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Summary
In 1866 tragedy strikes at the exclusive Windfield School when a mysterious accident takes the life of a student. Among the student's circle of friends are Hugh Pilaster; Hugh's older cousin Edward, dissolute heir to the Pilaster banking fortune; and Micky Miranda, the handsome son of a brutal South American oligarchy. The death and its aftermath begin the spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives. From the exclusive men's clubs that cater to every dark desire of England's upper classes to the luxurious ballrooms of the manipulators of the world's wealth, Follett conjures up a stunning panorama of intrigue. A Dangerous Fortune brings us characters swept toward a perilous climax where greed, fed by the shocking truth of a young man's death, must be stopped - or the dreams of a nation will die.
I've gone through quite a few of Follett's books and I gotta say, this one was alright, but not his greatest work. It felt like it dragged on for too long and there were moments where the story seemed a bit too far-fetched. Nonetheless, it's still a decent choice to keep you entertained during a trip or a lengthy commute.
I tend to write reviews more often when I don't like a book rather than when I really enjoy it. I've been a fan of Ken Follett in the past, but I've noticed that he includes explicit sex scenes in his stories without much reason other than to be sensational. In his other books, the overall story has been strong enough to overlook the inappropriate content, but that's not the case with this one. It feels like reading a poorly written soap opera. The clichéd character of the prostitute with a heart of gold, the scheming and malicious characters, and the otherwise intelligent men who are easily manipulated by her are all part of a cringe-worthy storyline. The plot twists and turns without ever really going anywhere. There are a few characters that you start to connect with, but just when you're getting interested in their role in the story, the narrative jumps ahead so many years that it's easy to lose interest in why they were even introduced in the first place. I've listened to hundreds of audiobooks, and unfortunately, this one is on my list of regrets for using a credit.
Honestly, this book is wicked to the core. It's like a condensed epic, tracing the lives of a few families from childhood to old age, from poverty to wealth, and back again. If you're in the mood for an epic tale but don't have the time for three 20+ hour books, then this could be the perfect solution. It may not be considered highbrow literature, but it managed to captivate me for over 16 hours. It was somewhat predictable, but it had that irresistible allure of a train wreck - I just couldn't stop listening. The villains in this story are truly despicable. I appreciate how they are constantly scheming and conniving, subtly insulting others without making it obvious. It reminds me of this woman I used to work with who was a master at that. Whenever you called her out on it, she would play completely innocent, as if she had no idea what you were talking about.
The interesting thing I've noticed about Follett's novels, this being only my second, is that he doesn't shy away from portraying sex in everyday life. It's not depicted in an overwhelming or explicit manner, but it's definitely present. Perhaps it's different for women, but us guys, we can't help but think about sex every few seconds (depending on our age, of course). It's such a significant aspect of life and influences so much of what we do, so to completely ignore it would be to ignore the reality of life itself. And let's be real, you can't get pregnant from just one letter of the alphabet.
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