Very slow to begin with, it wasn't until Demelza became a more prominent character that I started enjoying the book.

Great historical fiction. Cornwall, England. I read the first three after seeing the PBS series. Reading again in 2015. Finished July 31. Still good! Orig. read in '79. ( )

4.5 rounded up.

I couldn’t resist this book...it has a picture of Aidan Turner on its cover. Seriously, I have loved watching the Poldark series on PBS and I find the book it is based on to be just as interesting and fulfilling. I will be reading the entire book series, although at what pace I am not sure.

Book 1 deals with Ross Poldark, who comes home to England (Cornwall, no less) from the American Revolution to find that his father has died, his land is in complete disrepair, and his love is about to marry his cousin, Francis. Ross appears to have picked up some ideas about freedom and equality while across the Atlantic and he finds himself outside the normal bounds of his class in his thinking. We are set up for a tale of class struggle and moral choices in the heart and hands of a very independent and atypical man.

The characters are developed beautifully, there is enough of romance and intrigue to keep you guessing and the writing is well-paced, even though you can sense this is going to be a long story. I am in for the full ride and expect it to be delightful.
( )

I love historical fiction. I also apparently have a weakness for soap opera type stories. This book combines both brilliantly. On the historical side I got many glimpses into the lives of people living in Cornwall, England during the late 1700s. It's not always pretty - children are abused, woman are harassed, miners die early deaths due to horrible working conditions and gentleman engage in bloody cockfights. On the soap opera side you have our main character - Ross Poldark - who returns home from fighting in America (our revolutionary war). His first night home he visits the home of his cousin Francis to find that his entire extended family is gathered there for a celebratory dinner. His lady love, Elizabeth, is there as well and then he finds out that the dinner is to celebrate her engagement to his cousin! Shocked and betrayed he returns to his family estate, only to find it in shambles after the death of his father. Ross is not one to lie low and lick his wound however, he gets to work fixing up his estate, schemes to open a copper mining venture, and rescues a young lady (a 11-12 year old girl) from an abusive father and sets her up as a housemaid. There are many juicy side stories alongside the main thread of Ross's strained relationship with his family members and his efforts to get over his love for Elizabeth. Ross lives by his own moral code - one that does not see upper class people as better than lower class people. This puts him at odds with many of the members of "his class". And he is not without his own moral flaws. But on the whole this rambling story is full of great drama, and the descriptions of the countryside and way of life at that time are top notch.
Also I listened to the audiobook version, and that added another layer of delight, as Oliver Hembrough does an excellent job with the Cornish dialect and the narration in general. Indeed, I would say it's one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened too. ( )

Ross Poldark's book was waiting for me patiently for a few years, I might add, before I could finally get to it.

After watching the entire TV series, I knew I had to make a plan to buy these books. Each time I receive money I buy the Kindle version and finally got to it in last week.

The author's writing style brought all the scenes of the series to the forefront and I could enjoy the characters, the beautiful sceneries of Cornwall, the crash of the seas on the nearby rocks in vivid colour once again.

It felt like I was walking back in time and experience the hardships of the mining families, the longing of Verity to be with her beau. Witness Ross as he limped his way through Treadwell's doors and meets Elizabeth after a time of separation. The heartache of knowing his love was engaged to another. It was like looking at the series all over again.

Book one begins with Ross Poldark returning from America after a two-year war. The boy that went away and left under the scrutiny of childish whims became a man. Once he returned, the boy made room for a man that had to face the harsh realities of Nampara's neglect. Of his father's death, two trusted workers who cared more for their next glass of ale than running the farm and the poverty-stricken chaos left behind.

Through these discouragements, he finds his feet once more and we watch as he picks up the pieces and gets his life back on track.

It's a story almost too common to be a hit series. With highs and lows of typical everyday life, but through the author's writing, it becomes a tale of victory, love and determination.

A story that touches the heart and leaves you with a sense of peace. As if all things are possible, if you will stay with the basics; do what is right, be true and all will work out.
The things that mostly stood out for me were to stay true to your path and enjoy the simple things in life. The rest will work out on its own.

This is really a must read for all readers that is looking for more than just crisp writing or a thrilling story. It allows you to forget the problems in your own life and see through the author's eyes the lives of others and how they have found their own wisdom and peace.

Now I am off to read more about Demelza and her part within this growing saga of the Poldark clan. ( )