John Jakes
Paperback | Pages: 480 pages Rating: 4.09 | 4927 Users | 101 Reviews
Point Containing Books The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4)
| Title | : | The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4) |
| Author | : | John Jakes |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 480 pages |
| Published | : | September 7th 2004 by Signet (first published 1976) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction |
Explanation Supposing Books The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4)
This was a darker book than the previous one, but featured Amanda, possibly my favorite character in the entire series. We follow her from the Alamo to NYC where things are heating up for the Civil War. As usual, Jakes does a great job showing both sides of the conflicts from a personal view. He drops a lot of historical information in well connected threads throughout, too.Handling the feelings on both sides of the argument that would become the Civil War was particularly masterful, especially since the South's side was seemingly indefensible. It wasn't from their point, though. Their entrenched economy, fears, & opinions were well represented. The division among the North was also well shown. Immigrants couldn't find enough work to feed their families & the city was bursting as more flowed in. Any competition for the few jobs couldn't be born & that included freed slaves, yet it was obvious that blacks weren't subhuman, simply raised & treated that way - all this while those of the North treated factory workers & servants in much the same fashion.
Jakes makes the point in a particularly poignant way when hours go by before (view spoiler)[ Amanda casts the deciding vote as to whether to provide medical care for workers injured in an accident. She also has to fight to get free schooling & 'limited' hours for the child-workers. Which made me think back to the gin-soaked 8 & 10 year olds that Phillipe met in the first book of the story in London. (hide spoiler)]
The scariest part was reading about how the positions in the question of states' rights & slavery polarized society. Neither side could see the others point of view, so no compromise was possible. Slavery was obviously no longer viable, yet its proponents kept trying to expand it. Moderates were forced into taking sides by the actions of the fanatics on both sides which ripped families & communities apart.
We're seeing similar tensions now as Orson Scott Card also points out so well in Empire. The gov't is in its 8th day of shutdown due to a few fanatics refusal to compromise & a few others refusal to do what is right since it threatens their position - not their ability to feed their family, just their continued power. They lack a single issue to rally behind & tear the nation apart the way the slavery issue did, but the rhetoric is remarkably similar in its uncompromising divisiveness.
Overall, I didn't care for the composition of this book as much as the rest. It jumps through time fairly quickly & also back & forth between the normal perspective & that of a diary of a completely different character. I found that jarring, probably more so because I didn't care for the character, although he was perfect for the point Jakes was trying to make. Scenes with Louis seemed an afterthought, tacked on to provide continuity with future books. I doubt they were, but he didn't ... have the depth or ring true... (not really sure) the way other characters did, even more minor ones. Something about that character was off, anyway.
Still, I'm giving the book 4 stars because it is so timely, yet it is 30 years old & written about events over 150 years ago. I'd say that's quite an accomplishment!
Describe Books To The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4)
| Original Title: | The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles 4) |
| ISBN: | 0451212835 (ISBN13: 9780451212832) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Kent Family Chronicles #4 |
| Characters: | Amanda Kent |
Rating Containing Books The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4)
Ratings: 4.09 From 4927 Users | 101 ReviewsAssess Containing Books The Furies (Kent Family Chronicles #4)
The eight-volume epic of the Kent family continues as a new generation struggles to survive within a nation rife with conflict. Amanda Kent was a woman of great courage, but nothing prepared her for the massacre she witnessed at the Alamo. Now she's returned to Boston to rebuild the Kent legacy. But the man who stole the family publishing business stands in her way. There are many subplots in this saga. Suffice it to say that this book deals with her struggles and also notes the final days ofPicking up approximately 20 years after The Seekers ended, this book starts with a narrative of Amanda and what happened to her/who she became after being abducted from her beloved cousin, Jared. Following mostly Amanda throughout her life, and a distant relative of hers, Jeptha Kent, this novel in the series covers the Texan fight for independence, Californian gold rush and the beginnings of abolitionism and State strife. The past is never far from the present with the Kent family and the
Yay, this one was really good. A female as the central character! She takes charge! Side note: All this leisurely reading--I must have a paper due on Friday.
Loved it! Re reading all of the Kent Family chronicles. First read in the 70s. Everyone of them is good. Very long books but so good it doesnt matter.
I read this entire John Jakes series many years ago, had them in hardbook until they literally fell apart, I have now purchased them for Kindle to read them all again. John Jakes did his homework and these are some of the best historical books I have ever read. I love them, highly recommend, start with the first in the series and read them in order. Great reading at it's best.
I enjoyed the continuation of the Kent family saga with the historical backdrop of the Alamo, the Gold Rush and the lead-up to the Civil War. Sometimes youd think we havent learned a thing from history, as theres still hate and bigotry everywhere you look. Even the poor Irish havent won independence from Britain yet 🙄.
After reading Book III of the Kent Family Chronicles, I was feeling a bit drained and somewhat dreading beginning this fourth installment. The previous book felt extremely dark and had themes that were difficult to handle. I was pleasantly surprised by this story which follows the life of Amanda Kent.Amanda is an amazingly strong female character within the Kent Family who has undergone many dark struggles including living through rape, being sold off as a wife, losing a husband she loved, and
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