Customer Reviews

Sins of the Fathers

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

 

 

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is because I feel Howatch's "Glamorous Powers" and "Glittering Images" are better. This book is the sequel to "The Rich are Different". My major question after finishing both is: What caused Cornelius to be so self-deluded and evil? He is totally consumed with his power and the "rightness" of his actions. In "The Rich are Different," Howatch seems to allude to his childhood isolation brought on by his asthma. However this explantion just doesn't seem to be enough to explain how he could be so warped at such an early age. Perhaps we are to assume that explanations cannot always be found to fully explain a human character so twisted. I will continue to read Howatch. The stories are complex and not easily predictable. I recommend her works to all.

This book was my second novel by Susan Howatch. I read (or rather listened to an audio version) of "The Rich are Different" and was astounded. As soon as I found out there was a sequel, I immediately dove in. Be sure to read "Rich" first.

Both books are told with six narrators each. Howatch handles this with a deft skill that always moves the plot forward, but also leaves me amazed with her power to inhabit and sympathize with what you think are second-tier characters. As with any novel, you develop feelings for characters as you go along, based on the information you are presented with. But often Howatch turns the tables and makes one of these characters the narrator. The reader suddenly not only understands previous events better, but is able to sympathize with these characters. There are no "hokey" surprise twists, just a richer story.

Howatch tackles some very dark/difficult themes - adultery, murder, blackmail, impotence, alcoholism, chronic illness, perversion, revenge - with the stunning ability to focus on the humanity and foibles that drive and derive from these. A current parallel might be "The Sopranos."

I enjoy classic literature as well as NYT bestseller type of fiction. And although Howatch seems to be available mostly as mass market paperback (tends to put me off), her writing is agile yet literary, and her ability to hold a mirror to humanity speaks of a tremendous talent.

Susan Howatch's ability to tell a story from various character's viewpoints is such a gift. Each chapter is such a cliffhanger that even on rereading, I can't wait to turn the page. Howatch's books even make me think how each person in my family would have such a different story to tell, even of the same time periods and events. I whole heartedly recommend this (and all of her other) book(s)!!!

I think our closest modern writer to the great Anthony Trollope is Susan Howatch. While "The Rich are Different" and "Sins of the Fathers' (really parts I and II of the same novel) were annoyingly packaged as romance novels, referring to Howatch as a romance writer is like calling a hurricane a disturbance in the weather. At 1400 pages, Rich/Sins certainly has its romantic elements (sometimes to a fault) but the characters and plot are so richly drawn, which makes these far more than standard romance novels.

Spanning over 45 years (1922-1967) the story takes place through the first-person narratives of 10 of the key characters (two - Dinah and Cornelius - narrate twice). This narrative device, which is also used to great advantage in Howatch's later novel, "The Wheel of Fortune," provides the reader with penetrating insight into the inner voice of the character, but also reveals how each truly feels about the others. The author stays loyal throughout to some basic themes: the trappings of wealth and power, how the past tends to repeat itself, how one can't escape the past, and her two favorites: revenge and redemption (the same themes are explored in "The Wheel of Fortune"). The characters that we meet (including the two principles: Paul and Cornelius)can be both quite exhilarating and frustrating: we cringe at some of the reprehensible decisions they make, but in the end, I think we can understand (or even sympathize) with most, if not all of them. For instance, can't one certainly understand how a parent might do quite unsavory things if s/he truly feels it's in the best interest of his/her child? We cheer when someone gets his revenge, and later on too, when he, himself, gets his comeuppance.

Sometimes Susan Howatch can be too heavy handed in her constant reminders that the present has links to the past. Also, I found some of the sections a little dull(especially in "The Rich Are Different"). However, this 1400 page novel kept my interest and made me think about the characters, which is why I think the books together easily deserve four stars.

I read this book recently not knowing it was the sequel to another book. I thought the writing was excellent. The storyline is fascinating and the viewpoints of all the different characters gave a depth to the book that astounded me. I have never read a book where there are so many different viewpoints, which was refreshing for so many characters. Although I loved this book, it was the absolutely most depressing book I have ever read and I liken it to that of a greek tragedy...so many sad endings and so many lives destroyed by Cornelius....I really cried at the end. Susan Howatch is an amazing writer. Since I just found out this was a sequel to the first, maybe I can better understand this one.

No one writes a better family saga than Susan Howatch. If you were hooked on Penmarric, Cashelmara or The Rich are Different, then Sins of The Father is a must read.

Cornelius is evil, because he is amoral. He does not know the difference between right and wrong He seeks always to bend the present and future to his design and his only weak spot is the past and the memory of Dinah Slade who's destiny he could not control . The point of Cornelius is precisel that he is unaware of his evilnedss and he serves as an example to us all of the corrupting poewer of money and sucess. Or was he inherantly evil?