Desafortunadamente, tengo responsabilidades en mi vida, como por ejemplo trabajar y dedicar tiempo a mi novia, mi gato, amigos y familia. De lo contrario, hubiese terminado este libro mucho antes, ya que es bastante largo.
A pesar de ser muy largo, Follett tiene una forma de escribir de la cual te atrapá fácilmente, vas siguiendo la historia y la vida de los personajes todo el tiempo.
Es un libro escrito de forma similar a la primera parte (Los pilares de la tierra). El desarrollo de los personajes va cambiando bastante a través del libro, ya sea para bien o para mal. A la vez, vas amando a los buenos y detestando a los malos, por lo que el interés se mantiene activo todo el tiempo.
Al igual que la parte anterior, me adentré muchísimo en los personajes. Creo que todos toman bastante protagonismo, pero Wulfric siento que está de alguna forma sub-valorado. Un personaje que sufrió siempre del cual me encariñé mucho.
Muchísimas gracias por crear a Caris, Merthin, Ralph, Gwenda, Wulfric, Godwyn, Philemon y la ciudad de Kingsbridge, señor Follett. Leeré la próxima parte inmediatamente.

El único motivo por el que le pongo 4 estrellas y no 5 es el hecho de que a veces se carga demasiado a la parte sexual. No soy conservador ni mucho menos, pero siento que a veces daba demasiado detalle explícito cuando ya teníamos la idea de los que se estaba haciendo.

n  "As it was in the beginning
it is now and ever shall be
World Without End
Amen..."n

n  Initial Thoughtsn

Ken Follett is back and my word does he mean business with his sensational sequel to his historical blockbuster "Pillars of the Earth."  The first was a book that took my breath away. Easily one of my top reads of 2021 and I was fired up for some more high stakes historical fiction. Would it live up to Pillars of the Earth? Probably not, but I was expecting big things.

The first installment was a sprawling epic set in twelth century England that centred around the building of a church.  If you'd have give me that synopsis before going in I probably wouldn't have read it, but I was happy to be proved wrong. It was absolutely magnificent.  A full on soap opera with twist, turns and plenty of backstabbing.

n  "I never trust anyone who proclaims his morality from the pulpit. That high-minded type can always find an excuse for breaking their own rules."n

I read World Without End (WWE) as part of a group read and it's an experience I highly recommend. If you're on the look for a bad ass group to take part in ventures like that then try "The Night Shift" on here or Facebook. We'd love to have you.

Without End isn’t strictly a sequel, though; the novel still takes place in Kingsbridge, a fictional English city,

n  The Storyn

WWE isn't strictly a sequel, although it does take place in the fictional town of Kingsbridge.  Our story begins in the year 1327, which is well over a hundred years after Pillars of the earth.  The cathedral and it's priory are still at the heart of the story, with all the intrigue and political games that revolve around them.  But we have a completely fresh set of characters.



The narrative commences with a knight being chased by two men that he kills, before burying a secret letter. The mystery is a key part of the overarching plot, but there are numerous sub plots that develop and add huge depth to this tale.  Follett really delves into the lives of the characters contained within these numerous pages, providing non-stop drama, tension and entertainment.

At the centre of the story is a romance, and where Pillars focused on the building of Kingsbridge, this one focuses on a relationship that looks far more difficult to maintain than the crumbling cathedral.  It's this kind of venture from Follett that kept the story fresh, although you will see a number of similarities with the first. This all takes place during the time of beubonic plague and the start of the Hundred Year War so there's a fascinating back drop to all this.

n  The Writingn

n  "Don't worry. We who are born poor have to use cunning to get what we want. Scrupples are for the privileged."n

Follets writing is not going to blow you away.  It isn't complicated with overly elaborate prose but it does what it has to and gives the reader a portal into an amazingly rich piece of historical fiction.  Honestly, it so immersive and his style suits the way the story is being told. The plot, historical info and drama take centre stage and you're in for a rollercoaster ride with all the twists and turns. I read this one over two weeks and it felt like I had two lives on the go and now it's gone, I really miss it.

