Ross Poldark (Poldark, #1)

by Winston Graham

Tired from a grim war in America, Ross Poldark returns to his land and his family. But the joyful homecoming he has looked forward to turns sour, for his father is dead, his estate is derelict, and the girl he loves is engaged to his cousin.

• ISBN10: 0330344951
• ISBN13: 9780330344951
• Publish Date: 23 February 1996 (first published 1 January 1960)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Out of Print: 13 May 2008
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[pamela]

I have very fond memories of the Poldark series. When I was a teenager I discovered the entire series in battered paperback on my parents' bookshelves. I was desperate for something to read, so decided to pick up 'Ross Poldark', and emerged a month later having read the whole series from cover to cover! Picking up these books started a life long love affair with historical fiction, and Winston Graham's 'Poldark' series stands as a shining example of the genre.

'Ross Poldark' is a genre mix of Daphne Du Maurier's novels and Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone With the Wind'. It begins a sweeping saga of life in Cornwall in the years after the Revolutionary War. Ross Poldark returns to his home only to discover his life has changed dramatically, and not always for the better. He must forge a new life for himself in the home that he loves, transporting the readership to Poldark's Cornwall in the process.

The characters of Graham's novels are compelling. Demelza is one of the most memorable heroine's of historical literature, and Ross himself is damaged, charming and likeable. The foul-mouthed caretakers of Ross' home provide comic relief, and the relationships between the Poldark family, their tenants and neighbours is so wonderfully realised that the reader feels personally invested in the lives of the novel's characters.

If you like historical fiction, 'Ross Poldark' is a must. If you don't like historical fiction, 'Ross Poldark' is a great place to start!