Better than the first.

Demelza, the second book in the Poldark series, is what second books should be, even better than the first. The story builds to a crescendo, and even though I knew from watching the TV series exactly what was in store, I was glued to every page and full of emotion by the end.

What I love the most about this story is that every character is fully developed and very real. No one is always right, no one always wrong. They do things without fully understanding the consequences of their actions; they endeavor to right things and frequently make them worse; they love and hate--and sometimes both emotions are thrown at the same individual. There are complicated family relationships (and who doesn’t have those?) and there is jealousy and greed and every other aspect of being human and fallible.

I am not one who generally reads a series. I seldom want to commit that kind of time and energy to one story, and I fear that, like a TV show that goes on too long, the author will begin to short change his audience because he should have closed out a story that he is milking along. If the second book of this series is any indicator, I will be glad that I made an exception in this case.
( )

Demelza's character is one most women can relate to. In book 1, she was a youngster with little knowledge or finesse. When she ends up in Ross Poldark's kitchen as a maid, she was not much to look at even. Yet through the entire storyline, you could witness her growth. First she notices the books and wondered about the writings, then she discovered the piano in the corner of the living room. Then she found the dresses in a trunk and realizes there was more about a woman. And each time she makes a new discovery, she learns something new—about the world, life and herself.

In Book 2, Ross finally sees her as a woman and not as the kitchen maid and her station lifts once more. Here she comes face to face with the upper class, how to act, manners, how to be genteel, savouring your words, be more mature while her impulsive side remained intact.

Through it all, a love story unfolds as it draws you into the life of this fair maiden and her lord.
Life is continuous from where it left off n book 1, and you are plunged into the political and economic situation they had to face.
Each time a new character is introduced, the story grows with a deeper sense of understanding.

The writer's writing always inspiring you to turn the page.
"He set off to walk. It was only a matter of two miles.
A hail of leaves and grass and dirt and small twigs met him as he turned the corner of the house. Behind him the wind was tearing off mouthfuls of sea and flinging them to join the clouds. At another time he would have been upset at the damage to his crops, but now that seemed a small matter. It was not so much a gale as a sudden storm, as if the forces of a gathering anger had been bottled up for a month and must be spent in an hour. The branch of an elm came down across the stream. He stumbled past it, wondering if he could make the brow of the hill.
In the ruined buildings of Wheal Maiden he sat and gasped and groped for breath and rubbed his bruised hand, and the wind blew bits of masonry from the gaunt old granite walls and screamed like a harlot through every slit and hole.
Once through the pine trees, he met the full force of the storm coming in across Grambler Plain, bringing with it a bombardment of rain and dirt and gravel. Here it seemed that all the loose soil was being ploughed up and all the fresh young leaves and all the other small substances of the earth were being blown right away. The clouds were low over his head, brown and racing, all the rain emptied out of them and flying like torn rags before the frown of God.
Down in Fernmore, Dr Choake was beginning his breakfast."

Even though I have watched the TV series, the books add more depth to the story; the characters become alive and you can literally see each one as they develop, get angry, struggle, laugh, or experience deep sorrow. A remarkable series. ( )

It's amazing how much time you can find to read when travelling on business. One return trip to Germany sees this finished. The concentrated period of reading worked well as it gives time to get swept up in this. It covers a relatively short period of time and Demelza is the pivot upon whi9ch the story turns. At times she is headstrong, at times very dedicated and loyal. the social history element makes the background against which this is set terribly bleak. The french revolution is rumbling over the channel, there are riots and the miners in the district are going hungry. The rich are not, of course. Ross & Demelza are an odd couple in some ways, coming across this class divide form different sides and now at home in neither world entirely. It has the tine of a soap opera at times, with much scandal and such goings on. Worthwhile read. ( )

Vivid and enthralling. But I wasn't really interested in the side characters. ( )