n  The Characters
n
We get a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to characters from Follett. They are a touch on the stereotypical side and if you've read Pillars it does feel like he's recycling a few. However, he pours so much love into them and as I followed them through childhood into adulthood, I began to care so much for them. They face adversity like nothing else and I was praying they'd make it but never sure if they really would. Absolutely brilliant.

n  “The sight … made [her] marvel: each individual had a different life, every one of them rich and complex, with dramas in the past and challenges in the future, happy memories and secret sorrows, and a crowd of friends and enemies and loved ones.”n

Follett starts his book with his main characters as children and we first get introduced to Merthin, who much like his ancestor Jack Builder, takes on the role of...you guessed it...the builder. Then we have Merthin's brother, Ralph, who is one of the key villain's, and does whatever it takes to realise his ambitions.  Very William of Hamleigh-esque.  Another key figure in this tale is Caris, Merthin's main love interest and an independent woman who goes against the grain to fulfill her ambition to help others.  Finally, my favourite Gwenda, a woman who is constantly down on her luck but redefined my perception of resilience in her struggle to make ends meet and win the affection of her one true love.

Like “The Pillars of the Earth”, “World Without End” focuses on the struggles and growth of these characters and how their lives and their hard work effect the town of Kingsbridge. It’s the telling of those lives that makes World Without End as brilliant as its predecessor.

n  Final Thoughtsn

After reading and loving The Pillars of the Earth I just didn't think World Without End could be as good.  But it most certainly was! This book breathes new life into the historical novel genre and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful storyteller writing at the top of his game.

It is the perfect sequel for “The Pillars of the Earth” as it continues the legacy left behind by Prior Philip and Jack Builder. If you enjoyed the first book in the Kingsbridge series, then I recommend “World Without End” with absolutely zero hesitation.  Just be ready for an epic journey like no other.

[4.5]

Mi ha rapito per 1400 pagine.
Non ho altro da aggiungere.

"Las mujeres nos hallamos a merced de los hombres, que son nuestros amos y señores, quienes tienen el deber de decidir sabiamente nuestra suerte, por lo que sólo nos queda rogar para que la voz de nuestro corazón no sea del todo ignorada. Un tipo de petición que suele ser escuchada."

Una sobria continuación de una saga que deja huella. De la mano de uno de los mejores autores de nuestro tiempo, quien tiene la habilidad de no solo escribir más de 1000 páginas con excepcionales personajes, tramas e intrigas, datos históricos ricamente documentado, sino que logra adicionalmente que la avidez del lector nunca decaiga.
Cuando piensas que es difícil que un autor al menos se mantenga con respecto a su libro anterior, viene Ken Follett y se supera a sí mismo.

Es difícil describir en palabras una obra de este autor, con personajes tan complicados como sencillos, que amas u odias; con tramas y subtramas en donde piensas que las calamidades en Kingbridge no pueden llegar a peor... pues si! viene el autor y te lo pone peor.

Sencillamente fantástico y adictivo!

100% recomendado

This "companion" novel to Follett's 1989 classic The Pillars of the Earth is set in the same community, 200 years later. I'd been excited about it ever since I heard it was coming out this fall - Maybe too excited, because it just didn't live up to my expectations.

The first half of the book seemed a sort-of ho-hum retread of "Pillars". In place of Jack Builder, we have his look-alike great-great-great-many-times-over grandson, Merthin. Instead of Aliena, we get Caris (who I wanted to slap several times during the course of the story). Instead of Big Villain William, we get Ralph, Merthin's knightly (but less-than chivalrous) brother. And a bridge-building project stands in for the cathedral construction of the first book... As if anything could.

The only character I found remotely original was the first one we meet in the book, a little girl reduced to pickpocketing by her starving parents, who grows up to be hopelessly in love with a handsome, honest young farmer.

I missed Prior Philip, from the original book, who was a character who at least had some integrity and depth to him. All the clergy in "World Without End" seemed to be corrupt - including the ones we're supposed to like.

Something big happens about halfway through, to change the book's course - and it doesn't get resolved as quickly as I thought it would - but the big payoff from the opening scene never materializes. ("That's IT?" I wanted to say when I read the explanation of what happened.)

There are some good scenes, showing how war and pestilence affect ordinary folk - but the "heroes" in this book talk and think too much like people from the 21st Century to make the setting really believable. If you loved "Pillars", you might as well try this one, but it's not any great shakes.

