A Dangerous Fortune
Island Books - Island Books
Release date: 1994-11-01
Mass Market Paperback
Author: Ken Follett
Fiction / General, Historical - General, Thrillers, Fiction, Fiction - Historical
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A Dangerous Fortune
Date undefinedI checked this out of the library as an audio book, and I would say this is a perfect choice for a road trip. I would not have wasted my time reading, nor would I purchase this book. The characters are unbelievable--the main character is the ethical Hugh who is crossed over and over by his purely evil Aunt Augusta, and yet he never sees it coming and keeps coming back for more. By the end of the book I could barely care about Hugh--there's innocent and then there's obtuse. The plot is pretty predictable at times, the characters are flat & mostly one dimensional, the "coincidences" are as unbelievable as those of any Gothic novel, and much of the story is hard to believe given the time setting.
However, for a long car ride, it was perfect--certainly didn't have to think too much and the story does mostly keep you engaged.
A Dangerous Fortune
Date undefinedI STARTED WITH PILLARS, THEN WORLD WITHOUT END AND THIS WAS MY THIRD KEN FOLLETT BOOK AND I MUST SAY, I WAS THRILLED AGAIN!!! I LOVE HOW INVOLVED I BECOME IN HIS CHARACTERS LIVES, AND WITHOUT FAIL SEX EVERYWHERE!
A Dangerous Fortune
Date undefinedI wasn't really expecting much of this book, but was pleasantly surprised. I have read two other Follett books, The Pillars of the Earth and Night Over Water. Pillars is great, aside from the dismal sex scenes, and Night Over Water is completely forgettable.
This one is a nice page-turner. On top of the surprisingly interesting setting of 19th Century merchant banking, the characters are pretty well-developed. It takes a little while to get immersed, but once you are in there, it's easy to follow and enjoyable. I found myself really rooting for the protagonists, and without being a spoiler, it's nice that while everything doesn't turn out just peachy, basically everyone gets "what they deserve." There are some surprising twists -- some a little melodramatic, but not too over the top.
Overall, I'd recommend this. Not good for reading at night in bed.... I stayed up WAY to late to finish it!
