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London (novel)

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London
First edition cover
AuthorEdward Rutherfurd
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical novel
PublisherCentury Hutchinson
Publication date
May 1997
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages829 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBNISBN 978-0-7126-5419-7 (first edition, hardback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
OCLC36915944

London is a historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd published in 1997, which charts the history of London from 54 B.C.E. to 1997. The novel begins with the birth of the River Thames and moves to 54 B.C.E, detailing the life of Segovax, a curious character with slightly webbed hands and a flash of white hair. Seqovax becomes the ancestor of the Ducket and Dogget families, prominent fictional families woven into the novel.

Historical figures, such as Julius Caesar, Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and Pocahontas, make appearances alongside fictional characters and historical kings and queens of England.

Literary significance and reception

"wide range of characters that the readers will either love or hate... all manner of people with all kinds of backgrounds... Rutherfurd is adept at showing how all classes throughout history, from slaves to kings, have contributed to London's development".[1]

Also the Virginia Pilot said of the novel:

"With confidence and skill, Rutherfurd has separated those layers and produced a remarkable story of a great city. Once or twice the social, political and economic factors overshadow the fictional families, but that is almost inevitable when even the best fiction comes up against such an impressive spectrum of historical fact.".[2]

Publication details

  • 1997, UK, Century (ISBN 978-0-7126-5419-7), Pub date ? May 1997, hardback (First edition)
  • 1997, USA, Crown Pub (ISBN 978-0517591819), Pub date ? June 1997, hardback
  • 1997, UK, Century (ISBN 978-0712678384), Pub date ? ? 1997, paperback
  • 1998, USA, Fawcett Books (ISBN 978-0449002636), Pub date 30 April 1998, paperback
  • 1998, UK, Arrow Books (ISBN 978-0099201915), Pub date 7 May 1998, paperback
  • 2002, USA, Ballantine Books (ISBN 978-0345455680), Pub date 1 November 2002, paperback

Footnotes

  1. ^ Johnson, Karyn. "Book Review - London The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd". BellaOnline. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  2. ^ Spigel, Barbara. "``London`` A Remarkable Tale of a Great City". University Libraries, Virginia Tech. Retrieved 2008-02-21.

References