There are certain, sweeping novels that stand the test of time and ensnare new fans with each generation of readers. Even if you’ve already seen miniseries or movies based on these books, it’s well worth reading the source material to enjoy the rich plot threads, characters and details that are inevitably shaved off to fit time and censorship constraints.
Here are seven such books.
Shogun (5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.74)
A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power…
“Superbly crafted…grips the reader like a riptide…gets the juices flowing!” —Washington Star
“Exciting, totally absorbing…be prepared for late nights, meals unlasting, buisness unattended…” —Philadelphia Inquirer
“Adventure and action, the suspense of danger, shocking, touching human relationships…a climactic human story.” —Los Angeles Times
“Breathtaking….worth every word, every ounce, every penny.” —Associated Press
The Thorn Birds (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
With over 10 million copies sold worldwide, here is the towering epic about three generations of a remarkable family in the Australian outback that was the basis for one of the most beloved television miniseries of all time.
”A heart-rending epic . . . truly marvelous.” –Chicago Tribune
One Amazon reviewer says:
“This is the story of the Cleary family, originally from Ireland, who emigrate first to New Zealand, and early on, to Australia. The young Cleary daughter, Meggie, falls in love with the local Catholic priest…As Meggie matures, he comes to regard her in a more romantic way. A great struggle arises between this love on the one hand (“the forbidden rose”) and his ambition to become a Cardinal or perhaps more, on the other. There is much, much, more to the story than this, however.”
“The novel transports the reader to Australia, and makes that country a real place to those of us who have never been there. This is also the story of the struggles of the Cleary family, as they battle with, and come to love, the rich outback country of Australia. This is an extraordinarily authentic and moving story that any review (or at least this one) can only fail to do justice…McCullough’s prose is simply outstanding, and her characters crackle with realism–they become utterly real people and the reader will become swept away with this wonderful story. The storyline never drags, and at no point does this novel ever fail to completely capture the reader’s attention. This novel is not only a classic; it is a ripping good read!”
Hawaii (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99)
Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii’s epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries—until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their ancient traditions.
Then, in the early nineteenth century, American missionaries arrive, bringing with them a new creed and a new way of life. Based on exhaustive research and told in Michener’s immersive prose, Hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener’s Poland.
Circle of Friends (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.99)
It began with Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, growing up, inseparable, in the village of Knockglen.
Benny—the only child, yearning to break free from her adoring parents…Eve—the orphaned offspring of a convent handyman and a rebellious blueblood, abandoned by her mother’s wealthy family to be raised by nuns.
Eve and Benny—they knew the sins and secrets behind every villager’s lace curtains…except their own.
It widened at Dublin, at the university where Benny and Eve met beautiful Nan Mahlon and Jack Foley, a doctor’s handsome son. But heartbreak and betrayal would bring the worlds of Knockglen and Dublin into explosive collision.
Long-hidden lies would emerge to test the meaning of love and the strength of ties held within the fragile gold bands of a…Circle Of Friends.
The Pillars of the Earth (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
The spellbinding epic set in twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of the lives entwined in the building of the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known—and a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
One Amazon reviewer says:
“[Follet’s] primary strength in the book is his magnificent characters. By the end, Prior Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Richard, “Witch” Ellen, William of Hamleigh, Waleran Bigod, and a host of supporting characters are as real as people you know. Their strengths and weaknesses feel as sound as earth. I’ve just reached the part where the Cathedral is finished, and its magnificent image, built in love, hardship, and devotion, colors the whole book like light through stained glass. And I suspect the ending will be as immensely “right” as the entire rest of the book in its proportion in spinning out complicated human lives and emotions.”
Roots: The Enhanced Edition: The Saga of an American Family (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99)
Roots: The Enhanced Edition features rare interviews with author Alex Haley from the NBC News Archives that took place as the Roots phenomenon unfolded over 30 years ago. There are also photos, footage, and recordings from the Haley family, all of which provide a unique understanding of Alex Haley’s journey researching and writing the book. In new video interviews NBC’s Tom Brokaw and David Wilson reflect on the story’s lasting impact.
Roots is a groundbreaking story of history and family that spanned continents and touched generations. One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots galvanized the nation and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past, and we continue to feel its reverberations today.
Roots: The Enhanced Edition is truly definitive–adding unmatched, sweep, context and insight to this ever-relevant classic.
The Enhanced Edition features:
• Full text of the book
• Video introduction and interview with David Wilson
• New video interview with Tom Brokaw
• 10 rare photos from the Haley family
• Essay by Alex Haley
• Reading Group Guide
• Introduction by Michael Eric Dyson
• Extended biography of Haley
• Footage of author Alex Haley provided by the NBC News Archives and the Haley family, including Today Show interviews with Tom Brokaw, Roots-related events in the 1970s, an extended interview about the book, and more (45 minutes of video)
• Recordings of Alex Haley speaking about researching and writing the book (30 minutes of audio)
The Godfather (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $6.99)
When Mario Puzo’s blockbuster saga, The Godfather, was first published in 1969, critics hailed it as one of the greatest novels of our time, and “big, turbulent, highly entertaining.”
Since then, The Godfather has gone on to become a part of America’s national culture, as well as a trilogy of landmark motion pictures. Now, in this newly-repackaged 30th Anniversary Edition, readers old and new can experience this timeless tale of crime for themselves.
From the lavish opening scene where Don Corleone entertains guests and conducts business at his daughter’s wedding…to his son, Michael, who takes his father’s place to fight for his family…to the bloody climax where all family business is finished, The Godfather is an epic story of family, loyalty, and how “men of honor” live in their own world, and die by their own laws.
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