I had high hopes for this classic, but was disappointed. It is a well written piece of work, just a sad a depressing tale of a young girl who try's everything to fill the whole in her heart and destroys herself instead.
This book was considered scandalous when I read it at 15 years old. My Dad caught me reading it and I was grounded for a week. I recently ordered the book to see if it was worth the punishment and I am happy to say it was. Compared to the descriptions of sexual activity by todays authors this book is almost innocent. I loved the book. I couldn't put it down. It has the scope of a "Gone With the Wind" and I have never read a better description of the morally corrupt court of Charles II, the "Merry Monarch". Now I know why he was so "merry". Amber is a girl who always lands on her feet in this scandalous world of the "Restoration" and eventtually becomes one of the King's mistresses. In spite of all of her scandalous affairs she always longs for the one man whe can't conquer. The ending is wonderful. I read it three times I enjoyed it so much. The period of the book covers the great London plague, the great London fire, and the colonial development of the American colonies. This is not a "Romance" novel. It is a history novel and the period has never been better described. I am now 80 years old and a retired World History teacher. Genny
THE unforgettable tale of Amber, the Restoration England equivalent of Scarlett O'Hara. Amber, unknowingly of noble birth, must work her way from the London stage to King Charles II's bed if she is to rise in fame and fortune. Romance, tragedy, and triumph intertwine in one of the most scandalous reads of the 1940s.
I thoroughly loved this book! My emotions ran the gamut, one minute I sympathized with Amber the next I wanted to yell at her. The story takes so many twists and turns, its anything but predictable. I read through it in just a few days, much to my husbands protest. This book is a must read for any historical novel fan.
Surprisingly this book was banned when it was released so I decided to pick it up to see why it was banned. Fabulous read, still unsure why it was banned.
This is a great classic. Written back in the day that authors were paid by the word, so it is a bit long, but a great read. A story about a girl that has nothing, raises to fame, but does she get what she wants and what will really make her happy.
Winsor's tale of an ambitious country girl who claws and sleeps her way to the court of Charles II was an earthshaking scandal when it was published in the 1944, but seems pretty tame today. Still, Amber is a well-drawn character, and the background of court intrigue and natural disaster creates a fascinating tapestry.
The original bodice-ripper! Actually, an excellent historical saga of one woman's obsession with the man she can never have or keep, and the lengths she will go to in trying. From Wikipedia: "The saga frolicked through Restoration England and vivid images of fashion, politics, bedrooms and public disasters of the time, including the plague and the Great Fire of London."
This book is written in a historical setting and pretty saucy.
Amber possessed a very special quality, a kind of warm luxuriance, something immediately suggestive, to every man who encountered her. of pleasurable fulfillment...
This is a giant and indimidating novel, but once you start reading you won't be able to put it down. Kathleen Winsor had something more than a talent when it came to historical novels. This is a classic, and while it leaves you hanging at the end, you'll still be tempted to read it again. I wish there were more like this. Fabulous!
