The main character, robert merivel, embodies the contradictions of his era. Restoration by rose tremain somehow i have managed to miss out on this utter gem so far in my reading life and i cant quite believe what ive been missing. Her 1989 novel restoration seemed like my sort of book and knowing that i need to read the sequel, merivel. Discover this bestselling classic from the author of the gustav sonata, charting robert merivels rise and fall through glittering seventeenthcentury society.
I really enjoyed the book because i thought tremain s robert merivel was one of the most believably human characters i. Blessed with a quick wit and sparkling charm, robert merivel rises quickly, soon finding favour with the king, and privileged with a position as paper. Regardless, rose tremain gives this historical period doublemeaning in her novel, restoration. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. It was a lovely bit of serendipity that in the first couple of pages the narrator, an anatomy. Restoration was shortlisted for the booker prize in 1989 and made into a film in 1995. The novel tells the story of robert merivel, who begins the book as a medical student, studying alongside his. Originally published back in 1989, i was but four years old and obviously far too young to read it. With each book that i read, my respect for rose tremain grows. Oct 05, 2012 s ir robert merivel, the narrator and unheroic protagonist of rose tremain s novel restoration, is a libidinous hedonist who likes to style himself a man of his age, this being the early years of.
The 1989 book, restoration, provides a historical narrative of many layers based on the interconnected lives of several characters during the time of charles ii. Restoration is a novel which cant be ignored as it is simply alive with sounds, emotions, and colors immediately jumping from tremains pages the second the reader opens the book. Rose tremain, british novelist whose books often dramatize a moment of truth in the lives of lonely outsiders. Restoration by rose tremain meet your next favorite book. Part of the random house group, a penguin random house company website designed and built by. Restoration is set during 17thcentury england, the restoration era of charles ii whether this be of the arts, science or self. Restoration, the first of her novels to feature robert merivel, was shortlisted for the booker prize. Her paternal greatgrandfather is william thomson, who was archbishop of york from 1862 to 1890. Merival, the protagonist, is by turns a scholar, a buffoon, a wit, and a fool. Sacred country 1992 relates the picaresque adventures of mary ward, who is convinced from the age of six that she is. The book chronicles merivels fortunes as they rise and fall and rise again during the reign on king charles ii.
We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Restoration is a novel by rose tremain, published in 1989. Restoration by rose tremain penguin books new zealand. This is one of the best historical novels i have ever read and i dont say that lightly.
Restoration rose tremain i have a list of books that i have read and mean to blog about, but it is getting quite long and i dont take notes while reading, so by the time i get to a particular book on the list all i have is a vague memory of the novel and whether i liked it or not. Rose tremain s restoration is the story of robert merivel, a physician living in 17th century england. Rose tremains bestselling novels have won many awards, including the baileys womens prize, the whitbread novel of the year, the james tait black memorial prize, and the prix femina etranger. Jul 02, 2009 restoration is yet another feather in her cap. Rose tremain awakens the senses in this magnificent and diverse collection of short stories. Restoration, rose tremain, vintage, london, 2009, 123 this has got to be one of my favourite lines from the book, but oh how many there are. Buy restoration by tremain, rose, tremain, rose from amazons fiction books store. Sir robert merivel, the narrator and unheroic protagonist of rose tremains novel restoration, is a libidinous hedonist who likes to style himself. Rose tremain books list of books by author rose tremain. Sep 21, 2012 restoration is a period piece that takes its title from the name given to a short and distinctive age. The bestselling and muchloved classic from rose tremain, restoration introduces us to the young robert merivel and his rise and fall through. Rose tremain, restoration 1989, sceptre 1990 i read this book another gift from strangers by way of our little street library while in london with the moving hearts project, which regular readers will know involves shaping hearts from clay. Rose tremain s prizewinning books, including the road home, the gustav sonata, merivel, and the american lover, have been published in thirty countries.
Oct 05, 2016 rose tremain is a new author for me, but ive been meaning to try one of her books for a long time. Aug 31, 2017 restoration, rose tremain, vintage, london, 2009, 123 this has got to be one of my favourite lines from the book, but oh how many there are. Rose tremain email her novels and short stories have been published worldwide in 27 countries and have won many prizes, including the sunday express book of the year award for restoration, also shortlisted for the booker prize. In the wake of factory closings and his beloved wifes death, lev is on his way from eastern europe to london, seeking work to support his mother and his little daughter. In her precise yet sensuous style, she lays bare the soul of her characters the admirable, the embarrassing, the unfulfilled, the sexy, and the adorable to uncover a dazzling range of human emotions and desires. This autumn is the 350th anniversary of the great fire of london, so theres a miniboom in novels and history books about the era.
There is some stereotyping of the french characters crafty brutal peasants, officious bureaucrats, greedy realtors, ostentatious aristos, elegant parisiennes, xenophobic provincials from an english point of view. The novels narrator, sir robert merivel, physician and lecherous wouldbe courtier, styles. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. Mar 23, 2018 rose tremain, restoration 1989, sceptre 1990 i read this book another gift from strangers by way of our little street library while in london with the moving hearts project, which regular readers will know involves shaping hearts from clay.
Restoration rose tremain for the love of literature. She was educated at francis holland school, crofton grange school, the sorbonne 19611962 and the university of east anglia ba, english literature. It wasnt the main character i particularly liked, but i really enjoyed her evocation of the period. She has an astounding talent for creating fullydeveloped, believable characters regardless of time, location, or circumstance, and weaving them into a story that takes the reader on a marvellous journey of discovery. More than ever, the characters seem unusually real. Restoration is based on a 1989 novel by rose tremain, unread by me, but my guess is she covers as much ground as the movie does, since her story is titled restoration and not merivel.
