An Overview of this Sweeping Series
I am a huge fan of BBC’s 2015 Poldark adaptation and had the books on my TBR list ever since. For a few months, I steadily chugged through Winston Graham’s Poldark novels. Graham wrote 12 Poldark novels, and the story spans decades.
Spoiler-Free Summary
Beginning in 1790s Cornwall, we meet Ross Poldark as he returns home from fighting in the Revolutionary War. Home looks very different from when he left: his father passed away, his family home and mine is in shambles, and his first and only love Elizabeth is engaged to marry his cousin Francis.
Ross struggles to find his footing and reestablish himself in Cornwall. As both a born gentleman and a champion of the common people, he walks a fine line in society. His rash behavior, quick temper, and stubborn pride frequently lead to trouble as he seeks to fight for the “little guy” or balks against tradition.
What You’ll Find in Poldark
Character-Driven Stories
Poldark is a largely character-driven series. The plots of each book are comprised of the ups and downs of life for Ross and those he interacts with. As the books go on, more and more characters become primary in the storytelling.
The other key player in Poldark is beautiful, kind Demelza. Taken in by Ross as a kitchen maid after years of parental abuse, Demelza flourishes into a capable, competent young woman, deeply in love and awe of Ross. The two marry, and their tumultuous marriage is a common thread throughout the series.
If Ross is the action of Poldark, Demelza is the beating heart. She is a light in the series – finding beauty in ordinary things, seeing the good in people, full of grit, determination, joy and faithfulness to those around her.
I particularly liked that our main protagonists were married for most of the series. There was still a lot of drama within their marriage, but it was something unique to read. Most of the time, the primary relationship of a story is the “falling in love” part. I liked that Poldark focused on the long game of marriage.
Colorful Supporting Characters
Aside from Ross and Demelza, Poldark is packed with a diverse cast, including Elizabeth Poldark, Francis Poldark, Dwight Ennys, Caroline Penvenan, and Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan.
The latter books also include Demelza’s brothers Drake and Sam Carne, tragic Morwenna, Geoffrey Charles Poldark, and many more.
The people of Cornwall truly bring Graham’s novels to life. They are all unique, complicated characters whose journeys fill the pages. And thus, the series is chock full of action, drama, romance, grief, struggle, and hope – just as real life is.
Immersive Dialogue
Winston Graham is exceptionally skilled with dialogue and dialect. Each character had his or her tone and way of speaking that remained consistent throughout the series.
Demelza was a particularly unique case, as she began with a very strong accent and phrasing indicative of the lower classes; then, as she moved into the upper classes as Ross’s wife and learned to read and write, her speech shifted to be more educated. Even still, Graham would throw phrases into Demelza’s dialogue that came from her past and would remind readers of her arc beginning in Book 1. That’s just one example to show how ingenious Graham was in that regard.
Every character spoke in a way that was believable and natural to who they were and their upbringings. Conversation flowed equally well. The downside to this was that it took me a while to adapt to the way this was written out, as it often meant apostrophes in the places of certain letters and words and phrasing that I was unfamiliar with.
Stunning Cornish Setting
I loved the time period and the setting; realistic, deeply flawed characters that we watched grow from early-20s to middle aged; and the community of Cornwall and the people that comprised it.
Why I Didn’t Finish the Poldark Series
As I mentioned above, these twelve books are mostly character-driven. The reader watches choices play out and the growth of the characters. Because of this, at times, the books felt repetitive as characters repeatedly made similar mistakes and choices. This is how life is, but as a reader, it got tiresome.
So, I stopped after Book 7. Not only had I gotten my fill of Cornwall, so to speak, but the focus of the story shifted from Ross, Demelza, Dwight, Caroline, and others into their children. There’s about a ten year time jump from The Angry Tide (#6) to The Stranger from the Sea (#7), and after spending hundreds of pages investing in one set of characters, I just didn’t quite have it in me to essentially start from scratch with their offspring for another five books.
Additionally, I found the books to be very wordy with random plots that could have been taken out. They didn’t seem relevant. These were slow-going reads for me, for those reasons, and because I had to concentrate on the dialect and keeping track of the many surrounding characters.
Is Poldark for You?
You’ll probably like Poldark if you like:
- Family sagas
- Imperfect, realistic characters
- Action and adventure
- Romance and drama
- Rich historical detail
- Classic literature
Final Thoughts!
All in all, Poldark was a really enjoyable reading experience. The books are fairly clean in terms of language, violence, and the like. But it was also a pleasure to read and journey through that I would recommend to people who like history and who have time to just enjoy the story.
Side note: I was shocked at how accurate the 2015 adaptation of Poldark was, down to some lines being verbatim from the books! I was definitely picturing the actors as I read, and even their mannerisms were exactly as Graham depicted them. Very well done!
Content Rating: Mild/Moderate
some references to spousal abuse/rape in specific books
Copyright Winston Graham and Sourcebooks Landmarks. Image from Amazon.