Godchildren [Hardcover]

Nicholas Coleridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 21, 2002

On a luxurious Balinese island, the charismatic tycoon Marcus Brand entertains his six godchildren. By the end of the weekend, secrets will be revealed that will change everybody's life, a climax to the web of lies and betrayals spun over the course of four decades. The Godchildren are Charlie Crieff - aristocratic Old Etonian, fascinated and enthralled by Marcus's wealth and who devotes his life to securing an inheritance; Mary Merrett - daughter of one of Marcus's business colleagues, her life is blighted by tragedy; Jamie Temple - feckless but utterly charming, he drifts from one job to another, crossing Marcus's path just once too often for comfort; Saffron Weaver - delicate and sensitive as well as stunningly beautiful, she is unaware of her power over men, and of Marcus's power over her; Abigail Schwartzman - insecure and gauche, she blames Marcus for the disaster of her life; Stuart Bolton - the working class son of Marcus's dead chauffeur, he is torn between admiration and hatred for his supremely successful, capitalist godfather. The story of the Godchildren is unputdownable.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this sweeping drama, Coleridge (A Much Married Man) zeroes in on a charismatic tycoon whose desires and drive know no bounds. As a godfather of six, wealthy and domineering Marcus Brand is largely absent, except for his occasional invitations to visit him at his enchanting island getaway. What develops is a confounding routine; at unexpected intervals, Brand summons his godchildren, only to wreak havoc on their lives and complicate their already conflicted opinions of him. The kids include arrogant and selfish Charlie, enthralled with Brand's billions; lovable but drifting Jamie, out to score with his godfather's girlfriends; beautiful Saffron, intermittently enamored with and indifferent to Brand's romantic attentions; sweet Mary, yearning for Charlie's affection; Stuart, plagued by his father's role in the death of Marcus's wife; and overweight, self-conscious Abigail, mesmerized but largely ignored by Brand. Told through the godchildren's eyes over the course of three decades, Brand's illicit passions and activities come to startling life, as well as the extraordinary impact he has on his charges, despite the paucity of their interactions. Coleridge's latest family epic will hold readers spellbound. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From The New Yorker

This wickedly enjoyable novel about a venal British billionaire and his godchildren shows a moribund class society being rapidly dismantled by global wealth. The property and shipping tycoon Marcus Brand�s six godchildren include a Scottish aristocrat whose snobbery outstrips his dwindling inheritance, a debonair London gigolo, and a socialist Birmingham boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps to become a capitalist with a heart of gold. While the story of who triumphs is predictable, Coleridge dissects the social mores of Cap Ferrat and Lyford Cay with skill, noting sartorial codes with the precision of Tom Wolfe. �His shirt collar and tie were several inches too wide, and his eau-de-cologne several degrees too pungent, to be worn by a gentleman,� says one old-money character of a new.
Copyright ©2008 Click here to subscribe to The New Yorker --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Orion; First edition. edition (February 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752811630
• ISBN-13: 978-0752811635
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,427,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic novel spanning 40 years. Glamour, intrigue, high society. Entertaining and hard to put down., April 16, 2008

By 

J. Bender "J. Bender" (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Godchildren (Paperback)

Epic "class society" beach read about the six godchildren of a wealthy tycoon--their lives, loves, and miseries spanning four decades. Part social commentary; Nicholas Coleridge is a keen observer of the British upper and middle classes; see his most recent novel A Much Married Man, which was a bit better than Godchildren. Plenty of intrigue and scandal. Sometimes a little campy-trashy but other times very poignant. Exotic locales also makes it a good escape novel. Hard to put down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Few Cuts Above Trash -- And Fun., January 14, 2009

By 

lbkessler "litcrit" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godchildren (Hardcover)

Mysterious, ruthless, and vastly-rich British tycoon Marcus Brand has no children of his own, but he is godfather to six -- three boys and three girls. In some cases, Brand was recruited by the parents, but in others he appointed himself, for reasons that are eventually made clear. However he became enmeshed in the lives of his godchildren, his presence in them wields the greatest possible influence over all six, sometimes wreaking havoc and causing tragedy.

Spanning 4 decades and delving into the lives and loves not only of Marcus Brand but also of Charlie, Stuart, Jamie, Mary, Abigail, and Saffron, Nicholas Coleridge's "Godchildren" is a juicy read, rescued from sheer trashiness by a certain quality of writing, an ironic tone, and the fact that it is largely a comedy of manners, classes, and eras, from 1966 to the year 2000. By placing each of the godchildren within a different socio-economic milieu at the beginning, Coleridge is able to explore various social and economic changes in Britain over the course of 34 years, and this lends some heft to an otherwise somewhat fluffy, if occasionally appalling, tale. For the most part, however, "Godchildren" is largely about the way the upper-class lives, and those who like the pages of their novels decorated with material excess will be more than pleased. But be warned: Coleridge is casting a jaundiced eye at those excesses, which are often depicted in a wildly over-the-top manner.

If "Godchildren" has a serious flaw, it is that Marcus Brand's behavior is so outrageous that he's scarcely credible as a human being. This problem is exacerbated by Coleridge's decision to leave Brand's origins and motives shrouded in mystery, so that the ending may be found unsatisfying by some readers. Just why Brand wants to worm his way into the lives of six small children and manipulate their lives, usually to their detriment, as they grow up, is unclear. The reader can only conclude that he's a Machiavellian sociopath who gets his jollies from causing distress to the vulnerable, but it would have been nice to be offered some understanding of how he got that way. Lacking in real depth, in three-dimensionality, Brand edges into the realm of cartoon villains, whereas the lives and personalities of his hapless godchildren are much more sharply limned. Though not TOO sharply. This is, after all, an example of fun, middlebrow entertainment.

In other words, "Godchildren" isn't quite as well-written as Coleridge's previous novel, "A Much Married Man," but it is undeniably enjoyable. I'm giving it 3 stars owing to my critique of the Marcus Brand character and because it's by no means a great work of literature; but I'd recommend this book to anyone as a somewhat superior beach read, or something to curl up with on a snowy winter's day.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great fun[- an amusing romp!, September 25, 2009

By 

Belle du Jour (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godchildren (Paperback)

I don't normally read books like "Godchildren", but I'm certainly glad I took a punt on it! What a fun romp through the lives of an interesting cross-section of British society, and what an ingeniusly good plotline this novel has!

Marcus Brand is a world famous, self-made billionaire and man of mystery. Nobody knows anything about his background, apart from the fact that he began making very serious money as an industrialist in the early '60's. At that time, he also acted as godfather to six children from very different backgrounds - three boys and three girls. We first become acquainted with them when, at eight years of age, they are invited to holiday together with their godfather at his villa on the French coast. From this first meeting with their astonishingly successful and mysterious godfather, the childrens' lives and Marcus's intertwine, with often tragic results, for the next 32 years.

Nicholas Coleridge has crafted this novel very well. Telling the story through the eyes of each godchild as they make their way through life, always battling with the incredible hold their godfather has on them, is surprisingly compelling. This book is a good, old-fashioned page-turner, you won't be able to put it down. Whilst essentially the book is a fun bit of holiday reading fluff, it skewers upper-class English pretensions very well indeed. Charlie Crieff and his venal, grasping wife Miranda, provide the book with a particularly fantastic portrayal of upper-class gits. The presence of Marcus in the godchildrens' lives is nothing short of sinister and unfolds like a sick social experiment. The novel powers along to a shocking, but somewhat pat resolution, but is always a great ride. I was very impressed by how highly readable this book was.

It's two thumbs up and four stars from me. I can't wait to read more of Mr Coleridge's work!