Muito bom! E atual, apesar de se passar durante o século XIX.

Quem conhece o blogue sabe que adoro Ken Follett, daí não estranhar que tenha dado 5 estrelas a este livro no Goodreads. De facto, o autor britânico escreve como ninguém e retrata com mestria cenas de época, indo ao fundo das questões, envolvendo o leitor com personagens singulares, sendo elas bondosas, aguerridas ou até mesmo malévolas.

Em quase 570 páginas percorremos 30 anos de uma depressão banqueira que muito nos faz lembrar os dias de hoje, com investimentos que poderão soar-nos a jogadas muitos atuais, e que nos poderão ajudar a compreender o porquê de algumas instituições bancárias mundiais terem ido ido à falência.

Dividido em três partes, (3 décadas) vamos acompanhando uma família poderosa de banqueiros, a família Pilaster.

Tudo começa em 1886 quando um rapaz morre afogado numa pedreira e as circunstâncias misteriosas da sua morte nunca são reveladas. O incidente ocorre numa escola frequentada por rapazes oriundos de classes abastadas onde se inserem Edward, filho de Joseph e Augusta Pilaster, Micky Miranda, seu amigo de juventude, oriundo de Córdova. e Hugh, primo de Edward, a parte pobre da família.


Opinião completa aqui: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.pt/2...

Βικτωριανές ίντριγκες σε μεγάλο αγγλικό τραπεζικό οίκο, με τα αναμενόμενα νόθα παιδιά (σπόροι της πρώτης σεξουαλικής επαφής αθώων ή λιγότερο αθώων κορασίδων), λατινοαμερικάνικος δάκτυλος, κρυπτοομοφυλοφιλίες, αγνά και τίμια εργατικά παιδιά ενάντια σε διεφθαρμένους γόυους, κακομαθημένες gold-diggers και αριστοκρατία, αυτοκτονίες, δολοφονίες, όλα τα έχει ο μπαχτσές σε αυτό το χαριτωμένο μυθιστόρημα του Κένι.
Παρά την απλοϊκότητά του και τη φλυαρία του, καταφέρνει να κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη μέχρι το λίγο αφελές και "εύκολο" φινάλε, αλλά θα αδικούσε κανείς τον Κένι αν του κράταγε μούτρα γι' αυτό.
Στα αρνητικά του ίσως να μπορεί να πει κανείς ότι "τα δείχνει τα χρονάκια του" το βιβλίο, αλλά δεδομένου ότι αναφέρεται σε ακόμη προγενέστερη εποχή, ο αναγνώστης το εντάσσει υποσυνείδητα στο βικτωριανό αναφορικό πλαίσιο και συγχωρεί το ελαφρώς παλιομοδίτικο γράψιμο.
Καλό για παραλία, αίθουσες αναμονής ιατρείων και οδοντριατρίων, και αν έχετε μπει και στην κλιμακτήριο, ακόμα καλύτερα.

Mi-a plăcut mult și acest roman a lui Ken Follett, deși nu s-a ridicat la nivelul "Stâlpii pământului".
Povestea este foarte complexă, se întinde pe zeci de ani, cuprinzând mai multe generații. Romanul are în centru familia Pilaster, o familie bogată de bancheri, pentru care viața a fost extrem de ușoară, până când apare Mickey. Mickey este antagonistul clasic: lipsit de scurpule, inteligent ��i descurcăreţ, prefăcut și egoist. Edward, prietenul lui din copilărie, devine marioneta lui și puntea de legătură cu Augusta Pilaster. Augusta e genul acela de personaj de telenovelă: rea până în măduva oaselor, preocupată doar de poziția socială și bârfe, invidioasă pe fericirea altora, manipulatoare și prefăcută.
Hugh e protaginistul, clasicul personaj bun, căruia îi se întâmplă lucruri rele, dar care reușește să treacă peste toate și să sfârșească bine. Mi-a plăcut și de Maisie, deși povestea lor de dragoste a fost în umbră. Follett e un autor care merge pe clasic, atât în construcția personajelor, cât și în cea a romanului. Toate personajele reprezintă tipologii, acțiunea e în ordine cronologică, împărțită în capitole.
Romanul tratează tema banilor și cum îi influențează pe oameni, fie că îi au, fie că nu. E un roman plin de încurcături, minciuni, sex, crime, baluri și petreceri, moarte și sacrificii. Fiecare personaj are de făcut propria alegere cu care va trebui să trăiască toată viața.
A fost previzibil pe alocuri, însă povestea m-a prins, iar Anglia secolului 19 a fost prezentată extrem de bine. Recomand romanul, merită citit!

Quando Os Livros Nos Raptam


Esta história agarra-nos logo de início e só nos solta no fim!
Que sensação única, sempre que um livro nos rapta!

Ken Follet no seu melhor!!!

