n  We who are born poor have to use cunning to get what we want. Scruples are for the privileged. n

I must confess-- I am addicted to these Ken Follett novels. I finished World Without End and had to pick up A Column of Fire immediately. I'm also going to get to his Century trilogy at some point. These books are bloodstained historical soap operas and I just can't get enough.

Follett knows how to create exactly the right amount of drama and set it to the gory backdrop of history. I've always loved being taken back to times that I've only read about in passing and here we see the horrors of the Black Death up close.

It is one thing to read a textbook about the illness, its symptoms and its wide reach - wiping out up to 60% of Europe's population - but it's another thing entirely to be taken into the lives of characters we come to love and seeing it firsthand. Knowing at any minute that they or their families could be next. It was a truly horrific and frightening disease, and I think the author captures that really well.

Follett once again utilizes a technique that worked very well for him in The Pillars of the Earth - the plot is often driven by our hatred for certain characters. In the previous book, it was William Hamleigh. Here, there are a number of candidates competing for our hatred; namely, Ralph, Godwyn and Philemon. It's pretty effective to despise a character so deeply that we absolutely must read on to see them get their just desserts.

It's also just a fascinating portrait of everyday life in 14th century England. Two hundred years after the events of The Pillars of the Earth, Kingsbridge now has a nunnery (which makes for some interesting politics as the monks try to control the nuns, but they are some seriously badass women) and the Guild plays an important part in decisions for the town, as well as the Priory.

It's hard to explain - between the deaths, disease and war - how much enjoyment there is in the everyday lives of these people, as we live with them through romance, poverty, heartbreak and betrayal. AND these books are so so easy to dip in and out of. I rarely feel ready to commit to a thousand-page book, but I can easily read this alongside other books and return to the story and characters without a problem.

So much fun and drama.

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WORLD WITHOUT END BY KEN FOLLETT: There are books that you read, with vaguely interesting stories, that sometimes within less than a month have been forgotten, ignored, barely recollected except for title, author and a minor recall of plot. Then there are books that change your mind on life, that give you a thrill as you read them and think about how much you’re loving to read this particular book, and how it’s making such an impression on you, and how you’re going to remember it for a long part of your life. I don’t need to tell you which kind of book World Without End is. I’m also not going to give you a formal, regurgitated plot summary that you can find in just about any review of this book. I am however going to try to convince you why you should read this book with the intention that it will have the same pivotal impression on you as it did on me.

While I have never been a fan or proponent of the seemingly omnipotent Oprah and her book club, she nevertheless has the power to make a considerable number of Americans do, and more importantly, read whatever she tells them. In January of this year, Oprah nominated Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth for her book club and overnight people of all different kinds, and of unexpected types, picked up this lofty paperback tome set in the Middle Ages and documenting the fascinating building of a giant cathedral with immense architectural detail. It’s one of my favorite books, and to see so many people buying it and reading it made me happy. Naturally, once these people got to the last page of Pillars of the Earth, and assuming they enjoyed it as much as Oprah said they would, they would then turn to World Without End. Follett’s new book has been labeled as the sequel of Pillars of the Earth, which is not exactly correct, for none of the original characters are in the new book, and it is set in a later period, however it involves descendants of the main family in Pillars of the Earth, and there is the memory and impression left by characters both in historical record and physical form, such as the cathedral. But World Without End takes many giants leaps further forward as a deeper and more complex book than Pillars of the Earth ever did, equivalent to an ant making its way along a path, while a person looks down upon the ant as they walk by. Perspective is the key here, and if one has some knowledge of the fourteenth century, one will enjoy the book all the more.

Don’t look for the good guys to always win out, and the bad guys to fail in World Without End because, like real life, this world does not reward those who do good and punish those who do bad; it’s a harsh world that gives more opportunity to the survivors of the fittest. You must also remember that this is the fourteenth century, the time of the peasant and noble, a time where class distinction was at the most severe and was a defining character of every person. Though while there is all this suffering, one cannot help but think at some point it must get better for the characters you like, and worse for the characters you hate, and this is after all a novel, but don’t expect Follett to do anything you might predict.

The fourteenth century had a lot going on throughout Europe, and what makes World Without End an incredible novel, is that Follett uses the monumental and catastrophic events in microcosm focused on couple of small towns in England. There was a cooling of temperatures, which led to crop failure and starvation for many peasants, known as the Great Famine; coupled with this was the uprising of peasants against their noble overlords, who had subjugated and oppressed them for so long, known as the Peasant’s Revolt. There was the growing guild system, where anyone wanting to become skilled in a trade would have to be invited to become a member of a guild. Then there was horrific plague that was estimated to wipe out half the population of Europe, known as the Black Death. There was also the moving of the papacy from Rome to Avignon, France, which created a fission in the Christian faith and led to questioning and critique of the absolute religion. Finally there was the seemingly never ending Hundred Years War.

