Panmarric is a family story. The main pillar of this family story is also the Panmarric mansion, which tells the lives of those whose fates are intertwined with it. Three generations of the Panmar family are connected to each other with their conflicting emotions.

Panmarric establishes a connection with the Plantagenet family history, which ruled England for more than two hundred years, through the first strokes of each season, and the characters are a shadow of the real historical characters. And the Panmarric mansion is a symbol of the English monarchy.

The starting point of this story is Mark Castelac, a shadow of Henry II. His and his father's interest in English history enriches this historical connection in a delightful way. His mother, Mood Panmar, who has long been in mourning, sets fire to the looted inheritance of Panmarric and finally hands it over to her son. Although Mark's revenge for being used as a toy in this way causes him never to return to Panmarric.

Panmarric and Jana Roslyn become a large part of Mark's life almost simultaneously. Jana Roslyn is a tough Cornish woman who is a shadow of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She has inherited the Roslyn Farm from her late husband and lives there. To keep it safe, although she was the lover of Mark's father, she finally agrees to marry him. And a chain of family entanglements, power struggles, betrayals, revenges, loves, and hatreds follows that event.

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In this magnificent and all-encompassing family drama, Mark Castallack and his family reside and experience love in and around the stately mansion of Penmarric.

As a youngster, Mark is informed that Penmarric, a splendid mansion located in Cornwall, should rightfully be his inheritance. His mother dedicates her entire life to the arduous task of reclaiming it for herself and her son.

It is Mark who truly initiates the dynasty that is explored within the pages of this book. For he succumbs to the charms of not just one, but two women. The woman who becomes his wife, Janna, and his mistress, Rose. With them, he fathers numerous children, who grow up to form a feuding extended family that drives the novel forward with great momentum.

This novel is divided into five sections, each presented from the perspective of a different family member. This allows the reader to gain a multifaceted view of the ongoing family drama.

This was truly a delectable family drama. Although the book is set in Cornwall and commences in 1890, it is a retelling of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. This was, in fact, a brilliant concept. The time period and the slight alterations (such as a landed estate instead of a kingdom) give this story a sense of originality and freshness, while still allowing the author to draw upon wonderful source material and actual historical drama.

The plot of this book actually reminds me a great deal of Poldark (regrettably, I have only seen the television show thus far). Both are set in Cornwall, center around a great deal of family drama, and feature tin mines, characters fixated on the mines, and a preoccupation with inheritance and generational wealth.

Considering that this is historical fiction from the 1970s, set in the late 1800s and based on real history from the 1100s, it has held up remarkably well! I relished all the juicy family drama, intrigue, and the large cast of characters. I was somewhat disappointed by the conclusion, which felt rather abrupt after over seven hundred pages of text. There is also a significant amount of character deaths to resolve plot threads rather than genuine resolutions. But otherwise, it was a really enjoyable read.

Penmarric is an ancient and imposing house located in Cornwall. It serves as the captivating backdrop for the story that unfolds over generations of people who are connected to it.

The narrative is presented in five distinct sections, seamlessly moving through time and chronicling the ever-changing lives of the families both within and surrounding the house.

This is the author's inaugural saga, and it is written with great skill and finesse. We are first introduced to Mark, whose mother believes they have been unjustly deprived of Penmarric and is resolute in her determination to reclaim it.

One of the aspects I particularly liked about this book is that it features a diverse range of characters. It doesn't focus solely on the upper classes but also includes the miners and labourers, providing a more comprehensive and realistic portrayal of society. The characters are well-developed and three-dimensional, highlighting the fact that everyone has both good and bad traits.

If you are a fan of Poldark, then you are sure to enjoy this book. It offers a similar blend of historical drama, family intrigue, and vivid characterizations that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

There are so many aspects that contribute to making this book truly amazing.

The emotional and psychological complexity of the characters is one such factor. They have an incredible depth that tugs at your emotions. It's not just because of their multi-faceted nature but also because the way they respond to the events in their lives feels so incredibly realistic.

Not to mention the outstanding quality of the writing. I have delved into numerous family sagas that I either liked or even loved. However, none before this one has provided the reader with such a perceptive and authentic portrayal.

It shows how family dysfunction can reverberate through generations, and how marital betrayal and violence can distort the personalities and lives of children as they grow up, and even impact their children.

