Customer Reviews

Penmarric

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Wow! What an engrossing novel to read! This was the first Susan Howatch novel I've read, but it certainly won't be the last. The scope and cast of characters is simply huge, and yet is handled in a manner that you're never confused as to what is happening. The way that the author changes narrators five times during the course of the book is fabulous! Just as fabulous is the way that the plot and characters mimic true English history during the 12th to 13th centuries, with some tinkering and creative license, of course! Mark mimics Henry II, Janna mimics Eleanor of Acquitaine, Philip mimics Richard the Lionheart, ect. Overall, the story is a very human struggle where nothing is black and white, life isn't always fair, and the past mistakes of others can have massive ramifications on future generations. This is not the type of novel that can be read in a single sitting, but if you're looking for a passionate and intelligent story that will make you think, I highly recommend Penmarric.

I also read this first when I was a young teenager and was deeply moved and involved. I went on to read her other novels thru the mid-80s, until she changed styles and settings dramatically. This year, after 5 other trips to England, I finally traveled to the actual places in Cornwall that she fictionalized in her brilliant and engaging writing. I purchased a new copy of Penmarric at a small bookshop in St Ives, and took a very sentimental tour of the Cornish landscape - windswept cemeteries, old churchyards and sprawling mansions that I first visited as a child through her eyes. It was haunting, thrilling and quite sentimental to finally be there on my 40th birthday. This book is superb, enjoy it!

Penmarric was the third Howatch novel I read, and the one that got me hooked on her. The first was "Sins of the Fathers", which I liked very much and so, a few years later, I read its prequel, the Rich are Different, which I also enjoyed. But it was only after coming across Penmarric - completely by accident - that I woke up and took notice. Since reading this book I have gone on to read every single one of her following novels - thirteen in all, in succession!
From the first page I was engrossed in the characters. The story begins with Mark, a rather dour man, who falls in love with Janna, a woman several years his senior. These are the two central figures of the novel, which later moves on to the next generation. Howatch proves herself to be a master storyteller with the ability to get under the skin of her characters in such a way that the reader can identify with them completely - a very rare talent. Her multi-character first-person structure enables us to see the unfolding story through the eyes of five characters in turn, and it is quite amazing how a character whom one has disliked when he or she was seen through the eyes of previous narrator suddenly takes on completely new dimensions when he/she comes on central stage. I know of no writer who does this as well as Howatch.
The story is set in Cornwall and begins in 1890 and goes on to span the intervening years till WWII. It is a rich and multifaceted novel, well worth reading many times to discover all its layers, and a great novel for a group discussion. (...)

Both Pennmaric and The Wheel of Fortune are unique in the way Ms. Howatch creates a novel to mirror history. In this case King Henry (Mark), Queen Eleanor (Janna), Richard (Philip) and John Lackland (Jan-Yves) to name just the major characters. However, this technique does not distract from the great story-telling. I truly recommend this book and all of Ms. Howatch's writings.

This was Howatch's first major novel and despite similar titles that she wrote later - cashelmara and wheel of fortune etc - it still remains her best. Fans of Howatch will know that her trademark is the first-person narrator as well as having several different characters narrate in a book. Her gift as a storyteller lies in the reader identifying with each narrator. Just as you feel disappointed that one character's narration has ended, you find that the next character's narration is just as good. Basically you can identify with several disparate characters with various motivations. Another trademark is the parallels between the lives of her characters and famous historical personages - specifically British royalty. To those who have yet to discover Susan Howatch - I envy you!

This is a book that I bought years ago when I was looking for something trashy and escapist. I think it was the cover art on the edition I bought that led me to believe it would be a typical historical bodice ripper, or something of that sort.

Instead, it was a book I kept going back to again and again because of the character development, the writing and the plot. I really connected with the characters and the story.

The author separates the book into sections, changes viewpoints from one character to the next, and explores things like "Virtue" and "Justice" through the eyes of whichever character is focused on that issue. Throughout the book, though, the main character is clearly Janna, the family matriarch, and each of the characters rotates around her and her life over the course of decades.

The switch in character viewpoint is not distracting at all, in fact, it increased my sympathy for everyone in the book. I had my favorite (the neglected and unloved child Jan-Yves - the one focused on "justice" - who grew up to be funny and delightful), while other people I know who read the book had theirs.

It's an easy enough read to work well on the beach, but it isn't a throw-away book at all. And it certainly isn't trashy. It's absorbing throughout, and I highly recommend it.

I first read this book in the early 70's when I was just twelve or thirteen. I was deeply affected by the story. I connected and sympathized with Phillip and his mother (Janna). Over the years I have read this book several more times, usually every 2-3 years. Each time I read it from cover to cover and enjoy as much as the first time. Also, each time I read the book, I find that as I have grown so has my ability to understand and sympathize with other characters in the book. This is a book with characters you will enjoy and remember.