Follett skillfully uses these events in World Without End, weighing in at 1024 pages, but never overtly calls out any of them for what they are, partly because a lot of the terms and names for the events were not yet in existence, and because he seeks to be less overt and obvious, but to have these events occur in most cases beyond the scope of these small towns, to be events occurring far away that have little importance and effect on the citizens of the town – much like the Iraq War is for the American people today. At least this seems the case at first, and then the subliminal effects come into play, where men head off to war, craftsmen have to fight to get into guilds, peasants are suffering and in some cases starving, the church is overbearing in its control and being questioned, and finally with the arrival of the plague, the people’s lives and the towns are changed forever.

World Without End takes you on a journey through the fourteenth century, but not via a history lesson, but in the important and complex lives of some ordinary townspeople of varying classes, their loves and losses, their hopes and dreams, their despair and suffering. It’s a moving and some might say depressing book, but as I mentioned, the fourteenth century was a tumultuous time to say the least. But when you get to the last page, you’ll wish it had never happened, you’ll wish for more story, for more characters, you’ll wish to remember this incredible story for a long time.

FOOTNOTE: Just as World Without End has 1024 pages, conveniently (and maybe with a little effort on my part) these review has 1024 words.

For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.

This is a long....very long book. At times it was difficult to get motivated to keep going with it. I have really enjoyed Ken Follett's books in the past, but the endless scheming, plotting and machinations of the characters became tiring. I'm fine with all the sex and hypocrisy of the church. The difficulty I had was that the characters are drawn with very large black and white brush strokes. The protagonists are just way too good and the antagonists are just so evil. There's no grey anywhere and that makes them more contrived and less believable. You definitely feel the deliberate manipulation in the plotting as the characters overcome one adversity after another. I liked the historical setting and appreciate Follett's ability to construct such an elaborate story line. But, in the end it felt like I invested a lot of time in something that was not as compelling as I would of liked.

This is the sequel to Pillars of the Earth, set in the same little English town of Kingsbridge, but 200 years later.

Once again, Ken Follett is ambitious in his approach, putting together another monster of a novel, filled with great, well-researched facts of medieval life. Even though the book is so long, Follett's style of writing is easy to read and so this book won't take you as long as you think.

What I loved about this book: the look into medieval life and customs, and laws. It really was fascinating to me to learn about the feudal system. I had a revelation while reading this book: we constantly read the news and despair about how corrupt our government is (especially in South Africa), how the wrong people get away with terrible things just because they are well-connected, how bad the economy is, etc. For some reason I believe that these are all new things, when in fact, this book reminded me that things have always been like this. So the conclusion is: the world order has always been shit. I don't know if that's comforting, but somehow it's nice to know that we don't necessarily have it worse than prior generations.

What I didn't like about the book: none of the characters were likeable, even the ones we were supposed to be rooting for. For example Caris "the strong female character" was insufferably annoying, and I hated her. The characters seemed like weirdly recycled versions of the characters in the first book, done in an overly clichéd way. Every action seemed so predictable, so there were no shocks or surprises in the book.

It's an enjoyable series, and still one that I would recommend to anyone with the stamina to get through these massive door stoppers.

Follett is brilliant at bringing readers into his writing. I felt for the characters. I went through their world and I could feel the pain, love, excitement, and passion of the characters.

