Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
POWER, WEALTH, SEX...WHAT MORE COULD A GUY ASK FOR, May 2, 2008
Farewell Alexandria, by Derek Flower, is a treat in more ways than one. Steeped in the juices of international history, flavored with the unadulterated ambition of its main characters, it is brought to a rolling boil as it chronicles the story of three generations of one family.
Whisking the reader on a worldwide tour from Egypt to Ethiopia, from London and Paris to New York City the multiple plots in this narrative are filled with everything from boardroom treachery to the innocence of first love to downright torrid sex. (Visualize the Onassis family joined through marriage with the J.R. Ewing clan and you'll get the picture).
The one minor complaint I have is that there are so many characters (both primary and secondary) that the author could have made his readers life a bit easier by selecting more diverse names for his players. (Why with all the names in the world call one character Julius and another Julian?). Perhaps it was the author's way of assuring that the reader is paying attention.
Overall I must say that once I got 40 pages into this book, Derek Flowers had me literally hooked and I couldn't wait to turn each page to discover what cruel twists of fate destiny had in store for each of his characters. This is a book crying out for Hollywood to bring it to the silver screen, but while you wait for the film version, give yourself a treat and buy the book.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
impressive!, April 17, 2008
After reading Farewell Alexandria, by Derek Flower, I am exceedingly impressed. Derek Flower has lived in Egypt, France, and Italy. He has an Honors Degree in Modern Languages and speaks English, Italian, and French. He has three fiction and three non-fiction titles to his name. Currently he resides just outside of Rome with his wife.
Although a work of fiction, many of the background accounts in the story are factual, accounting international history. A family saga, of sorts, this memoir follows a family through three generations over a span of eighty years- beginning with the birth of Antor Caspardian, to his son, George, his daughter, MaryAnn, and grandchildren, Nelson, Jemima, and A.J. It relates the elation of love, the devastation of loss, and the rise from poverty to the power wealth can bring; all amidst the economical and political history he lays out.
The book had a few editing issues such as: misplaced and/or needed commas, and misspellings. Overall, there were few, and was not a distraction while reading. Following all of the secondary characters could be, at times, a bit difficult to keep straight. In my opinion, the book should have been published in hard cover.
In saying that, I cannot possibly conjure enough positive adjectives to describe this book. It was so eloquently written that I found myself completely immersed in the story-line from page one. The characters were not only believable and relatable, but you felt as if you've known them your entire life. The pure ambition of the characters, along with the adventure and intrigue written, were a true testament to the human spirit and the force that drives us all. Beginning and ending the book in the same place, with the same character, only added leverage. It was extremely difficult to put down. I, at no time, lost interest, nor did I find any dead spots. It was not predictable in any form. The mixture of emotions that floods your system, from rage, fury, and wrath, to delight, amusement, and euphoria, engage you in this assault from the first chapter. Readers can take with them a history and cultural lesson they will not soon forget. This was a heartbreaking, bittersweet, and poignant tale; one that will stay with me for a long time. I need not say that I hope to find more titles from him in the future, as I know there will be.
Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An epic that tells a grand story, April 3, 2008
I would have given the book 5 stars but for the bold print used. This is not good for long reading sessions and hard on the eyes. But the story is grand. It's an epic. Like most epics, it's a saga of a grand family that takes us from it's beginning to a nice ending.
It's full of adventure and intrigue. You'll read lots of ambitious tales, which such a saga would be incomplete without.
I found it a great novel and well worth the read.
Highly recommended.
-Susanna K. Hutcheson
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