The Gods of Newport by John Jakes

"He believed the First Commandment. Thank heaven he never saw this place---how many false gods are worshipped. Money, never earned the way you earned yours, by hard work, and risk. Fashion is a god. Another is reputation, which means exactly nothing in the grave."
      -Jenny Driver, speaking to her father of Grandfather Penny, from the novel

I have read no fewer than 14 novels by John Jakes. He is a master of historical fiction, my favorite genre, as you probably know. This is, by far, my least favorite. I actually thought of giving it up several chapters in. I will give it a 2.5 since I did become more involved as a romantic triangle and  a plan of revenge developed.

The setting of The Gods of Newport, as one might expect, is Newport, R.I., in the 1890's, known as the Gilded Age. Main character Samuel Stephen Driver, millionaire railroad baron, is from "new money," looked down on by such elites as the Rockefellers, Astors, Vanderbilts and Goulds. Sam's attempts to make the "A-list" and have his daughter enjoy all its benefits is the basis of the plot. William "Bill" Brady tries to foil his efforts at every turn. And predictably daughter Jenny falls for a poor Irish immigrant, much to Sam's consternation!

Part of my problem with the book was the lack of likeable characters. Sam is prejudiced, ruthless and a shameless manipulator. Even Jenny seems to accept the "social climbing" attempts of her father. It was when Jenny started to stand up for herself that I became more interested in the story.

This novel reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby with all of its glitz, glamor, superficiality and questionable morals. Another strike against it, since I didn't care much for Fitzgerald's classic
either. We visited The Breakers a few years ago, a Vanderbilt "cottage." I learned that cottage comes from a European term for a home lived in for only part of the year. In the Afterword, author John Jakes says that his former publisher and friend had said of this novel that she saw many parallels in America today, starting with grasping CEOs and a rush to build "McMansions" by pretentious people with more cash than taste or brains. (I love that last part!) Jakes says he prefers to call these ostentatious homes "Museums of Me."