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One of my all time faves!!!!!! I wish I could re-read for the first time again
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Forever Amber
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Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England—that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from events such as the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary—and extraordinary—men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have.
Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s—despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.
Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s—despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.
972 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1944
This edition
- Format
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972 pages, Paperback
- Published
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July 25, 2002 by Penguin
- ISBN
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9780141009827
- ASIN
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0141009829
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Charles Ii Of England Scotland And Ireland
Charles II (1630 – 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles IIs father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king a...
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Barbara Villiers
1st Duchess of Cleveland (27 November [O.S. 17 November] 1640 – 9 October 1709) was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of which were acknowledged and...
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Amber St. Clare
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Back in the day when I was into historical fiction, this one was way over the top. In our catholic high school, this book was being passed around off the school grounds because it would have been confiscated - along with our jeans. Imagine, jeans being "sinful"! Well, thank goodness times have changed! This must not have been so very scandalous, because I can't remember a word of the plot!
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Тази книга си запазва една частица от сърцето ми ,защото си заслужава всеки ред на тази дълбока и пластова история.
Това е книга ,която показва частици от женската природа с нейните добри и лоши страни.
Това е като наръчник на жените за оцеляване в свят за мъже.
В град, като Лондон през 17век нещата не са били никак леки-безскрупулно ,егоистично и опасно място за хора без пари и близки.
Главната героиня измина стръмен път към върха,но далеч нейната личност не беше покорна и морална (до някъде).Амбър е изпълнена с хъс за бляскав живот и страст за любов. Моментите на живот и смърт тя вършеше неща ,които не харесваше,а когато имаше избор правеше правилните до един момент!Симпатизирам й и събитията около нея ме напрягаха,вълнуваха, радваха ,ядосваха и дори разплакваха.На финала на книгата направи неща,които не одобрих и приех нейната съдба ,като справедлива.
До края тя не съумя да събере своята енергия и буйни емоции, не се постара да се помири със себе си,притежаваше обноски ,но не и възпитание. Любовта и към Брус я изкарваше още повече извън релси.Вярвам ,че това клише "иска го защото не може да го има" не важеше напълно в тази история.Смятам,че тя наистина го обичаше и в средата на своето изкачване , той ако желаеше можеше да я шлифова.Но той е умен мъж и избра по-правилното решение за себе си .Смятам,че има много да се разсъждава по тази история.
Хареса ми,че авторката така дълбоко ме вкара в Лондон и бита повече от всяка друга книга.Все едно е живяла в това време и го пресъздава с всичките му привички.
Сега трудно ще изляза от книгата и дълго ще я помня определено.
Това е книга ,която показва частици от женската природа с нейните добри и лоши страни.
Това е като наръчник на жените за оцеляване в свят за мъже.
В град, като Лондон през 17век нещата не са били никак леки-безскрупулно ,егоистично и опасно място за хора без пари и близки.
Главната героиня измина стръмен път към върха,но далеч нейната личност не беше покорна и морална (до някъде).Амбър е изпълнена с хъс за бляскав живот и страст за любов. Моментите на живот и смърт тя вършеше неща ,които не харесваше,а когато имаше избор правеше правилните до един момент!Симпатизирам й и събитията около нея ме напрягаха,вълнуваха, радваха ,ядосваха и дори разплакваха.На финала на книгата направи неща,които не одобрих и приех нейната съдба ,като справедлива.
До края тя не съумя да събере своята енергия и буйни емоции, не се постара да се помири със себе си,притежаваше обноски ,но не и възпитание. Любовта и към Брус я изкарваше още повече извън релси.Вярвам ,че това клише "иска го защото не може да го има" не важеше напълно в тази история.Смятам,че тя наистина го обичаше и в средата на своето изкачване , той ако желаеше можеше да я шлифова.Но той е умен мъж и избра по-правилното решение за себе си .Смятам,че има много да се разсъждава по тази история.
Хареса ми,че авторката така дълбоко ме вкара в Лондон и бита повече от всяка друга книга.Все едно е живяла в това време и го пресъздава с всичките му привички.
Сега трудно ще изляза от книгата и дълго ще я помня определено.
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A little known trivia about this book. Artie Shaw wanted his beautiful young wife Ava Gardner to be well read, and so he encouraged her to read many intellectual books. He was very annoyed when he found her reading Forever Amber. He called it a 'trashy romance novel.' Years later Artie Shaw would wed the author, Kathleen Winsor.
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I finished this book ten minutes ago. It took me nearly two months to read, and here's why:
1. The protagonist was a whiny, self-absorbed, annoying twit who was afraid of growing old.
2. This book combined my two least favorite genres: romance and historical fiction.
3. The ending, if you can call it that, was horrible!
4. Some authors can pull off writing very long books (J.K. Rowling, anybody?). Some can't (Kathleen Winsor, I am talking to you). This was an eight hundred and twenty page story that should have been three hundred pages, tops. I might have even rounded my rating up to 2 (my official rating of this book is 1.5 stars) if this book wasn't so long.
