I tried to get into this novel, but I just did not care for the style of writing so I am giving up before I have to rate it low. Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel.

Believe it or not, I read this book twice. The first time I read it was in the late seventies and now. The reason for me reading it the first time was because I watched and loved the mini series of this novel.

You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After I read the novel the first time, after I saw the series, I felt that the characters were much better flashed out in the series than in the book.

I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.

Melanie for b2b

Spellbinding. Really liked this book. Great read about this time in history. Good take on the characters. Interesting to read about what happened. There is intrigue and hard to put down reading. Good story flow and transitioning from topic to topic, character to character. Interesting characters from history. Liked the author's perception of he time and people. Highly recommend.

This sprawling historical saga of an Irish-American family who arrive penniless in the United States and reach the higher echelons of society due to the ruthless ambition of the eldest boy Joseph, a child who has to grow all too quickly into a man and whose indomitable spirit fuels his rags to riches success. He pursues power and wealth irrespective of the human cost and there are inevitably casualties along the way, making this a compelling and absorbing tale of love, greed and ultimately despair. I found myself completely caught up in it. It’s a great read, quite unforgettable, and Joseph's ambition is all too recognisable and pertinent to our own times. Highly recommended.