I’ve just put this book down after turning over its last page. This is the first time I’ve ever read a Sidney Sheldon and now I partly understand how some people become book-addicts!
Not exaggerating, it feels I’ve just come out of a strange fantasy world of manipulations to reality. Jamie, Margaret, Banda, Kate, David, Tony, Eve, Alexandra, George, John, Peter…….these characters are like known people in my real world now. I marvel at what a book can do to its readers. And lo, what an author does to his readers!
Jamie – His vigour and sense of righteousnes! Except of what he did to Margaret. His character is all about how a man struggles to lift himself up in the ladder of success after being deceived so badly. I was too sad to have my dinner the day when I went through the pages of his premature death 🙁 May be he should have learnt little of forgiveness.
Margaret – A lovely melancholy!
Kate – Though she does a lot of manipulations, there is something warm about her. Her love for everybody around her – her Dad, Mom, Banda, Tony, grand daughters and most important, David. It was intriguing me as to why the author did not describe much of the part where she hears the news of David’s death. And as she ages and Eve dominates the story, she is felt less read of.
Tony – If Mr.Sheldon were alive, I would have asked him why he created so much bad luck in a person’s life. I wish at least his paintings were described much more in detail.
And Eve! A combination of Kate and Vander merwe, her great great grand father. She occupies the major part in the second half. She has exactly acquired all the negatives from her ancestors – disloyalty from Vander merwe, unforgiveness from Jamie, flair for power and fame from Kate and added to it were pride, jealousy, hatred, vengeance…..and what not in this beautiful young women! Where did all the tenderness of Margaret, David and Tony go? Obviously to her twin!
Alexandra – Everybody plays tricks in the plot at one point or other except Alexandra. A portrayal of innocence and purity! May be that’s why the author thought of his own wife’s name for this character. And she’s my favourite.
George – Disgusting! It’s terrific for an unmarried girl especially to read what this character does in the story.
If I can think to that extent of a fictitious character acquiring qualities from another fictitious ancestral character, I know what this guy sitting in the picture has done to his millions of readers.
It’s just not the plot and the strong characters which remain after completing the book. It has given an understanding of life. An understanding that money, beauty and power does not last forever. An understanding of how life begins with vitality and comes to a halt of nothingness as we grow old which has been gracefully portrayed in Kate’s life. Amazingly enough, this picture of him reminds me of Kate in her last days.
Master of the Game – This book, though as old as I am, hasn’t lost its verve. P.B.Shelly’s Ozymandias comes to my mind now “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” How true that human life is short but not his work of art!
Thanks to my friend who forced me to read this book. Let me continue that work. 450 pages is not less, but don’t miss this book. Keep in mind and read it at least after your retirement 🙂
Sources
Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon
Photo Courtesy
Master of the Game http://www.fictionnovelreviews.com
Sidney Sheldon http://www.usatoday.com
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Happy reading girl!
I’ve read all of his books! As a matter of fact, I like all of Sheldons’ – especially for its thriller. You start reading a book, and just couldn’t keep it back without completing them 🙂
But, I have to say, almost all his books are women centric, and portrays women with beauty, brain & power, which is, sometimes too boring and gives predictable ending! To me, the best book of SS are The best laid plans, Memories of midnight, If tomorrow comes (not in that order though)!
True, it couldnt be kept without finishing. He himself has said this in an interview that he liked “to write about women who are talented and capable, but most important, retain their femininity. Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can’t do without it.” Hope to read more of his books 🙂
I read “Tomorrow never comes”..you know Nandhin dhin di, i used to scream at my cousin, (4yrs younger to me), because i thot this kind of buk at her tender age will not bring mental development, wen u read d first one u like but wen u start gettin addicted to these kind of books, well, it does not lead to any literary good 😛 i had dis opinion..lol. im surprised you wrote a book review on this? i will go search in library, n read n leave nthr comment here 🙂
I too was a critic of such books and that’s the reason I wasnt inclined to read one till this time. And this one was forced by my friend to get started. In this book particularly, there was a philosophy hidden behind the plot that touched me enough to write a review. I know it must be surprising for a person like me to write a review on this kinda book 😉 I’ve heard there are better of his books than this one.
The style of story telling is good indeed. The beginning was a bit lengthy until Kate comes into action. But later on Eve and Alexandra dominate the story. So there was a confusion who the Mater of the Game really is. And it is ironic how Eve and Alex are the personifications of pure evil and pure innocence.
Over all the story is OK, but after finishing, the reader isn’t really left with something to linger with. Kate’s character could have been the take away gift if she wasn’t totally left out in the end.
The abrupt ending was good though. But it seemed that the ladies in the story conceived children at a very early age to fit the plot.