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A Dangerous Fortune


by Ken Follett

List Price: $7.99
Available: Usually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank: 6021
Studio: Island Books
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Pages: 576
Publication Date: November 01, 1994
Publisher: Island Books


EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
In 1866, tragedy strikes at the  exclusive Windfield School. A young student drowns  in a mysterious accident involving a small circle  of boys. The drowning and its aftermath initiates a  spiraling circle of treachery that will span three  decades and entwine many loves... From the  exclusive men's club and brothels that cater to every  dark desire of London's upper classes to the dazzling  ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the  manipulators of the world's wealth, Ken Follett  conjures up a stunning array of contrasts. This  breathtaking novel portrays a family splintered by lust,  bound by a shared legacy... men and women swept  toward a perilous climax where greed, fed by the  shocking truth of a boy's death, must be stopped, or  not just one man's dreams, but those of a nation,  will die...


CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 83 reviews)

KEN FOLLET DOES IT AGAIN  
I STARTED WITH PILLARS, THEN WORLD WITHOUT END AND THIS WAS MY THIRD KEN FOLLETT BOOK AND I MUST SAY, I WAS THRILLED AGAIN!!! I LOVE HOW INVOLVED I BECOME IN HIS CHARACTERS LIVES, AND WITHOUT FAIL SEX EVERYWHERE!
August 20, 2008

Surprisingly Good  
I wasn't really expecting much of this book, but was pleasantly surprised. I have read two other Follett books, The Pillars of the Earth and Night Over Water. Pillars is great, aside from the dismal sex scenes, and Night Over Water is completely forgettable.

This one is a nice page-turner. On top of the surprisingly interesting setting of 19th Century merchant banking, the characters are pretty well-developed. It takes a little while to get immersed, but once you are in there, it's easy to follow and enjoyable. I found myself really rooting for the protagonists, and without being a spoiler, it's nice that while everything doesn't turn out just peachy, basically everyone gets "what they deserve." There are some surprising twists -- some a little melodramatic, but not too over the top.

Overall, I'd recommend this. Not good for reading at night in bed.... I stayed up WAY to late to finish it!
July 31, 2008

Decent, Moderately Entertaining Work  
This is a quite unremarkable, moderately entertaining work of fiction set in late 19th century England. As with another of Follett's works, A Place Called Freedom, it has little to recommend it over dozens of other similar novels set in the period.

The plot revolves around the Pilasters, a wealthy and contentious banking family, whose various branches struggle for control of the family business. Subplots involving a fictitious South American country and members of the British "underclass" bring some spice into the history. However, as with A Place Called Freedom, the most striking aspect of the novel is its utter predictability. Twists in the story become strikingly obvious scores of pages in advance.

I would rate this novel slightly above the aforementioned A Place Called Freedom, but both pale in comparison to Follett's two novels Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Readers familiar with those works will likely be disappointed with this effort.
June 26, 2008

Page turner from page 1!  
I didn't think I would like this book because I'm not typically a fan of this period of history, but Follett managed to keep my interest piqued throughout the entire book. It starts out with kids at boarding school that are part of a nasty, secret accident and then follows the boys as they grow up and how their secret haunts them. Very twisted tale!
May 23, 2008

Follett Classic a great read for his Fans  
Written with typical style the characters are described and built so well you feel like you know them. Great story telling as always, plenty of drama, action and a little romance thrown in.

If your a fan or just looking for something new to read I recommend this book to you.
April 08, 2008


SIMILAR PRODUCTS

A Place Called Freedom
by Ken Follett

World Without End
by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club)
by Ken Follett

The Key to Rebecca
by Ken Follett

Night Over Water
by Ken Follett

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