- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Sceptre; New edition edition (2 Mar 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340530448
- ISBN-13: 978-0340530443
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13.6 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 162,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Restoration
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Review
'Rose Tremain has restored the historical novel to its rightful place of honour!her most dazzling triumph is her analysis of the cynical, complex, twisty personality of Charles II!It is nothing less than superb' -- New York Times Book Review 'Stimulating and imaginative!A mass of historical detail is incorporated with admirable lightness of touch' -- Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times 'To be moved and impressed by a novel, and yet so entertained, is rare' -- Fay Weldon
Independent
'A most beautiful and original novel'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Robert Merivel, who has studied to be a physician, is appointed, ironically, to be veterinarian for the spaniels of King Charles II, who has recently been restored to the throne following the death of Oliver Cromwell. Merivel enjoys the gaiety and frivolity of court life, and, a bit of a fool, he entertains the king. The king's decision to placate one of his lovers by marrying off his favorite mistress to Robert Merivel, spells the beginning of the end for Merivel's tenuous fortunes. Warned not to fall in love with his wife, Celia Clemence, since the king intends to continue seeing her, Merivel cannot help himself, and he is cast out, losing not only the king's affection, but also his house and, of course his wife.
Joining a group of men who work at an asylum for the insane, Merivel learns that there are deeper concerns in life than the hedonism of his life at court, and he develops genuine affection for several of the kindly Quaker men with whom he works. When he transgresses the society's rules, however, he is cast out from there, too, ending up in London at the time of the Great Plague and eventually the Great London Fire.
Painting vivid pictures of Merivel's life--at court, at the asylum in Whittlesea, and in the neighborhoods of London--author Rose Tremain brings the age, its customs, its science, and its social structure to life. The years of 1664 - 1666 are especially difficult, and as Merivel lives through the horrors of the Plague and the panic of the Great Fire, which Tremain recreates with the drama they deserve, the reader can see Merivel becoming less a fool and more a human. Like the restoration of the king to the throne, Merivel's "restoration" to dignity takes place after a period of dark reflection and self-examination, and both Merivel and the country learn from their travails.
Tremain develops Merivel's personal transformation with sensitivity, finesse, and much ironic humor, and when, at last, he is noticed again by the court, his understanding of himself and his role in the world is far more profound than it was before. Depicting the personal and the philosophical turmoils of these early Restoration years with a historian's eye for detail and a detached observer's sense of wit, Tremain illustrates the contradictions of this period realistically and often with dark humor. A fine historical novel, Restoration transcends its period, offering observations, themes, and lessons for the present day. Mary Whipple
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read other books by Rose Tremain and found this very different. You have to stick with this book in the beginning but I found it a really absorbing and highly entertaining read once it got going. Her main character, Merivel is superbly characterized and on the surface quite loathsome but you end up feeling very fond of him because he knows his own weaknesses and is always trying to improve himself. I laughed out loud on several occassions because she vividly depicts the scenes so well. It is historical and she relates the lavish lives of the royal court in contrast to the extreme poverty on the streets with great skill - it is all done within Merivel's narration which I found captivating. Try it - I am sure you will enjoy this unusual journey.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For me this was a wonderful historic novel written with delightful elegance by a very talented writer. Tremain captures, displaying erudite control, humour and pathos, the licentiousness of the court of Charles II, recently restored following the trauma of civil war and Puritan rule. The principal character, Robert Merivel (who develops an Earl of Rochester appetite for magisterial fun and frolics) finds that his fortuitous veterinarian skills grants him access to a world of aristocratic patronage and privilege. Dismissing the cautious advice of the `saintly' Pearce (close friend, Puritan and fellow medical student), Merivel embarks on an obsequious and opulent lifestyle, indulging himself in beribboned, frivolous antics, accompanying a flamboyant lifestyle to support his position as the `protector' of the beautiful Celia, the King's mistress. Tremain's vivid portrayal of Restoration England is not just a lewd drama of social excesses but is also a story of scientific enquiry. And Pearce's humanity and altruistic medical vocation acts as a rewarding juxtaposition to Merivel's hedonism. The friendship between these two characters is sensitively developed and it is through Pearce that Merivel eventually recognises the superficiality of his existence and the rewards of a life centred on a sincere love for others.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent read
I am not often moved to review products I buy unless deeply unhappy (not the case here) and I do not read much fiction at all. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. A. P. F. Ward
Very funny and well well written
Having disliked an earlier Rose Tremain I wasn't expected to like this, but I was completely engaged by the foolish (anti?) hero. Read more
Published 4 months ago by garden gnome
Laugh Out Loud humour
I discovered Rose Tremain after she won the Orange prize for the Road Home. I am now steadily working my way through her back catalogue. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Perth Law Chick
HOW DOES SHE DO IT
How does Rose Tremain do it ? She writes with authority informative ,well researched amusing and totally different books time after time . Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alexander Bryce
No, sorry, not for me
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I just got irritated by the lead charecter. I also got irritated by the slowness of the story, and I just didnt like it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alison
What is it about the word 'romp'?
There was something about the word 'romp', which is how this book is described in the blurb, that alienated me right from the start. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bookwoman
A self-deprecating narrator
Merivel, son of a glove-maker who provides gloves for Charles II, is drawn into the life of the court and, instead of completing his medical traning, becomes dog doctor to the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
Not for me
If you enjoyed other Rose Tremain don't assume you'll like this. This is one of the few books I have started but not finished. Read more
Published 10 months ago by slow joe
easy read
Easy read though never quite as dark as it sets out to be. I found the characters a little too stereotyped and never cared for them too much.
Published 11 months ago by aloneatmydesk
A coarse nature refined
Rose Tremaine has invented the character of Robert Merival, who tells his story in the first person; and a frank and, in the first part of the book, an unflattering picture he... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ralph Blumenau
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