Restoration Rose Tremain.

[sprout44]

I know this book gets great reviews but i am finding it a bit of a drag. I have never read books set in this time. Not a fan of Phillipa Gregory . Is it worth reading. He is still with his wife and very self indulgent. I do not like him in any way.

I read it ages ago and remember enjoying it although I struggle to recall much of it in detail now. Am planning to to reread it soon though, before buying Merivel, the sequel.

I wouldn't compare RT to Philippa Gregory really - IMO she's a more literary and varied writer. Music and Silence is really good, and for a quite different style of novel I'd recommend The Road Home too.

I hated it. HTH. Thought it shallow and rather pointless.

I'm currently reading Merivel, the sequel. It's fabulous but then I loved Restoration too.

Music and Silence is IMO Rose Tremain's best book.

Thanks, the reason i am going to continue is because i loved The road home and i liked Sacred country and Trespass. He is just not a likeable character, he does seem like a bit of a loser. Its hard to believe Rose Tremain is now 69 and she has had so many novels written before she became so well known.

Interesting that you liked Trespass - that was one of my least favourite of her books. Partly because of the unappealing characters in it too.
I'd persevere with Restoration. It wasn't the main character I particularly liked, but I really enjoyed her evocation of the period.
Incidentally, if you meet RT you would never think she was approaching seventy - she looks, dresses and generally appears about 15 years younger.

I read it some time ago - but agree the first section is a bit stale. It does liven up quite a bit when he becomes part of the royal court. And that's when it gets funnier, too. I enjoyed it overall and finished it.

I loved it and it does get better. The bit where he is still with his wife is the kind of 'plateau'. Then everything changes suddenly and gets very different. I found the end v heart-warming

I love that book and the sequel. But if you don't like historical fiction then it may not be for you!

I remember really enjoying it, years and years ago. Sadly, I can now remember precisely nothing about it.

very happy to find this thread, my hub and i rarely read the same books but this is one of his favourites, so maybe i should get the others mentioned here and tickle him back in to my world of fiction..

oh and if you like historical fiction, try m.m. bennetts.

I love Restoration, but, like everybody says, it perks up substantially once you get beyond the first bit. please persevere, I love it and find the ending very moving. is it meant as a religious allegory at the end by the way?

Hi again, I am almost finished it as i have to say it did get so much better. I was going to give up on it as i rarely leave a book unless it really annoys me. Once he met Kathernine and worked with Pearce,he really redemed himself .He is still a strange fella though. I do love Historical fiction but have to admit i have not read anything around this time for years. I like books mostly set in the last century.