It’s actually the Book Without End. Great historical fiction spanning several decades in the 14th century in Kingsbridge. Wonderful details on the medical knowledge of the time, weaving and dying, building, and more. I did take some breaks in this book and I could have done without the mentions of animal cruelty.

n  Watch my video review by clicking here.n

Every bit as good as Pillars of the Earth, albeit a very similar pacing that becomes a bit predictable.

When I had in my hands “World without end” I had a mixture of excitement and fear, I will explain it. For me the Pillars of the Earth was and is one of my favourite books, I could say that is within my Top 5 favourite books, so when I first took “World without end” I had a great desire to know what Ken Follett wrote but also I was afraid that comparing to its precursor novel could disappoint me. I was wrong. “World without end” is an extraordinary book, and now I have to say that it competes with the position of the Pillars. In this second book, Follet makes a big temporary jump and presents a more evolved society with a fascinating female as its main character. I think the female character gives to the story a new point of view, a richness and completely new way of facing the problems of that time. I obviously recommend this novel to all readers of The Pillars of the Earth and I encourage to read these two epic stories to the rest who haven’t done it yet because it’s a story that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Spanish version:
Cuando tuve en mis manos "Un mundo sin Fin" senti una mezcla de emoción y de miedo, me explicaré. Para mí los Pilares de la Tierra es uno de mis libros favoritos, podría decir que está dentro de mis Top 5 libros favoritos, así que al coger el libro tenía unas ganas enormes por saber en qué historia me sumergiría Ken Follet como continuación pero a la vez tenía miedo que comparándolo con su precursora me decepcionara. Pero mis dudas fueron infundadas. Un mundo sin fin es un libro extraordinario, y ahora tengo que decir que compite con el puesto de Los Pilares. En este segundo libro Follet nos hace da un salto temporal y nos presenta una sociedad más evolucionada y con un interesante personaje protagonista femenino. Y es aquí donde creo que Follet dio en el clavo, creo que el cambio de sexo en su protagonista es lo que le da una riqueza y una manera de enfrentarse a los problemas totalmente nueva que sus personajes masculinos. Evidentemente recomiendo esta fantástica novela a todos los lectores de Los Pilares de la Tierra y de Ken Follet y animo a quién no lo haya hecho aún a leer estas dos épicas historias que de bien seguro os dejarán marcados para siempre.

One of my book clubs selected this as we had all read and loved Pillars of the Earth when it came out 20 years ago.

I got halfway through this tome and decided I didn't want to waste another moment of my life on a book which failed on so many counts. The characters didn't seem real and certainly didn't elicit any sympathy from this reader as they moved from one contrived crisis to the next, the writing was repetitive and juvenile (a gifted high school student could write better), the language was too modern for the time period ("shagged" didn't come into use - at least in print - until late 18th C.) and sex was vulgar and gratuitous.

If you want to read really well written and very well researched historical fiction try Dorothy Dunnett or Diane Gabaldon.

This is the sequel to "Pillars of the Earth." It's set 200 years after that original book but is very similar in terms of plot and especially character. Every main character from "Pillars" has their parallel in this book: the intelligent, noble builder; the feisty, born-before-her-time love interest; the evil, corrupt nobleman who rapes and pillages his way into power. It gets to the point where you start to wonder why you're bothering reading it. There's absolutely nothing new here.

Like "Pillars," this one starts with a "mystery" that goes nowhere. When the big revelation comes, I was left thinking, "That's it?"

I enjoyed the parts about the Plague but could have done without the lesbian nuns and the numerous rape scenes (especially the scenes where the woman being raped starts to enjoy it. Talk about offensive!).

And once again, an aggressive editor would have done wonders. 1,000 pages is just a bit much, especially when the entire thing is a retread of the original anyway.

5 stars to Ken Follett's World Without End. One of my favorite books of all time... I was just mesmerized by the characters and everything they went thru. It is a MUST read.

It's a long read, and it takes place hundreds of years ago, but if you can handle the primitive nature of the timeline, the various plots and subplots will astound you. Amazing.

