"Compulsively readable...Any writer who can get his audience to ask breathlessly, 'What next?' needs no help from this or any other envious reviewer".
-- New York Times Book Review
著者について
The late novelist and screenwriter Sidney Sheldon remains one of the world's top bestselling authors, having sold more than 300 million copies of his books. He is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar. The Guinness Book of World Records heralds him as the most translated author in the world.
登録情報
出版社
:
Grand Central Publishing; Reprint版 (1988/7/2)
I like this book. I recommend this book to everyone. The reason why I made a rating of five stars is that this book is fascinating. I chose this book to study English. This book's genre was a thriller novel. I felt a thrill.
表紙は折れ曲がっているし、裏表紙は破れている。紙はま茶色でびっくりした。写真の表紙と絵も違う。届いたのは黒地にダイヤモンドの絵。昔に通信講座で聞いていて、THE CHASEはシャドゥイングできるようになってステップアップしたくて、MASTER OF THE GAMEを購入したが、ほったらかしになっていて(テキストをどっかにやった)最近聞くと音はかなりわかるが知らない単語が多くその場で確認したいので購入。本とアカデミー出版のとは違うところもあるが、音の違いがわかるので、こうなると聞くのが楽しみになるので英語の勉強頑張れそうです。
Bought this because I had vague memories of watching the TV mini-series many years ago. It was certainly a compelling read spanning generations and continents. Not for the faint hearted, featuring child murder, child rape, more murder, a character being sodomized, multiple assaults etc. Also can't remember reading a book with such a large collection of unpleasant characters. Having said that, I couldn't put this book down. I particularly liked the vivid descriptions of South Africa at the start of the story, and loved reading Jamie and Banda's adventures.
Why don't they write books like this anymore? I suspect because editors wants perfect female characters or victims - and there isn't a woman in this book who is a victim. Terrific: the lot of them. Who cares if you like them?
This is a saga over three generations. We sweep from the diamond mine hell of South Africa to New York. There are twists and turns and hatred and revenge and it is all easily written and hard to put down.
There's money and poverty and power. And that's what the book is really about - powerful women and how far they'll go to protect a legacy. Hooked - yet? Of course some of it is predictable but who cares.
It's all written in a way that now creative writing courses throw out - back story and tell - wonder why Sheldon's so rich, then? It works. Not a word wasted.
Oh my God. I just cannot believe that this is my first Sidney Sheldon book. Expanding on an absolutely amazing initial plot, the author has endless talent, you just do not want the book to end. From the great diamond rush of 1880's South Africa to the New York world wide conglomerate Kruger Brent empire in the 1980's, this is an amazing story spanning around a hundred years or so. From the beautiful but driven, manipulating and ruthless Kate Blackwell to her twin granddaughters Eve and Alexandra, you will encounter sensational storylines encompassing ambition, passion, hatred, jealousy, betrayal, murder and a whole lot more. I am absolutely converted, cannot wait to read the follow up Mistress of the game, where the story continues. Such a shame they don't write them like this anymore. Great read for all, especially for women.
I chose this as an easy holiday read, and it certainly is that. It's well written, descriptive and has a good story line, full of thrills and spills. Also the author has obviously done his research, as, for example, his use of South African words shows.
But my criticism is that this is very much a pot boiler, and a bit contrived and superficial. It also stretches reality on occasions. In addition the characters come across as rather shallow and not very likeable. The idea and the theme are good, but I feel that it goes over the top, and at some length.
In summary, this book, for all its potential, didn't really work for me
This is a truly terrible book. The first few chapters are quite engaging, promising to deliver a complex and involved story of triumph over adversity. It then turns into the longest pile of tripe I have ever read and the only reason I read it is because I paid an extortionate price for it (what's the production costs of an eBook download....0.2p....Less?). It is the longest synopsis in publishing history..."Oh and then there was the first world war..and then the first world war ended...and then 10 years later..". This book is also populated by characters that you have no sympathy for at all. The psychopath first character has a psychopath daughter who gives birth to a psychopath and so on. It makes Jeffrey Archer look like Dickens.