After a lengthy hiatus Ken Follett returns to the series with a second epic tome, (if you pardon the pun) building on the Kingsbridge Cathedral theme laid out in Pillars of the Earth. It is now the mid-1300s, two centuries after Tom Builder, Jack, Aliena, and Prior Phillip helped shape this community. Their presence is felt through ancestral breadcrumbs and mentioned throughout the complex narrative that seeks to breathe new life into Kingsbridge. The narrative develops early with the emergence of four children in the forest: Gwenda, Merthin, Philemon, and Caris. These four come from their distinct social, economic, and ancestral ties to Kingsbridgeons of old, but whose appearance will prove important throughout the book. While hiding, the children witness the torture of a knight, Thomas Langley, who is able to escape, but not before burying a secret document, which might be the reason he has been chased and tortured. Langley seeks to enter the priory and become a monk, where he will be protected from the outside world and able to devote himself to a new life. With the Cathedral casting a daunting shadow on the town, the economic stability of Kingsbridge seems less stable, as the Fleece Fair may suffer without a new bridge to transport much needed items from outside. The town of Shiring might profit, though locals are not yet ready to admit defeat and put off any construction for the time being. That gamble is foreboding, as there is chaos when the bridge does collapse and hundreds are caught on it, killing them in various forms. The Priory must take action, but the need for a new Prior takes precedence. Politics meets religion in this election as barters and bribes see young Godwyn assume the role, whose iron-fist is supported by his controlling mother. The new bridge commences, but not only after thorough examination and potential architectural analysis is done. Saving a few coins over stability becomes a strong issue, though the symbolic nature of the bridge, connecting economic stability to the town that seeks to link itself to new life, becomes apparent throughout the narrative. As time passes, those aforementioned children grow as well, finding themselves looking to take on trades or turn to the Church for solace. It is here that the drama of the novel builds and social interactions turn to lust and sexual dominance. Forbidden love is tested and sexual control is exerted, sometimes against the will of one participant. Much is asked about that document that Thomas Langley hid away, but there is more on the horizon to keep the locals concerned. After a time away, Merthin returns with an ominous gift from abroad, leaving Kingsbridge under the cloud of plague. No one is entirely safe and, like the bridge, many perish. Families are decimated and yet Prior Godwyn espouses that this is an Act of God, forcing some to swallow the hard pill of religious retribution. Follett illustrates this well throughout, as the sobering clash of complete devotion to God is weighted against the early understanding of disease transmission. Will prayer save you, or might precautions prevent infection? Even as Kingsbridge suffers, the Cathedral stands firm, though there is a need to revisit its foundations, at least in part. The symbolism of a renewed strengthening of part of its body parallels nicely with the constant rejuvenation of the populace and those who can trace their ancestral lines from the early founders of the town. Plague and general injury fuels a discussion about building a new hospital to treat the injured in one location and isolate those who are contagious in another, though this becomes a new religious and political discussion. What awaits Kingsbridge on the horizon is anyone’s guess, but there is surely no stagnancy when it comes to dramatic development, as scores of plots emerge throughout. Follett has emerged to develop another stunning piece that adds to the drama of his opening novel, yet leaves much room for further development, answered with the most recent (and final?) instalment in the Kingsbridge saga. Fans of Pillars will likely enjoy this piece, though there is still a need for patience and determination to sift through a much more character-developing based piece, which sees a generational development, rather than that of a stone structure. Highly recommended for those who have time and interest in a slowly evolving narrative.

After admitting that he was out of his comfort zone with the opening novel, Follett continues tilling the soil with this an amazing series. Equally as epic in its development and final delivery, Follett is forced to use scores of characters to flesh out the story he wishes to present. Moving the story ahead two centuries, the characters will all differ from those found in Pillars, though the lineage that is mentioned and some of the mere characteristics of those featured herein allows the reader to feel a strong connection to all involved. Certainly, there will be some names who grace the story throughout and others who play their smaller roles to support, though the thread is not lost in the narrative. The four children who emerge from the beginning all branch out and develop their own lives, but it is impossible for the reader not to trace their growth (physical, emotional, and social) through the time period of this story. Love, death, rape, and domination all feature significantly and no character is kept completely protected from these themes. While Kingsbridge Cathedral stands strong in the background, readers are able to draw parallels between its development and the new architectural piece, the Bridge, that keeps all aspects of the town occupied. Politics seeps in as council and the Priory weigh in on the issue, forcing the higher-ups to also issue their own decrees. The symbolism of the experience is not lost on the attentive reader, though the political and economic arguments differ slightly. Kingsbridge is no longer a speck on the map, though it is still a developing community, receiving scant attention at times. As plague swept across the continent, Kingsbridge must suffer alone and find its own footing, but exemplifies resilience in the face of disaster. Follett is clear to instil these themes throughout, no matter the narrative twists presented. Again, some have criticised the book for being too long or too detailed, going so far as to inject the words “thick” and “monotonous” into their comments. I acknowledge these issues, but counter that this is not the type of novel that can be both rich and brief. Follett has surely taken a massive chunk and must process it, leaving only the most dedicated to synthesise it. There is no shame in admitting that the book is not for everyone, but those who are able to patiently remain enthralled, many gifts shall be granted. Follett has a purpose for taking the reader on this journey, particularly since he did such a wonderful job with the opening novel. I applaud that this is not a novel meant to appeal to the masses, for there seems to be an inherent dedication required before committing to the journey back to Kingsbridge. There is still much to be seen and more generations to come, their lives shaped by the firmly rooted cathedral, priory, bridge, and so much more. Follett has so much to offer and the journey is one that has me extremely excited.