I kept getting angry at all the tragedy thrown at the two main characters. How could they suffer so much. And for years. I'll stop there as I don't want to give it away, but please read this one!



FAVORITE BOOK!!!!

World Without End transports the reader into another time and place, 14th Century England. The book contains a broad and intertwined plot that starts in 1327 with four children sharing a fateful encounter in the forest. The tension of maintaining a secret related to this encounter ties the book's beginning and ending together. The historic events that become incorporated into this fictional story include the Hundred Years War and the Black Death Plague.

The story contained in this book occurs approximately 200 years after the story told in the prequel, Pillars Of The Earth. Many of the characters in World Without End are descendants of the characters in the earlier book. And just as architecture and construction were part of the earlier story, it is also found in this book. Again there are structures falling down with disastrous and life changing results. This time we learn that deteriorating foundation conditions below ground are the source of the structural problems. This is in many ways symbolic of the deterioration of the leaderships and economy of the region over the preceding 200 years. In the time of Pillars, the monastery had been a pious institution that encouraged learning and innovation; in the 14th century the monks have become conservative and discourage any modernization.

Modern day architects, engineers, doctors, nurses and even economists should enjoy reading about the struggles of working in a culture that honors revealed wisdom from past masters above that of current day innovators. It's also interesting to follow the politics and intrigue of life within a monastic priory where life is suppose to be focused on prayer. There are several examples in the story of smart women giving good advice to clueless men, so female readers should get a kick out of that.

The incidents in this book fit within the broad outline of 14th Century history. It paints a vivid picture of England's economy and class structure as well as the changes that resulted from the Black Death Plague. However, professional historians of the 14th Century will find plenty to quibble about. Some of the characters in the book are probably too skeptical of 14th Century thinking to be realistic. As a matter of fact, the two main characters, Merthin and Caris, have world views that are surprisingly compatible with those of typical 21st Century readers. Caris even has a rough concept of scientific medicine and Keynesian economics.

Since the commonly accepted theory regarding the primary transmission of the plague is that it was carried by fleas from rats, I was expecting the author to make some mention of the presence of rats. But no such reference is made. I know that the people at the time had no idea about that, but I thought some mention would be made of rats and fleas being present since the modern reader would be expecting it. There is reference in the story to a cat living in the priory, so perhaps it contributed to a reduced death rate by catching rats. But there is no observation made in the story that the cat was good at catching rats.

This book is popular literature, not great literature, aimed at entertaining today's reader. The author does a good job of doing just that by telling an interesting and entertaining story. As can be expected in popular literature, sexual thoughts and activity are fully explored in this book. The descriptions of sexual activity are not overly explicit, but are persistent enough to embarrass a prudish person like myself. If Canterbury Tales is any indication, the 14th Century was not an overly prudish time with regard to sex, so the book may be on target in this regard.

I think the book falls short in its description of the interrelationship between language and class in 14th Century England. Follett makes no attempt to make the dialogue reflect the dialect of the time. It is my understanding that, at the beginning of the 14th Century, the prevailing language of the educated upper class in England was French, while at the same time the peasant lower class spoke middle English (a la Chaucer). This changed by the end of the 14th Century with English being spoken by both upper and lower classes. (Parliament was opened in the English language for the first time in 1362.) There is a theory supported by some historians that this change was brought about by The Black Plague because so many school teachers died. The story as told in World Without End indicates several times that the educated English were able to speak Norman French. However, the narrative makes no mention of barriers in communication within English society caused by different languages spoken by upper and lower classes. I think the author missed an important issue of 14th Century English life by not emphasizing these language issues.

Another complaint, the book is too long. I wish authors who wanted to write stories this long would have arranged to be born in the 19th Century where they belong. People had more time to read then. In this era of so many books and so little time, books of this size really slow down progress on making it through the back-log of books to read. ;-)

Even though I can find things about the book to criticize, I nevertheless enjoyed it's lengthy and intertwined story. If I gave it fewer than five stars I would be guilty of being a hypocrite; pretending to be unimpressed with popular literature while secretly enjoying it. So I'll be honest and give it five stars based on the pure enjoyment of being immersed within a distant time in history.

If you're interested in a non-fiction account of this same time period from the French point of view, I recommend A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman.