Susan Howatch, The Rich are Different

I read this novel first about a year ago, but have just got hold of the sequel so decided to reread it and refresh my memory. ‘The Rich are Different’ tells the story of Paul Van Zale, (an incredibly rich investment banker) and other key characters whose lives coincide with his New York world. The novel is split into five sections with each of these being told through a different character in the book. This is quite a common and clever feature of Susan Howatch’s writing, as just when you are becoming involved with a character and their story, you switch and see it from another perspective. The result of this is that although you begin the story seeing the world as Paul does, you finish with a far more rounded view of the society he was in and also a hint to the repercussions of his actions. The book is set around the time of the 1929 wall street crash and through it you get a hint of just how the economy may have failed at this time.

I enjoyed reading this book the first time, and even more the second, but right at the beginning I was reminded of something I said when I lent it to my sister; Stick with it, the beginning may seam dull but it is important and when you get past the first 30 pages you will be gripped. In a strange way this book seamed to take longer to read than most, it wasn’t that I was less interested in the plot or that I was bored etc. It was more that each sentence is packed with so many words and so much information, it takes longer to digest. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading, it may not be ideal for those that prefer magazines to books as you do have to persist with it in places, but when you finally get into it, its well worth the wait.