Kudos, Mr. Follett, for returning to this piece and building on its greatness. I am pleased to have been able to come back and read this again, fulfilling a reading challenge requirement, but also reminding myself why I love this type of story.

This book fulfills Equinox I (A Book for All Seasons) Book Challenge for Topic #1: A Book set 500+ Years Ago

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Kingsbridge 1327. Un caballero vence a varios soldados en combate y entierra un documento antes de ingresar en el monasterio de Kingsbridge para convertirse en monje.

Cuatro jóvenes son testigos de los hechos y sus vidas quedarán entrelazadas en el futuro. Caris, la hija de un mercader de lana, luchará por ser doctora (profesión vetada a las mujeres) y no dudará en enfrentarse a la iglesia con tal de defender sus ideales. Merthin se convierte en el mejor arquitecto de Kingsbridge, pero ante la imposibilidad de casarse con Caris, termina emigrando a Italia. Ralph accederá al poder tras sus méritos en la guerra contra Francia, convirtiéndose en una persona violenta y vengativa. Por su parte, Gwenda, hija de un ladrón, luchará por el hombre al que ama pero su vida en el campo no será nada fácil.

Ken Follet narra una fascinante historia en la que la construcción de un puente, la guerra con Francia, la llegada de la peste, la construcción de un hospital para enfermos,... atrapa al lector desde el principio y le sumerge de lleno en una de las etapas más convulsas de la época medieval.

✔️ Puntos fuertes: la ambientación, las descripciones, las intrigas, los personajes y su evolución, la prosa del autor.

❤ Te gustará si: buscas una novela histórica y que enganche, o te gusta la narrativa del autor.

En esta segunda parte de los pilares de la tierra, Ken Follet nos muestra como Kingsbridge ,160 años despues, ha crecido hasta convertirse en una ciudad de comerciantes.

Me gusta que los personajes, tengan desarrollos diferentes, y que vayan creciendo a lo largo de la historia.por ejemplo en Caris encontramos a una mujer que desde chica sabe lo que quiere, pero no sabe como conseguirlo y también como el destino la va llevando por caminos inesperados; Me gusta el personaje de Ralph como el malo de la historia, porque está bien sustentado y a lo largo de las 1179 páginas se mantiene fiel a su naturaleza y forma de pensar.

Sin spoilear solo quiero decir que no me gusta el desarrollo de Philemón ni el cierre que da a la historia con Lola, esa es la razón que para mí esta sea una historia de 4 estrellas.

Follet conjures up another masterpiece with World Without End, as he achieves near-nirvana by writing a spellbinding story that is captivating from page 1 until 1000!

I was just a lonely lad, ignorant to the brilliance of Ken Follett until my father suggested I read Pillars of the Earth. My world just about shattered!! ‘Pillars’ is easily one of my top 5 fav books of all times! In ‘Pillars’, we see Follett’s genius shine on: the story is so captivating, with strong willed characters and narrative that was so unique yet so simple, that I instantly fell in love! Starting this sophomore’ series World Without End, gave me some butterflies due to such high expectation and the hope of another home-run. After reading it, the verdict was unanimous:

World Without End is an absolute masterclass in storytelling, character development, imagination and a tale of the unbound human spirit! Ultimately World Without End is at its bare essence a story of love.


Follett revisits the city of ‘Kingsbridge’ about 200 years after we last encountered it at ‘Pillars’. As much as Pillars was a well-crafted story about the ‘building of a cathedral’ and the creation of the city as a religious powerhouse, World Without End encompasses a more global tone involving accurate historical events of the epoch and surrounding Europe. There’s not much Follett is unwilling to touch, as vast range topics of greed, monastic abuse, love, war and death are widely seen in the writing.


Kingsbridge


Follet’s writing style is direct and unadorned, leading to a brilliant and powerful way to convey human emotions! The simplicity of Follett’s narrative is possibly his most unique and powerful attribute. His prose is quite effective, his characterization is absolutely incredible! When he creates an evil character, we as readers develop almost a ‘visceral’ reaction to them!! A perfect example is the most evil character called ‘Ralph’! Follett goes to the extremes to depict this evil, unscrupulous character that will do almost anything to fulfill his aspirations of power and nobility. In fact, Ralph does not shy away from raping innocent females, killing woman and children and lying incessantly to ascend in the hierarchical food chain! Truthfully, I fucking hated Ralph and cringed everytime he got away with murder! This reaction is exactly what Follett achieves with the power of his words.


