Ross Poldark (Poldark, #1)

by Winston Graham

Ross Poldark is the first novel in Winston Graham's hugely popular Poldark series, which has become a television phenomenon starring Aidan Turner.

Cornwall in the 1780s – when powerful forces of revolution and reaction are at large in the world.

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

But his sympathy for the destitute miners and farmers of the district leads him to rescue a half-starved urchin girl from a fairground brawl and take her home – an act which alters the whole course of his life . . .

Ross Poldark is followed by Demelza, the second novel in this evocative series set in 18th century Cornwall.

'From the incomparable Winston Graham . . . who has everything that anyone else has, then a whole lot more' – Guardian

• ISBN10: 0330463292
• ISBN13: 9780330463294
• Publish Date: 6 June 2008 (first published 1 January 1960)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 464
• 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!