Customer Reviews

Hope: Adventures of a Diamond

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the dumbest books I have ever read. Fowler does OK, just OK, when she writes of the more recent history of the diamond because she has well-documented information from which to draw. But, in her chronicles of the stone during the early years of its murky existence, she lets her imagination run wild, her prose becomes over-blown and turgid, and "facts" she throws about are questionable in the extreme. Ghastly, ghastly writing. Do NOT buy this book!

Hope: Adventures of a Diamond might be worth a quick read if you have nothing better to read at the moment. The author writes mostly about the diamond's various owners, who were generally people of little interest. There is some information about the diamond and diamond-cutting, as well as some about other famous gems. The author, who holds a doctorate in English literature, cannot seem to decide whether she wishes to write a fiction or nonfiction book; she frequently launches into melodramatic prose about things she could not possibly know, such as owners' thoughts. Occasionally irritating is the author's lack of knowledge about things like history and economics, on which she nevertheless pronounces her opinions. For instance, she writes that Peter the Great "proved to be very kind and gentle". His own son, who he had tortured and killed, would be surprised to know that! Similarly, she says that Napoleon "marched with ego as big as his army across Europe, and England acted to contain him". Just England, huh? Where was England at the Battle of the Nations? Finally, perhaps only an English major could write with a straight face that the diamond's first European owner "prefigures the modern capitalist... who is still pillaging the global village". In summary, the book contains some information that is mildly interesting, but don't expect a lot.

There isn't a lot that could have done to make this more interesting, and the attempts made at conjecture and embellishment (regarding its curse, for example) don't add very much to the content. But, a reader does learn the story of the Hope Diamond and through the telling, about an interesting mix of historical information such as the French Revolution, Regency England, and Gilded Age America. And gem novices can learn about the nature of diamonds and of cultural attitudes to diamonds at various places and times in this book.

The most interesting part of this book for me was a glimpse into the lives of French kings who owned the diamond. For the most part, the first 3/4 of the book were a good read. I liked the way the diamond was personified, but didn't care for the way the curse was dramatized, as there was quite frankly little evidence to suggest such a curse. In the more modern history of the diamond, the book starts to become boring, I don't need so many words to tell me that Harry Winston planned not to cut the diamond at all, but changed his mind later and cut it anyway. If you have the time and are interested in the history of the diamond, read the first part of the book and skim through the rest.

No other diamond in the world has the pedigree of the French Blue. This book is fascinating and the author infuses the story with mystery and peaks your interest throughout. From ancient India, to the pinnacle of the French Court, to the fog of London and Mr. Hope, to the elegant hand of Cartier, to the eccentric Mrs. McLean, to the remarkable Harry Winston, to the people of the United States of America, this diamond has had a singular journey. I found this book hard to put down and it made me want to see this breathtaking gem again, I want to look into the azure stone and feel its allure again.

I read the hardcover version of this book, so I am sorry if this review is inappropriate, but I just wanted to express what a joy this book was to read. An inspired historical romp from the vantage point of probably the world's most famous and notorious gemstone, Dr. Fowler proves she is not only an exceptional detective, but one of the finest stylist of the English language writing non-fiction today. Hope is simply one of the most beautiful and enjoyable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. An absolute gem!

Don't believe the four reviews below, gentle reader, I beg you! In Hope: Adventures of a Diamond, Marian Fowler has created an absolute masterpiece of non-fiction which combines rock-solid historical reportage with simply the most elegant and satisfying prose that I have ever encountered. This book is an absolute gem, and I can only pity those earlier reviewers who must not have had the intellectual stones to appreciate both the factual depth and stylistic complexity of this virtuoso performance. Simply one of the best books that I have ever read.