There was an element of desperation in my attempt to love this book. From one minute to the next there would be multiple things happening in one scene and the author just didn’t give enough warning for the reader to track in my opinion. I realize this series was first published in the 1940s so the prose and style could be a reflection of the period, but I simply felt uncomfortable with how everything was unfolding. I didn’t care for how things transitioned and it took way too long to get to the point of various scenes. I became frustrated and confused by what was happening. I felt like the author would flit between characters and stories without warning or transition. However it wasn’t any of these that bothered me the most….

I could care less for the mining parts and the lengthy descriptions of the mining business and estate. Elizabeth seemed weak and Francis was nondescript, and the cast of supporting characters were unmemorable at best. I was wholly uninterested in ANYTHING that was happening in this book. So imagine my shock when I was 30% in and snoozing.

A family saga that not only looks sexy on the cover but on the screen as well. Tons of my friends have read it an raved about it. This book has mega high ratings on Goodreads. With an unforgettable cast of characters that spans loves, lives, and generations, this extraordinary masterwork from Winston Graham is a story you will never forget ( summary from Goodreads). Thus begins the Poldark series, a heartwarming, gripping saga set in the windswept landscape of Cornwall. Ross has no choice but to start his life anew. But instead he discovers his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock and drunken servants, and Elizabeth-believing Ross to be dead-is now engaged to his cousin. In the first novel in Winston Graham’s hit series, a weary Ross Poldark returns to England from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his beloved Elizabeth.

It was one of those that had been on my radar forever and suddenly the mood struck and I knew I simply had to read it. I’ve not watched the show but I hear such fantastic things about the show and the books that I had to pick up a copy of this book to read. So I built in time to try and get to those reads. Meaning, I always get the urge to read one of these books when I have a billion other books to read on my review schedule. This has been the year that I decided to make a huge effort to read books on my TBR list that continue to haunt me and wreak havoc on my reading schedule. Sometimes you just have years where the books that you read surprise you–in good ways and in bad.

The poldark book series