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World Hotels - Forever Amber
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List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $13.57
Your Save: $ 6.38 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN: 9781556524042
ISBN: 1556524048
Label: Chicago Review Press
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 976
Publication Date: 2000-09-01
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Studio: Chicago Review Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England-that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from events such as the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary-and extraordinary-men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have. Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s-despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Wickedly captivating
Comment: This novel was one of the most absorbing historical romances I have ever read. Winsor's style is brilliant in that she conveys so much historical detail in the most lively, utterly engrossing way. The story jumps out at you and takes you for a ride through Restoration England that you'll never forget, from the quiet village countryside to the noisy, boisterous streets of London, from Newgate prison to a stroll through St. James's Park, from crooked alleyways of horologists and highwaymen to the corrupt, decadent court of Charles II. Historical fiction readers of all types will appreciate the stunning insight into such events as the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire, as they mirror the personal, aching travails of Amber St. Clare.
The characters in this book, just as fascinating as their surroundings, nevertheless may repel many readers. Almost all of the main characters (with a few notable exceptions), including Amber, are selfish and at times cruel. Approach this book with the knowledge that you will probably be disgusted at times by their actions and their lack of growth, but that their purpose is not necessarily to be loved or even liked, but studied as reflections of the period, brimming with a sort of unstoppable audacity. And you might even secretly admire some of them, too, like the ruthless, clever George Villiers or the tempestuous Barbara Palmer. Amber herself is immature throughout the book and at times embarrassingly impetuous, but these qualities also make possible this incredible capacity for perseverance, ambition and audacity that I found fascinating. She has little sense of boundaries and, for good or ill, breaks through them again and again. And she is unapologetic every time. She possesses all of the characteristics that are necessary to thrive in Restoration London, and she uses them to the hilt.
Amber's love for Bruce Carlton, whom she first meets in her hometown of Marygreen and soon runs away with to London, is born almost from the beginning, and only grows alarmingly, becoming an obsession that heightens her already reckless nature. It is a great irony that Amber gains so much through her selfish climb for wealth and power, using man after man, but the only man she truly deserves, for whom she gives surprising selfless care and concern, is the one man she cannot have. Their relationship roller-coasters from angry separation to lusty reunion, from Amber repelling Bruce, then once again flinging herself at him. This may prove tiring and unsatisfying for some readers; so, be warned that this cycle continues to the end and does not come to a clean conclusion.
I've read that Kathleen Winsor meant to write a sequel, Amber in America, but never did. And it is a great shame, because without the sequel, this book seems incomplete and unsatisfying, especially in the romance department. But aside from that, it is a well-researched and compelling read. Though it is almost a thousand pages long, the pages fly. I can well understand how it was banned in the 40's; it wasn't for graphic sex scenes, as there were very little, but for the shocking immorality of the characters and their cutthroat behavior in an era that is portrayed as licentious, corrupt and, like Amber herself, hungry for life. It's easy to see how it would shock people of a more conservative decade. It is rare to find a book that brings forth so many strong feelings, both ugly and beautiful, but this one does.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Comment: This is a GREAT book - don't miss it. If ever a book deserved a sequel, it would be this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One view of Restoration England
Comment: I should start this review by mentioning that I first read this book 40 years ago at the age of 11 or 12. As a consequence, I fell in love with the history of the restoration period and developed a weakness for fictional heroes with dark hair and green eyes. I have read the novel twice since, and while it has ceased to have that same early attraction I will be forever grateful for the presentation of this period of history as it led me in the direction of more serious study.
I've found that the novel itself doesn't quite hold the same attraction on reread: the fictional characters seemed less appealing. Amber St. Clare herself reminds me of her literary descendant Scarlett O'Hara, with her opportunistic manipulation of people and events. Alas, Bruce Carlton does not have many of the redeeming qualities of Rhett Butler. However, the attention to historical detail, the inclusion of the Great Fire of London and the Plague, the introduction of various historical personages from King Charles II himself and Barbara Castlemaine and many others made this period come to life for me and my interest in the period has never waned.
First published over 60 years ago, it is perhaps the style of writing and characterization that dates the novel for more modern readers. And yet, any novel that can bring a period of history to life by using the historical framework sympathetically, by peopling it with characters who are memorable (albeit for all of the wrong reasons), and thereby creating a thirst for a knowledge of this period that has yet to be entirely slaked is still worth considering.
As a childhood and young adult reader, I would have awarded this novel 5 stars. In my more senior and critical years, I will award it 3. In my own way, I am no more constant than Amber.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Customer Rating:
Summary: Needs a Sequel
Comment: If ever a book was written that required a sequel, it was this one.
Sixteen year old Amber St. Clare, ward of a yeoman farmer and his wife, falls instantly in love with a handsome cavalier who happened to stop by her tiny village for refreshment. Almost immediately, she surrenders her virtue to him and begs him to take her to London. "I won't ever marry you, Amber," he states and he keeps his word in spite of fathering three of her children over a ten year period. During his numerous absences, she manages to land in Newgate Prison for indebtedness, be rescued by a notorious highwayman, marry several men for their money or titles, take up a tarnished career as an actress and become one of King Charles II's favourite mistresses.
(Warning--could be a spoiler here)
Throughout it all, she maintains her love for the devastatingly handsome, Bruce Carlton. To my mind, Lord Carlton is the real villain of the piece. His vacillating between his obsession with her beauty and his desire to marry "quality" is annoying and unfortunately the "undoing" of Amber. It is a sad commentary of what a woman alone in that period had to do to get along in the world. She may have become hardened and scheming due to her circumstances, but she more than proved her mettle during the terrible London plague. I wonder if Kathleen Winsor or her estate has ever had any thoughts of a follow-up novel.
For all it was banned in Boston in the 1940s because of Amber's immoral life style,there is nothing explicit or graphic in this book. I could have liked it immensely, simply for the wonderful research the author did with regard to the 17th century Stuart Restoration period. One experiences that time and place as in no other book I have read about the era. As it is, like many other readers, I hated the ending which left me with an overriding feeling of aggravation.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best book I ever read!
Comment: I have to say that this is by far the BEST book that I have ever read in my life. If you are debating whether to buy it, don't even think twice about it. Trust me, you won't be sorry. I fell in love with Amber from the very beginning of the book. Her strength and determination to survive is inspiring. I did feel like slapping her when she begged Bruce Carlton for his love. Still, her love for Bruce is something you will never forget. I can't believe I had this book for a year before I read it. The minute I finished the book I came online convinced that there was a sequel. No such luck! However, there is a movie that was made in 1947.
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