As a senior this year, we have to do a book review project. I have never been very excited about reading for school projects. I picked the book only because I would get more points for having a long book. At first, I was going to find different summaries for the projects, while reading only parts of the book. However, as I began to read, I found the story to be dull, but anxious to read on and find out more about the main characters.

As I read, I found myself going back and reading pages over and over, learning more than I knew or understood before. Susan Howatch has done a wonderful job with developing her characters. She uses her characters to develop the plot. The author explores issues like "Honor and Dishonor" through her characters which symbolize the issues themselves. Through out the story, the characters are embroiled in their family problems of love and heat with Penmarric at the center of everyone's actions. The book is separated into different sections by changing family characters and using their viewpoints. The switch in characters doesn't distract you but adds a continuous flow and a constant beat to the storyline.

Another intriguing aspect is the series of references used to compare characters, like Mark Castallack and Janna Roslyn, with famous historical people like Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine. One of their sons', Philip, mimics Richard the Lionhearted. The author also does an excellent job of comparing and contrasting the wealthy and poor. Mark is from a wealthy working-class family in Cornwall and Jana is the daughter of a fisherman from St. Ives. The character I had the most sympathy for was Jan-Yves.

She writes the story in a multi-character first-person structure sets it in Cornwall. The storyline begins in 1890 and goes on to span the intervening years till WWII. The story spans three generations beginning with Mark's childhood, and ends with his youngest child's adulthood. The story is set in various parts of England and begins in 1890 and spans the years until World War II. It highlights many life lessons, human struggles, and family problems where nothing is black or white, life isn't always fair, and past mistakes can have cause problems on future generations. The Boston Globe review states: "Penmarric is filled with life-long hatreds, secret love-affairs, and stolen inheritances."

Many people believe Susan Howatch wrote this book as a religious aspect. However, I find that hard to believe since she didn't come from a religious background. In my opinion Susan Howatch wrote Penmarric to tell her own family saga. I recommend this book to everyone!

One of Susan Howatch's earlier historical novels, this uses the same template found in later works such as Cashelmara and The Wheel of Fortune. A set of historical figures (in this case, English King Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry's illegitimate son Geoffrey, Richard the Lionhearted, and King John) are transposed into more recent times (1890-1945).

Set in Cornwall, the plot closely parallels the story of Henry II (although there is no Becket). For most of the novel, this works well: the Cornish setting is beautifully described, the characters are sharply drawn, and Howatch's first-rate prose keeps the narrative flowing.

Unfortunately, the story begins to run out of steam towards the end. Part of the problem may be that Howatch is trying to trace the pattern of historical events too closely, limiting the plot. But the tension between the characters dissipates and the final chapter is more a series of events than a plot, lacking suspense and becoming excessively talky.

As with The Wheel of Fortune (which I read first), the focus is on relationships, and historical events have little impact on the characters. World War I has the largest effect, as certain characters do not survive, but World War II is almost an afterthought. More importantly, the immense changes in English life between 1890 and 1945 are glancingly referred to, but play little part in the story. So as a historical novel, it doesn't really bring the period to life.

The novel is at its best in the first three parts, and slows down after that. I actually skimmed the last 30 pages just to find out what happened; but for a 735-page book, that's faint criticism. This is a good one to read if you're more interested in characterization and relationships than historical events.

As an avid fan of both historical fiction and English history, I was leery about reading a period-novel set at the turn of the 20th Century shaped on the actual saga of Eleanor of Aquitaine & Henry II of England & the dynasty they created. I am so glad I finally opened the pages of this book - it is a fantastic story in its own right! This is the best of Susan Howatch's sagas.

Mark Castallack sucks you right in as he recounts his odd upbringing with a cold mother obsessed by the fact that her father bequeathed her family home on the Cornish Tin Coast, Penmarric, to her cousin and not to her - thanks to the unfortunate fact of her sex. As Mark comes of age, his mother makes a final maneuver for Penmarric as her cousin is dying, and the family fortunes change. Simultaneously, Mark is besotted with a local woman 11 years his senior, and together they have a brood of children - but fidelity is not Mark's strong point. Subsequently, sordid family secrets unfold, children compete for love and fortune, and family turmoil reigns for 80 years on the Cornish coast.

Penmarric is a great companion to invoke late nights of endless page-turning until you reach its end. Anglophiles will love Howatch's ability to retell the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty. Readers who couldn't care less about history will simply enjoy a great story, and may find they become curious to learn more about the incredible events of the late 1100's that are the basis of this story.