Jordan Retro 13 A Review of A Dangerous Fortune by

328sufdhu

A Dangerous Fortune ,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]is set in the latter half of the 19th Century and concerns the fate of a prominent banking family called the Pilasters. It actually begins with a tragic occurrence at an English public school, an event that will form the backdrop of the blackmail, intrigues and dramas of the next quarter century of the Pilaster bank and those connected to it. From villains to quiet men of integrity, few as they might be, Follett plots a sometimes predictable, but ultimately impressive novel about how much more is behind money than just numbers.
Financial Fiasco Makes for Scintillating Reading
Without giving away the plot or including any spoilers, suffice it to say that Follett is a master at striking just the right balance in his portrayal of the mesh between practical and impulse-driven motivations in the decisions and deals of all people including the very powerful. For example, the egotism and sadistic nature of Mickey contrasts well with the essentially good nature of Hugh. However, Follett makes this character foil more complex by showing the animal attraction (presumably, "wow, Edward's mom is hot!" doesn't begin to describe Mickey's reaction/thoughts about Augusta from the first moment they meet) between Mickey and Hugh's Aunt Augusta, nor does he shy from exposing the sometimes shortcomings of Hugh.
Is There Such a Thing as a Good Banker?
A Dangerous Fortune is more drawn-out and slower-paced than Follett thrillers such as Hornet Flight and Jackdaws, being, as it is, more in the style of Follett's historical fiction books such as Pillars of the Earth. Still, A Dangerous Fortune retains enough exciting elements of a thriller, by keeping a place for visceral action amidst the more esoteric,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], intellectually-charged happening of the Pilaster family et. al.
Follett Strikes the Right Balance With Character Complexity
In the case of many of the in-between characters who are manipulated and duped, as well, we see that they are not essentially bad or good, but rather dictated to brutally by the circumstances and individuals who make use of them in one way or another. Follett thus maintains the essential nature of each character but shows how different things color and inform their nature and lead to their eventual fates.
Indeed, Hugh more than faces his share of greedy, bad and morally unscrupulous figures, from the slick and vicious Micky Miranda to his haughty and manipulative Aunt Augusta. Then there is the effete and revolting Edward, his cousin, who can't get ahead even when propped by the constant favoritism and intervention of his mother Augusta, nor the machinations of his man crush pal and puppet string-puller, Micky Miranda.
Ken Follett comes pretty close to giving a resounding yes with the character of Hugh Pilaster, a boy shadowed by the drama of his father's fall from grace and imbued with a strong moral sense and the intelligence and determination to put it to good use. Hugh has scant allies in his quest to overcome the stupidity around him - there's his uncle Samuel, and the Robinsons, but he is often alone in the middle of the storms directed at him.
Read on
Charlie Johnson In the Flames by Michael Ignatieff
Follett writes the book with a lot of attention to atmosphere, painting a scene of drab colors and faded men, trying to scare up money that doesn't yet exist, or cover their own mistakes with the trappings of their station. The drawn out love story between Maisie Robinson and Hugh is well written, although it crosses the line into sappy sentimentality at times,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], with Maisie's bareback horse riding at the Park, or their moonlit foray into the gardens. The way Hugh helps raise her children also becomes a bit corny, although it is touching.