Helpful Score: 1
I loved the book. Undoubtedly, watching the movie Restoration (and also the magnificent film The Last King about Charles II, occurring at the same time and place) before reading the novel made it even more vivid to me. But Rose Tremain has a gift for telling a story and creating fascinating characters. I felt as if I was living inside the mind of Robert Merivel during the Restoration, and experiencing the ascent, descent and ascent that he experienced. This is the first Rose Tremain novel I've read, and one of the best historical novels I've read as well.
Helpful Score: 1
I only read this book half way through. It is very rich in historic detail, but the main character was not believable to me.