G1117 Book Review of Burton Blake by Robert Tucker
Author: Robert Tucker
ISBN: 978-1-944056-91-9
Publisher: Wise Words
Part of a Series: The Revolutionist was prequel
Type of book: 1940s-modern times, company, Blake corporation, father/son relationships, family, friends, power play games, politics, housing, money, wealth
Year it was published: 2018
Summary:
In this sequel to The Revolutionist, the American journey of three generations locks the neophyte company president, Burton Blake, in a vicious struggle with corporate intrigue, financial greed, and social corruption.
Born to a taxi dancer at the beginning of the Second World War, Burton’s father, Elias Blake, never knows his natural father, who is killed in the South Pacific. He is raised by his mother and stepfather from her second marriage who makes his fortune during the post war real estate boom of the 50’s. Their untimely death by his business partner leaves the boy Elias in the guardianship of his mother’s best friend and her marine vet husband who introduces him to the macho culture of guns and hunting.
Elias’s youth is influenced by the adult world’s drive for personal material gain. Over the next decades, he expands his parents’ original real estate empire into the diversified multi-divisional, multi-national corporation that he leaves to his son, Burton.
Upon his forced return from traveling and working with oppressed third world people, Burton learns increasingly more about the true nature of his deceased father as he undertakes the challenges of leading the company in a new direction.
Characters:
Unfortunately BURTON BLAKE had no character list (THE REVOLUTIONIST did,) But while it seemed that the narrative was from every character imaginable, in BURTON BLAKE its a lot more limited to family members as well as people who worked at Blake Corporation. Main characters included Julia's granddaughter, Kristina who was a taxi dancer and was both beautiful, elegant and ambitious for her only son, Elias. Elias is there, but I feel as if I don't know much about him besides the fact that he was raised in what one would consider the traditional masculine household (hunting, ruthlessness, OK, but gentler emotions not really) Burton Blake is described as someone opposite of his father, someone who fumbles a lot and somehow gets through the games by sheer luck rather than skill and manipulation. He cares for people and environment and tries to instill these values within the company rather than just paying lip service to them.
Theme:
Although I read the book from cover to cover, I'm not really sure what lesson I should have learned from it.
Plot:
While more tightly woven and focused than the THE REVOLUTIONIST, (this time on a growth of business as well as numerous factors that influenced the growth of Blake Corporation,) some of the issues crossed over the novels; namely the lack of personal scenes between the characters, and a lot of their decisions strike me as last minute rather than something well-thought out and reasonable. I think chronology of years frustrated me because it didn't really add up; how old is Burton? Is he in his fifties? Forties? Thirties? He mentioned that he was twenty three, but then never mentioned how many years ago it was. I also would have wanted to see more of scenes between Burton's parents so I can understand why his mother did what she did.
(From iRead Book Tours)
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Audible
Add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:
Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.
Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.
An affinity for family and the astute observation of generational interaction pervade his novels. His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
Opinion:
While BURTON BLAKE was better written than its predecessor, I think I really expected there to be power games as well as politics. (I expected it to be similar to power games played between kings and nobility,) That is I expected there to be more details, instead of just about everyone mentioning that they are doomed simply because Burton Blake won't support their way of life. In the previous novel Robert Tucker seemed to have tried out a decade or so of Julia Josephson's life, while BURTON BLAKE is more of a multigenerational novel between Julia's granddaughter, her son Elias and ultimately Burton. While there is mention of the years, one thing that drove me nuts is that the chronology didn't add up for either Burton or Elias, and I had hoped for more intimate scenes. There is something old fashioned style writing in the book, but the story didn't work for me, sorry to say.
This is for iRead Book Tours
BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
May 27 - Working Mommy Journal - review of The Revolutionist
May 28 - #www.redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway
May 29 - Corinne Rodrigues - book spotlight / giveaway
May 29 - Viviana MacKade - book spotlight / guest post
May 30 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of The Revolutionist / guest post / giveaway
May 30 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of The Revolutionist / giveaway
June 3 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Burton Blake
June 4 - Jayne’s Books - review of The Revolutionist
June 5 - Paulette's Papers - book spotlight / giveaway
June 5 - T's Stuff - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 6 - Locks, Hooks and Books - review of The Revolutionist / giveaway
June 11 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Burton Blake / giveaway
June 12 - My Devotional Thoughts - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 13 - Locks, Hooks and Books - review of Burton Blake / giveaway
June 14 - Jayne’s Books - review of Burton Blake
June 17 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 18 - Haddie's Haven - review of The Revolutionist / giveaway
June 18 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 21 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of The Revolutionist / giveaway
June 24 - Literary Flits - book spotlight / giveaway
June 25 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Burton Blake / giveaway
June 27 - Haddie's Haven - review of The Burton Blake / giveaway
June 28 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Burton Blake / giveaway
TBD - Library of Clean Reads - review of The Burton Blake/ giveaway
TBD - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of The Revolutionist
TBD - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Burton Blake
TBD - Library of Clean Reads - review of The Revolutionist / giveaway
2 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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