I started Gone with the Wind when I was about halfway through this book, and so far, it's a thousand times better. Amber St. Clare cannot stand up to Scarlett O'Hara!
1. The protagonist was a whiny, self-absorbed, annoying twit who was afraid of growing old.
2. This book combined my two least favorite genres: romance and historical fiction.
3. The ending, if you can call it that, was horrible!
4. Some authors can pull off writing very long books (J.K. Rowling, anybody?). Some can't (Kathleen Winsor, I am talking to you). This was an eight hundred and twenty page story that should have been three hundred pages, tops. I might have even rounded my rating up to 2 (my official rating of this book is 1.5 stars) if this book wasn't so long.
I started Gone with the Wind when I was about halfway through this book, and so far, it's a thousand times better. Amber St. Clare cannot stand up to Scarlett O'Hara!
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I first read this book when I was 11 and pretty sheltered in terms of sex and greed. I was floored at how Windsor made every character in this book come alive; living, breathing, fornicating, swearing---ALIVE. I certainly agree that Amber is one of the least likeable characters I've ever come across-she's bitchy, narrowminded, selfish and I believe that the term "stalker" would describe her osbession with Bruce--but can anyone say that they've never held on too long to someone they knew in their heart they'd never end up with? It is certainly an interesting journey for Amber, a sexually vibrant but unexperienced, illiterate country girl who believes that sex and love are one and the same, and watch her become the vicious, backstabbing, adulterous titled skank she became. I disagree that Amber did not change--she most certainly did. Almsbury himself said as much, "I wonder what happened to her--the innocent pretty countrymaid?" indicating that Amber was no longer the girl he once knew and loved. Windsor also points this out on no less than two separate occassions, having Amber muse what Uncle John would say if he could see her in her new role, with as much money, titles and lovers as she could stomach.
I absolutely adore this book, and not merely because it was banned by the Catholic Church in the 40's for its "shocking" depiction of sex. It's positively G rated by today's standards! The most risque' word Windsor uses is "breasts".
While Amber St Claire is most certainly the bitchiest, skankiest woman I've ever read about, I love Windsor's depiction of her struggle to make something of herself--to not fall victim to being married to a country bumpkin, or stay in jail because her husband skipped out on 500 pounds of debt. I love how she weaves real and fictional characters together so you don't know who's who--and you definitely feel like if you were to step in King Charles' court, you might get swept up into a devious scheme, take a lover, start a new fashion, make an enemy, or take London by storm.
I absolutely adore this book, and not merely because it was banned by the Catholic Church in the 40's for its "shocking" depiction of sex. It's positively G rated by today's standards! The most risque' word Windsor uses is "breasts".
While Amber St Claire is most certainly the bitchiest, skankiest woman I've ever read about, I love Windsor's depiction of her struggle to make something of herself--to not fall victim to being married to a country bumpkin, or stay in jail because her husband skipped out on 500 pounds of debt. I love how she weaves real and fictional characters together so you don't know who's who--and you definitely feel like if you were to step in King Charles' court, you might get swept up into a devious scheme, take a lover, start a new fashion, make an enemy, or take London by storm.
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March 15, 2012 is when I put this on my Goodreads list. (been on Goodreads since 2010) and it has taken me this long to get the book only to not finish 6 hours into the 42 hour book. This book was written in 1944 and was quickly banned. That is laughable now because this is a very clean book in "2021" standards, but I bet it was "scandalous" in 1944. (I.e. undressing in front of a man - the shame!)
The main character is whiny and basically even 6 hours in - I can see where this book is headed. Glad to at least get this off my dusty shelf.
The main character is whiny and basically even 6 hours in - I can see where this book is headed. Glad to at least get this off my dusty shelf.
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Amber St. Clare uses womanly trickery, intelligence and allure to climb her way out of the slums of 17th century London to the superior place as King Charles II preferred mistress. Amber’s individual drama takes place in the middle of the political stratagem of Restoration England. Detail is not spared in this 976 page novel. Kathleen Winsor’s panicked depiction of the Great Fire of London creates such a realistic representation the reader can swear they smell smoke. In contrast, the fashion and customs of 17th century London are dramatic and prolific. Character development is not lost in all the period detail. Winsor’s main character, Amber St. Clare, has been described as a latter-day Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind and Amber’s desire and drive to improve their station in life is definitely similar.
Forever Amber was written in 1944 and its publication caused much controversy. Fourteen states and the Catholic Church actually banned the book. Nonetheless, it sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release and became the best selling U.S. novel of the 1940’s. By today’s standards, Forever Amber could be described as romantically sensual but certainly not sexually explicit.
5 Stars.
Forever Amber was written in 1944 and its publication caused much controversy. Fourteen states and the Catholic Church actually banned the book. Nonetheless, it sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release and became the best selling U.S. novel of the 1940’s. By today’s standards, Forever Amber could be described as romantically sensual but certainly not sexually explicit.
5 Stars.
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