Book Review: Forever Amber

Forever Amber and 

the 100 Lovers!!!

This is a review I did on Goodreads.com

PLOT:
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.

My Review:
I'll keep this short. I picked this up, out of interest and it took me less than a month to finish it. I don't regret reading it, I'm glad I did, but it's not for everyone. I really feel mixed about my feeling towards this book. I was entertained, and enjoyed it even though I hated certain characters (and their actions).
To show you how I felt (overall) I will sum up my feelings for each part of the book without spoilers...I hope.

Part 1:
I'm so on Amber's side. Be strong!

Part 2:
Amber...I do believe you made a mistake somewhere down the line.

Part 3:
Why did I pick this up? I hate her, I hate him, I F**kin' hate everyone in this book right now. WTF!!!

Part 4:
Okay, I love Amber now, I love Bruce again.  I'm enjoying this again and...uhh okay...um, Amber if you were real, I'd B----h slap you right now. What is wrong with you?

Part 5:
*shaking my head* Amber...I know this was going to happen (back of book said so - see plot) but...why don't you plan stuff out? Are you that stupid? How hard is it to sit down and think things through logically?

Part 6:
Amber, just die. You need to die and become a warning for young girls who want to go to the big city with their older boyfriends.  Just shut up and die.

My thoughts on the ending:
While the author admitted that much of the book was cut out so it could be published there is a lot missing.  I have questions about characters and their past (especially Amber's friend who has a baby and 12 chapters later it's forgotten about - never mentioned again).  That, and the ending was rather rushed in my opinion (was she thinking of a sequel ).

Also: The author was inspired by her husbands collection of Charles the II history...it doesn't mean I want to hear everything about King Charles (especially the ending which didn't feel so climatic as Amber's).

          

I mean, we get it, royal people (especially kings) had lots and lots of babies (bastards).  I don't need to know everything about him.  I kept getting the impression that she was telling a story about a poor girl during Charles the II and his rain but had to put in parts with the king himself.  WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST WRITE A BOOK WITH HIM AS THE MAIN CHARACTER????  Honestly, she could have written a series about Amber St. Claire and a side series/sub-series/a tie-in book or whatever about Charles the II.  Further more, it's pretty sad that of all the characters in the book the only ones I liked were Bruce's best-friend (who could be an A$$ every now and then) and the King (to a limit - one story about a whore and you've heard it all).

Overall:

Again, it's not a book for everyone.  It has 60-70 Chapters, close to a 1000 pages long and full of purple pose and long descriptions of "The Duke of Blah blah, who owns La la land which is somewhere I don't give a hoot!".  By the way, I got this book from the library, I would suggest checking it out there first before setting out to buy it.  Thank God I did because as much as I was entertained if this book had a place on my shelf I would either get mad at it or have to hide it behind other books.

Signed, The Carnivorous Rabbit. Om nom nom!