Só mais uma palavra — ADOREI

I would read Follett just for his intriguing dialogue.

3.5 stars
Ken Follett really knows how to tell a story...he knows his characters and his history and weaves the two together in a very enjoyable way.
This is set in 1860's-1890's in England and follows the ups/downs of a family who own/run a bank.

Positives - great story telling, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next with plenty of interesting characters and plots to keep you interested.

Negatives - some repetition and stereotyping. 'Horrible' characters with no redeeming features where you wish for their downfall (surely they can't be all bad!) - same with the 'good' people.

*Read on audio and the narration was excellent - highly recommended

Uma descrição soberba do mundo financeiro e de como a política e a troca de favores influenciam o sector bancário.
Mais um livro deste autor que recomendo.

Wow, this was the trashiest, most purple-prosed book I’ve read in ages. But I’ll give it this, it was a page turner. I feel both amused and yucky having finished it. I like a little trash sometimes, but some of the writing in this, yikes!

This was terrible. Sorry!

The presentation of this audible book captures it's era the last half of the 19th century very well. It focuses on a bank and the family of the owners of that bank. The main character Hugh is a model of high ethics and morality but there. Are plenty of characters in the banking family who are far lesser than he is. I was fascinated to experience the workings of the banking system in the 19 century and to experience the lives of the upper class and their system of titles. But there were also enough characters of good heart to satisfy those of us who want to have a positive feeling about humanity. There was a happy ending for those who deserved it. And there was retribution for those who deserve that.

Geniales Sittenbild des ausklingenden 19. Jahrhunderts
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Das Buch ist ein geniales Sittenbild der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Im Kern geht es um die Geschichte des Hugh Pilasters, der das schwarze Schaf der Pilasters - einer der größten Bankiersfamilien - ist. Nun schwarzes Schaf ist vielleicht etwas falsch ausgedrückt, eher ist er das weiße Schaf innerhalb der grau-schwarzen Herde. Hugh ist ehrlich, aufrichtig und glaubt an das Gute im Menschen. Nebenbei ist er höchst intelligent und versteht diese Begabung auch einzusetzen. Demgegenüber stehen seine Tante Augusta, sein Vetter Edward und dessen Freund Micky. Alle drei spinnen eine Intrige um die andere und haben scheinbar keinen Funken Anstand. Sie schrecken auch vor Mord nicht zurück.

Da Hugh dem verarmten Zweig der Familie angehört ist er in diesem Intrigenspiel immer mit den schlechteren Karten ausgestattet und scheint immer auf der Verliererstraße zu stehen. So ereilt ihn ein Rückschlag nach dem anderen, dennoch verliert er nie seine guten Seiten und gibt auch niemals seinen Kampf für "das Gute" auf. All das spielt in der englischen Oberschicht des späten 19. Jahrhunderts und Follett gelingt es wunderbar das Gefühl der Zeit zu rekonstruieren. Eine Zeit die kaum Platz für soziales Engagement oder gar Gleichberechtigung geboten hat. Das wiedergegebene Bild der Frauen (abgesehen von Augusta Pilaster) dieser Zeit ist erschütternd, entspricht aber leider der damaligen Realität.

Sprachlich kann man das Buch durchaus positiv einreihen, wenngleich nicht höchstklassig. Die Handlungsstränge sind dafür umso spannender und deren Verflechtung ist einfach großartig. Gekonnt baut Follett Spannung auf, so dass man das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen möchte - obwohl es "bloß" um Familiengeschichten, Liebe, Intrigen und Bankgeschäfte geht, die alle zu keinem Thriller reichen - nun ja Thriller ist es ja auch keiner.Was ebenso wichtig wie die Spannung ist, ist dass die Personen des Buches wirklichen Tiefgang haben und sich auch entwickeln. Nennenswerte negative Punkte habe ich keine anzumerken, weshalb ich hier mit besten Gewissen, eine Empfehlung das Buch zu lesen abgeben kann.

After reading Pillars of the Earth and listening to World Without End, I found A Dangerous Fortune to be somewhat predictable but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. In A Dangerous Fortune, Ken Follett is again the master story teller, bringing together a family-saga spanning over 30 years that includes love, treachery, rivalry, drama, and crime. We watch the characters develop over the years some becoming strong and honest adults and others slipping into pure evil. The transitions from year to year are seamless and kept me listening so as to discover more about the story and the characters.

What I also loved about this book was Follett’s ability to create a historical era. From the men's clubs and brothels, the ballrooms, the 19th century villas and carriages, and the liveried footman and butlers, I felt as though I was walking the streets of London during the 19th century.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has read and enjoyed Pillars of the Earth and/or World Without End. You will find the same story-telling and historical atmosphere in a modified format - World Without End and Pillars of the Earth are about three times as long as ,A Dangerous Fortune.