminality, etc.)causing them to blur together. I got a bit tired of each family replaying varied iterations of its genetic destiny. (The short guy always gets the short stick. Every. Single. Time. That one family is always nefarious. Always.)The characters become less wooden outside of their personal dramas, when they're responding to larger patterns of political intrigue, plagues, changing technologies, and war over the centuries. That's where this book is at its best. The coming of the Black Death and the construction of Salisbury Cathedral were both particularly interesting.
So, to sum up: the historical part of this book gets an 8 out of 10, the novel part gets a 6.
* Truly successful epic novel usually = James Michene
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LibraryThing member mplcreative
Sarum is a fascinating and well-written story of 10,000 years of British history. Rutherfurd weaves a fine fiction tale around historical fact. I was surprised how quickly the story grabbed me and pulled me in..
LibraryThing member jaygheiser
Decent read, and educational. Not exactly profound, but a compelling story.
LibraryThing member campat53
I have the new oversized editiion of this; got it when it first came out in 1988 and wore the book out. I've read this about 4 times...so far.
LibraryThing member saskreader
A massive undertaking presented as a novel that is better appreciated as a historical recounting of the history of Salisbury.
LibraryThing member Huba.Library
It is an epic novel spanning the Stone Age to the late 20th century in the Salisbury Plain. The story is written in the style of the late James Michener.
LibraryThing member AgnesArt
This book had the potential to be good, but clearly I need to stop reading this sort of sweeping historical epic. I generally read quickly, but when every chapter is a different story, I find it hard to get into the book, and thus don't make quick progress.
The ending especially left me very bleh.
I liked Rutherford's Paris, but this did not do it for me.
The ending especially left me very bleh.
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I liked Rutherford's Paris, but this did not do it for me.
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LibraryThing member Chris.Graham
An absorbing and insightful read about people who lived local to Stonehenge.
LibraryThing member ladyofunicorns
I tried reading this book. Some points were interesting but I really had too hard of a time getting into it. I read three chapters in and could not even think about finishing. I did try though. Just wasn't for me.
LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
I tried reading this and got halfway, but there was still so much book left, and I wasn't enjoying it, so I'm finally calling it abandoned. I like the idea of this, and love history, but the characters of each time period seem to follow the same molds. They're almost all petty, scheming, small
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minded, and lecherous. lol. And the majority of the book seems to revolve around their personal squabbles rather than actual historical detail. If I could muster some care for them I'd probably continue, despite the simplicity of their storylines, but I am just uninterested in this author's character development and storytelling apparently. Maybe the second half is the better half, but I'm not willing to devote days of my life to finding out. Show Less
LibraryThing member multiplexer
I greatly enjoyed Sarum. All 1033 pages of it.
Sarum is the first Edward Rutherford book I tackled, although his New York book has stared at me with longing on a shelf for years. Starting at the end of the last Ice Age, Sarum follows the generational paths of five families through time to the
The highlights of the book are the grisly Stonehenge chapter (nearly a novella in itself), the building of the Salisbury Cathedral and the horrible chapter on the Black Death, followed by the Revolution and the Cavaliers in the Civil War. Of the five families, two are the main focus of the book: the horrible decedents of Tep, the river man who has always been there since before the Ice Age ended, and the Shockleys, decedents of a Saxon Thane whose fortunes rise and fall with England's. For 1500 years those two families have back and forths, constantly crossing paths until finally joining in the 20th century. The other families (Caius Porteus's decedents, the family of Nooma the Mason, and the Godefrei's) play second fiddle -- save in the Cathedral chapter -- to the others.
Sometimes the chapters felt a little too short and that generation ended too soon but, generally, I read this book with Wikipedia and my (nonfiction) history of England open to flesh out some of the details where the book glossed over. Overall, I enjoyed the rich detail Rutherford supplies in with the every day lives of his inhabitants of Sarum to give grounding in the time period. No politics get injected in the background of historical period detail -- it is told, straight, to help couch the feelings and motivations of the characters.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read some meaty historical fiction or to get an entertaining grounding in the history of Britain. Although some of the archeology in the early part of the book is a little wobbly now (book came out in 1987), the rest is solid and was backed by my reference books.
Five stars.
Sarum is the first Edward Rutherford book I tackled, although his New York book has stared at me with longing on a shelf for years. Starting at the end of the last Ice Age, Sarum follows the generational paths of five families through time to the
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modern day. The book hits all the strong beats: the building of Stonehenge, the Roman Invasion of Britain and their colonization, the Dark Ages, Saxon Britain, the Norman Invasion, the War of the Roses, the High Middle Ages and the Black Death, the coming of Protestantism and Queen Elizabeth II, the English Civil War, the conquest of India and the American Revolution, Trafalgar and Waterloo, the Great Wars of the 20th Century. Sarum left me with a great sense of breadth and time and gave me an appreciation for age and the passing of time. Everything starts and everything ends -- cultures, religions, industry and business, technology, reigns great and small. That which felt eternal at the time it happened passed and soon became someone else's archeology. The highlights of the book are the grisly Stonehenge chapter (nearly a novella in itself), the building of the Salisbury Cathedral and the horrible chapter on the Black Death, followed by the Revolution and the Cavaliers in the Civil War. Of the five families, two are the main focus of the book: the horrible decedents of Tep, the river man who has always been there since before the Ice Age ended, and the Shockleys, decedents of a Saxon Thane whose fortunes rise and fall with England's. For 1500 years those two families have back and forths, constantly crossing paths until finally joining in the 20th century. The other families (Caius Porteus's decedents, the family of Nooma the Mason, and the Godefrei's) play second fiddle -- save in the Cathedral chapter -- to the others.
Sometimes the chapters felt a little too short and that generation ended too soon but, generally, I read this book with Wikipedia and my (nonfiction) history of England open to flesh out some of the details where the book glossed over. Overall, I enjoyed the rich detail Rutherford supplies in with the every day lives of his inhabitants of Sarum to give grounding in the time period. No politics get injected in the background of historical period detail -- it is told, straight, to help couch the feelings and motivations of the characters.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read some meaty historical fiction or to get an entertaining grounding in the history of Britain. Although some of the archeology in the early part of the book is a little wobbly now (book came out in 1987), the rest is solid and was backed by my reference books.
Five stars.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1987-05-07
Physical description
912 p.; 8.2 inches
ISBN
0449000729 / 9780449000724