When rose tremain came to discuss the novel at the guardian book club, she told us that, more than two decades on from restoration, shed recently written a sequel, merivel, because she was. The bestselling and muchloved classic from rose tremain, restoration introduces us to the young robert merivel and his rise and fall through glittering seventeenthcentury society. Saying that restoration has a heartbeat is putting it mildly. Rose tremain author, reader rose tremains novels and short stories have been published in thirty countries and have won many awards, including the orange prize the road home, the dylan thomas award the colonels daughter and other stories. Chancellor of the university of east anglia, commander of the order of the british empire, and member of the royal society of literature, she lives in norfolk, england with the biographer. The book chronicles merivels fortunes as they rise and fall. He is the embodiment of the restoration in human form, rising in favour at court almost in spite of himself. Robert merivel, son of a glove maker and an aspiring physician, finds. Rose tremain is a new author for me, but ive been meaning to try one of her books for a long time. What the film evokes is an age that must have been supremely interesting to live in. Rose tremains novels and short stories have been published in thirty. Partly because of the unappealing characters in it too. The principal character is robert merivel, who tells in the first person his coming of age story from age nine. Tremain s 1992 book called sacred country explores the adventures of a girl named mary ward, who is made to think that she is a boy from a.
The double import of tremains titleit refers both to the reign of the 17thcentury restoration king charles ii and to the restoration to the protagonist of his. Her books are at once sophisticated in their narrative strategies and entertaining pageturners. This book comes highly recommended, though tremain truly outdoes herself in restoration s literary sequel, music and silence, which is set in the same period at the court of charles ii cousin, the king of denmark. Rose tremains prizewinning books, including the road home, the gustav sonata, merivel, and the american lover, have been published in thirty countries. Rose tremain is a historical novelist who latches on to, as one critic has put it, unglamorous outsiders for her protagonists. My six best books rose tremain, 72, is the awardwinning novelist whose books include the road home, restoration and trespass all vintage. Rose tremain author, reader rose tremain s novels and short stories have been published in thirty countries and have won many awards, including the orange prize the road home, the dylan thomas award the colonels daughter and other stories. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Rose tremain s bestselling novels have won many awards, including the baileys womens prize, the whitbread novel of the year, the james tait black memorial prize, and the prix femina etranger. Restoration is a period piece that takes its title from the name given to a short and distinctive age. It was shortlisted for the booker prize in 1989 and was the sunday express book of the year. Rose tremains restoration is the story of robert merivel, a physician living in 17th century england.
Many factors are considered before defining a book as rare. S ir robert merivel, the narrator and unheroic protagonist of rose tremains novel restoration, is a libidinous hedonist who likes to style himself a. Restoration is a warm, funny and touching historical novel narrated in the first person by robert merivel, a ridiculous, greedy and lustful courtier who finds favour with king charles ii quite by chance, only to have his seemingly good fortune whipped away from him. Most importantly, tremain distinctively lets the characters and events speak for themselves, and we never feel the authors presence. Le don du roi by rose tremain and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. This book comes highly recommended, though tremain truly outdoes herself in restorations literary sequel, music and silence, which is set in the same period at the court of charles ii cousin, the king of denmark. Rose tremain likes to have fun with the language of sales catalogs, gardening books, and real estate listings. Robert merivel is a dissolute young medical student when an accident. After a spell of homelessness, he finds a job in the kitchen of a posh restaurant, and a.
Tremain and several other writers raised such a public fuss about this matter that a new company, house of stratus, was funded by artssupporting agencies to keep wilsons books available. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. When a twist of fate delivers an ambitious young medical student to the court of king charles ii, he is suddenly thrust into a vibrant world of luxury and opulence. Join him and rose tremain for a discussion at 7pm on wednesday 26 september at hall two, kings place, 90 york way, london n1 9ag. These characters invariably evoke great compassion from her. Restoration vintage past by rose tremain, 97817848783, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The sequel, merivel, was published to rapturous acclaim. Her novels are rich in period detail and earn credibility as firstrate historical fiction. Blessed with a quick wit and sparkling charm, robert merivel rises. The archives and rare books library at the university of cincinnati believes the standards used today are more or less the same as the standards literary historian and bibliophile johann vogt recorded over 250 years ago.
Restoration is a historical novel set in london, england during the 17th century, approximately 166070, during the reign of king of britain charles ii. More to the point rose tremain has a wonderfully delicate, tactful and strong prose style that is a pleasure to read. Restoration promises an excellent plot, and delivers several times over. Interesting that you liked trespass that was one of my least favourite of her books. Like other tremain novels, restoration is difficult to pigeonhole part fable rags to riches, part magical realism, part wartsandall documentary. Multiprizewinning novelist rose tremain is a great example of how a highly literary writer can become a popular one. Rose tremain on her new novel, the gustav sonata gustav perle is a young boy growing up in switzerland after world war ii. Restoration is a panoramic novel of life in 17thcentury england, from the restoration of vitality to the empire after the onslaughts of the london fire and the plague, to the restoration of purpose and wakefulness in the life of robert merivel, who places his faith in the greatest symbol of a. Restoration by rose tremain the seventeenth century. It was made into a film in 1995 tremain later wrote a sequel called merivel.
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