Rutherfurd's storytelling is often not subtle.īut then plot and character profundity is hardly the point. Hiss the villains as they twirl their mustaches.
We cheer the heroes as they rescue maidens in peril, and Or rememberable surnames like Bull, Penny and Barnikel (so-called because one ancestor, a fearsome Viking warrior, disliked killing children and gave the order before each raid, "Bairn ni kel," or "Don't kill the children.").Įach episode is a punchy tale made up of bite-size chunks ending in tiny cliffhangers (kerbhangers?) And telling of greed, lust, revenge, loyalty, bravery, cleanliness and reverence. He gives the characters in "London" prominent physical traits like the long noses that characterize all the members of the Silversleeves family, or the patches of silver hair and webbed fingers that keep showing up on the Duckets, How on earth does one keep track of all these people through 21 episodes featuring the families' successive generations? The author makes it reasonably easy.Ī Cambridge University graduate whose previous novels are "Sarum," a 10,000-year history of the city of Salisbury, and "Russka," a history of Russia, Rutherfurd is consciously trying to apply James Michener's techniques Sink to poverty, act heroically, practice villainy, fight duels, make love, worship God, counsel kings, preach sermons, build cathedrals, write poetry and do all the other things that have made English history for more than two millenniums. In fact, so many people's stories are told that you have to keep consulting a chart at the front of the book, which lists the names of 131 characters belonging to some seven families, who intermarry, change their names, make fortunes,
Novel, which traces the English city's history from the Druids to the Blitz. Still, a lot of people's stories are told in "London," Edward Rutherfurd's grand new Unlike the New York of the televison police drama, London has never been the naked city, nor has its population ever been eight million. 'London': Greed, Lust and Glory on the ThamesĪug'London': Greed, Lust and Glory on the Thames By CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPT
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