Ten Thousand Years of Sarum - a Monumental Read

Can I just say that I am accustomed to whipping through a paperback in a week or two, stacking those I relish on the bookcase and gradually building myself a small library. I'm not typically attracted to the epic, though if it comes with stellar reviews from trusted friends and fellow book worms, I'll occasionally give one a go. Or at least allow it a little space on the 'to read' stack on my bedside table.

Then along came Sarum, 1000 plus page, tiny print 1988 debut novel by best selling historian Edward Rutherford (pen name for one Francis Edward Wintle - Cambridge University and Stanford scholar) - following the fortunes and failures, trials and tribulations of five distinctive families from the Stone Age through to present day.

This renowned ' sweeping saga' of the area surrounding Stonehenge and Salisbury, in Southern England, spans 10,000 years of family life in the area, through the Neolithic period to the Druids' Stonehenge, Roman times, Saxons, Celts, Norman castle conundrums, Elizabethan departures into seafaring, farming, weaving, the printing press, the lure of North America, Victorian era, World War II and into the 1980s. 

I must have had the book a good two or three years. Gifted to me by my most trusted source of 'must-reads' as a birthday present. "Have you read it yet?" she asked. Several times over the past few years. I was getting to it. Always getting to it. Though somehow another two or three new reads would always usurp its place on the pile.

Quite when I finally succumbed and tentatively turned the first page, I'm not absolutely sure. Some time around mid October of last year, I'd hazard a guess. Three months to read a novel is not my usual standard. Am I ashamed to admit it? Not a bit. For to experience Rutherfurd's Salem (he had returned to his childhood home in nearby Salisbury to write this first, incredible novel), is to surrender one's precious portion of reading time each evening (or whatever time of day you like to read) for a mere blink in the astonishing time line of the story's setting. 

American culture tends to sweep through ancient history at times, certainly, I can never conceive of the concept of racing around Europe taking in as many countries as possible in a whirlwind, 10-day tour. To truly absorb history, a book like Sarum starts at the very beginning and paces the reader with imaginative scenarios of believable people. Linking the five families through time was a magnificent move and I am ready now to take up Rutherfurd's later "London" and "New York" amongst his five best sellers following Sarum.

With much of the action taking place around Salisbury Cathedral (two miles from the original Neolithic site of old Sarum) and hints throughout the saga as to the steady decline of the Cathedral's medieval spire, I wasn't surprised to read an author's note at the back of the book calling for international support for a 1985-launched spire appeal.

Digging a bit deeper into the on-going story of Sarum, a successful $10 million Cathedral Spire Appeal has since seen substantial repairs and conservation of the spire, tower and west front of this magnificent building. Costing around $20,000 a day to keep the Cathedral open, an additional $30 million plus campaign program followed hot on the spire appeal's heels. Keeping history alive is not an easy or affordable task. Read Sarum and you'll have an entirely new appreciation for the value of preservation of historic sites that have had and continue to have such vast influence on civilization as we know it.

Comments

[Lesley]

I knew you'd love it, once you actually picked it up and read it. I also dug deeper into the preservation of the Salisbury Cathedral Spire, Prince Charles was a major benefactor in the project. The book also made a huge difference to my experience when I actually visited Stonehenge a year or two after reading it. Never did finish London though, let me know what you think.

[Dana Prichard]

Having a large "to read" pile stacked neatly or maybe not so neatly next to my bed is something we have in common. While tomes tend not to be my books of choice, I'm a real fan of historical novels, family sagas and that part of England. I'll probably give it a go on your recommendation. If only I had more time to read these days!

[Frances]

I hope you do give it a read, Dana, it is one of those books that you'll never forget.