I was provided China by Edward Rutherfurd as an ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and thanks is extended to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to do so.
The story begins in 1839, at the dawn of the First Opium War, and follows Chinese history through Mao’s Cultural Revolution and up to the present day. Rutherfurd chronicles the rising and falling fortunes of members of Chinese, British, and American families, as they negotiate the tides of history. Along the way, in his signature style, Rutherfurd provides a deeply researched portrait of Chinese history and society, its ancient traditions and great upheavals, and China’s emergence as a rising global power. As always, we are treated to romance and adventure, heroines and scoundrels, grinding struggle and incredible fortunes.
China: The Novel brings to life the rich terrain of this vast and constantly evolving country. From Shanghai to Nanking to the Great Wall, Rutherfurd chronicles the turbulent rise and fall of empires as the colonial West meets the opulent and complex East in a dramatic struggle between cultures and people.
Extraordinarily researched and majestically told, Edward Rutherfurd paints a thrilling portrait of one of the most singular and remarkable countries in the world.
Wonderful historical fiction of China spanning from 1839 to 1901, Edward Rutherfurd’s book is well researched, and the characters are an interesting mixture of players: from a eunuch in the court of the emperor, to an English opium trader; from a Chinese civil servant to an English missionary, and many more all as delightful as the next.
The novel depicts the continual humiliation and exploitation of China by Europe and how the Chinese adapted to this and the thing that enthralled me the most about this novel and about Rutherfurd in general is that history is the protagonist of the book rather than simply just a setting for the story – it is the story – it is everything.
I am eagerly awaiting his next instalment set in 20th Century China covering Chairman Mao amongst other things. If you are a fan of historical fiction then you should give this a go, you will not be disappointed. 5 stars.
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