And yet, despite dealing with such heavy and profound themes, the book remains a rip-roaring page-turner that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

It's a remarkable achievement that combines emotional depth, psychological realism, and a captivating narrative.

The movie I just watched was truly a disappointment.

It was far too long, dragging on and on without any real purpose.

The lead character was constantly whiney, which made it difficult to sympathize with him.

And the ending was just ridiculous. It seemed as if the writers had run out of ideas and simply threw together something random.

I left the theater feeling frustrated and cheated.

It's a shame because the premise of the movie had so much potential.

But unfortunately, it was squandered by poor pacing, unlikable characters, and a lackluster ending.

I would not recommend this movie to anyone.

I have a deep affection for this book which I read several years ago. My family has its roots in Cornwall on my mother's side. Reading about life in Cornwall within its pages was an absolute delight. It was as if I could transport myself back to that beautiful place just by immersing in her words. The concept of the parallel life thing really appealed to me. It offered a more realistic perspective on that particular family. It made me think about how different our lives could have been if certain events had unfolded differently. It also made me appreciate the life I have now. This book has truly left a lasting impression on me and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story with a touch of realism and a hint of mystery.

Dnf'd.

I gave it a try, but unfortunately, I just couldn't muster up the necessary care.

This thing was so dull that it felt like a dry desert, and it was thoroughly boring to the core.

I truly had the intention of liking this, but deep down, I'm just afraid that this simply isn't meant for me.

I can only rate it as 2 ⭐.

Maybe it's because my expectations were too high, or perhaps it's just not my cup of tea.

Whatever the reason, I have to admit that this experience was a bit of a letdown.

I'll keep looking for something that can truly capture my interest and excitement.

Until then, I'll have to make do with the memories of this rather lackluster encounter.

I was extremely disgusted with the characters who were betraying each other from page one hundred to even two hundred. I was so fed up with the repetitiveness of the story that I was sure it would end up among those books that I wished I had never read and had wasted my time on. However, from page three hundred onwards, not only was I not disgusted with Mark, Janna, and their children, but I even shed tears for them and got very angry!

The ending was very shocking. I flipped the page hoping for the next chapter of the book, and I was really disappointed when I saw that there was no next chapter. But it had a good ending, in the midst of grief and misfortune.

Perhaps the overall story may seem clichéd, but it was beautiful and I liked it. While just a few weeks ago, I was sure that I would never like this kind of romance novels!

Mark Castallack's eyes are instantly captivated by the gothic mansion, Penmarric, on the Cornish tin coast. From that moment, he is determined that it will one day be his, just as he later resolves that the beautiful widowed Janna will also become his.

Spanning approximately five decades, from the late Victorian era to the 1940s, "Penmarric" chronicles the rise and fall of the Castallacks, through their joys, loves, jealousies, and rivalries.

My initial encounter with Howatch's work, this book was recommended to me due to its similarities with "Poldark." Indeed, I can see the resemblances. Both are set against the backdrop of the wild and rugged Cornish mining coast, and both are sprawling family sagas, filled with romance, betrayals, and bitter feuds.

The book covers a relatively long time frame, with the narrator changing five times. Starting from Mark's perspective and ending with his youngest son Jan's, this approach works well overall. It is fascinating to gain the perspectives of each of these five principal characters. As a reader, I often found my opinions of them changing once I was privy to their inner monologues and thought processes, and could better understand their side of the story.

However, it did sometimes take a while to adjust to a new character's perspective, and some narrators were more immediately relatable to me than others. Nevertheless, I became attached to all five characters, despite their flaws. It must be said that none of these characters were perfect; in fact, some were far from it and could behave rather despicably at times. But a talented storyteller like Howatch is able to make a character appealing despite their flaws, perhaps even because of them. Ultimately, I was able to understand all these characters' insecurities and how they shaped their actions.

One drawback of the change in narratorship was that I sometimes found myself curious to know the inner thoughts of a previous narrator at different points in the story, in order to better understand a particular situation and why they acted as they did. This was especially true regarding Mark's "falling out of love" with Janna, as he had always felt so strongly about her before. Although their relationship had always been tumultuous, we leave Mark's narratorship at a point where it is still hard to believe he would leave Janna. So, I would have been interested in knowing why he ultimately chose Rose. Similarly, we leave Janna's perspective during a traumatic time in her life, and it is a while before we see her again in Philip's narratorship. I was curious about how she coped during those times when she was effectively estranged from her children.

Beyond the five principal narrators, there is a whole host of other interesting characters. Some of them seemed to have lived colorful lives of their own that the reader wasn't as privy to, and perhaps they could have had their own sections. It might also have been nice to have another female narrator besides Janna. However, the book was already quite lengthy, and I think the right characters were chosen for the logical progression of the story over time.

In many ways, Penmarric itself is the book's constant character and is central to the story, serving as a symbol of sorts.

I was also intrigued by Howatch's use of quotes from historians at the beginning of each chapter, relating to the first Plantagenets. It certainly seemed that some of the characters were loosely based on this family, for example, Mark as Henry II, Philip as Richard, and Jan as John. I really enjoyed this aspect and it has piqued my interest to learn more about this period of history in greater detail.

Overall, I thought this was a masterfully crafted story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and savoring at my own pace. The book had a very strong sense of place and time, and I liked the intricacies of the characters and their complex relationships with each other, which often had tragic undertones but also some truly touching moments. For instance, I really liked the mother-son relationship between Janna and Jan in the end. I will definitely be interested in reading more of Howatch's work.

I really, really wanted to like this book.

A friend recommended Howatch to me and I read the first 2 books in her Church of England series. Despite a tendency to not have any good, strong female characters, I loved them, and I'm not even particularly religious.

So, when I found out that she had a series of books based on the Plantagenets (my favorite historical family), I immediately hunted them down. What a disappointment this first one was.

There was not a single character I cared for. They were neither likable, interesting, nor sympathetic. I simply just did not care about them.

There was also an extremely superficial resemblance to my favorite Plantagenet, Eleanor of Aquitaine. I kept waiting for Janna to grow a backbone. It never happened.

I'm also seriously beginning to wonder if Howatch can present a complex female. So far most of the women in her books are either shrews, whores, brow-beaten, passive simpletons, or a combination.

I had such high hopes for this book, especially since it was about the Plantagenets. But it just didn't deliver. The characters were flat and unengaging, and the story lacked depth. I'm really disappointed and I'm not sure if I'll bother reading the rest of the series.

This book continuously appeared on my recommendations list and was receiving extremely positive reviews.

Therefore, I was overjoyed when I discovered a copy at my library.

I was anticipating the work of Daphne du Maurier, so it was disappointing, to say the least.

I am truly glad that I have finally completed this book.

I lost interest in it during the first part and never managed to regain that interest.

It was simply a tiresome task to read.

It is a family saga (which I typically enjoy) that extends over 3 generations and approximately 50 years, and is narrated by 5 characters.

I ultimately realized that they were recounting one dull episode after another, and there were no likable characters to engage with.

The story seemed to drag on, lacking the excitement and charm that I had hoped for.

Despite its initial promise, this book failed to live up to my expectations.

Perhaps it was not the right fit for me, but I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment.

Nonetheless, I am glad to have given it a try and can now move on to other books that might offer a more fulfilling reading experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely long saga that delved into the lives of several generations of the Castallack family who resided along the coast of Cornwall. The story unfolds over a significant time period, from approximately 1890 through 1945.

Throughout the narrative, numerous transformations occur. Some of the initially more likable characters gradually become less so, while others who were less appealing at the start grow more endearing. Additionally, some of them maintain their solid and strong qualities. The author has done an outstanding job in making all of these character developments believable.

This is not a story that is filled with non-stop action. Instead, it is rich with tales of the lengths to which the members of this family are willing to go in order to become the owners of Penmarric. The story is presented in five parts, with each part being narrated by a member of the family who is central to that particular segment of the story.

As we progress through the story, we witness a complex web of honor and dishonor, love and hate, good and evil, truth and falsehoods, and justice and injustice. Interspersed within the narrative are unexpected twists that continuously held my interest, regardless of whether I was satisfied with the outcomes or not. I wholeheartedly enjoyed anticipating the direction in which the author would lead me.

This book was first published in 1971, and it remains just as enjoyable today as I am certain it was nearly 50 years ago. Its enduring appeal lies in its engaging characters, intricate plot, and the author's ability to transport readers into the world of the Castallack family.