-“ Ralph.. had killed many people, women as well as men..he had killed nuns in France..he hesitated, but suddenly it seemed terrible to stick a knife into the warm body of someone he had embraced and slept with, the woman who had borne his child”


The story in World Without End is very expansive, and spans decades, and we concentrate on a handful of unique and vastly entertaining characters. Again, heavy focus is geared towards monastic life and the ‘priory’ of monks, with the added difference of a ‘nunnery’ that is added to Kingsbridge. Remarkable and unforgettable characters include the wildly egocentric and power hungry ‘prior’ of Kingsbridge Godwyn, the powerful ‘earl of the Shiring’, the head nun Mother Cecilia and many others. But without exception, the full narrative places Merthin a young ‘builder’ his love interest, Caris at the core of the tale. Follett spins his ‘webs’ masterfully as he tells the love story of both Merthin and Caris, and how their lives seem to congeal and split apart. We take third POV when following Merthin and Caris, as their story feels organic at every corner.


Caris & Merthin

The last worthy point of reference is how Follett incorporates real historical facts to augment the narrative and make the story so interesting. At the peak of 14th century Europe, the ‘bulbonic plague’ ravaged most of the continent. In fact, Europe experienced the most deadly disease outbreak in history when the Black Death hit in 1347, killing a third of the human population! Follett uses this accurate historical event, as it shapes the lives of most resident of Kingsbridge, and ultimately affects every character in the book. The results are astounding and downright terrifying.


'Black Plague


World Without End is another epic slam dunk in the the saga of the ‘Kingsbridge’ series. Follett creates another masterpiece that is wildly accurate to the historical time, as he tells a tale that is fascinating, with memorable characters!

5 Stars

The Pillars of the Earth was pretty good, but WWE is supposed to be a sequel... However, WWE seems to be a 1000 page snorefest after the first book. Perhaps if I had read them 18 years apart... then I would not have minded that WWE is a plagiarized (by the same author) copy of TPOTE. They have the same plot, same polar characters (no one is reasonable, they are all so totally overboard in every description), same activities, same cads, same villians, same love story... Same everything... But the characters all have new names. So, if you decide to read them... Skip 18 years before reading the sequel, which takes place in the same town as TPOTE 200 years later. If you wait 18 years, the book might seem fresh instead of boring, annoying, unoriginal and tedious. I kept wanting people to die just so I would not have to read another word about them. If I did not have this incessant need to complete books, I would have just thrown it on the floor and never picked it up again.
It makes me annoyed every time I pick it up.. sad but true.

my hint:
Read Pillars of the Earth, take a LONG break and then, if you feel a desperate need... think about it, and if you can find the book for cheap, maybe... perhaps... read it if you have absolutely nothing better to do.

Follett es un misterio para mí, no sé cómo lo hace, como escribiendo libros de más de mil páginas, te mantiene interesado en todo momento y no te aburre, me agradan los libros largos, pero casi siempre me pasa que cuando estoy en una lectura extensa, de un momento a otro siento que me están metiendo relleno (muy al estilo de Naruto) y que el editor pudo haber hecho mejor su trabajo, pero me estoy yendo por las ramas, a lo nuestro.

Kingsbridge, han pasado dos siglos desde los eventos de Los Pilares de la Tierra, y si usted creía que a esta gente no les podían pasar más calamidades, ha subestimado, como yo, la inventiva (bastante realista) de un autor malévolo como Follett.

Usted es diabólico señor Follett

Hay dos formas de juzgar este libro, se lo puede hacer como un libro independiente o se lo puede comparar con Los pilares de la tierra. Es cierto que tiene muchas similitudes, aunque con cambios serios.

Hay mucha construcción, Puentes, Torres, Hospitales…, Personajes tan bien hechos, que parece que se pudieran palpar, realistas y muy humanos, una historia de amor imposible, luchas de poder, mucho drama y algo de comedia.

Ame desde el principio a n  Merthin y a Carisn, y como los shippeaba xD,  
me encanto la genialidad y la personalidad de Merthin (y lo apoye en todo momento), y que decir de Caris, también, me encanto, su inteligencia, su sentido del deber, su lucha personal en su mundo tan machista, aunque en muchos momentos no la entendía, y quería meterme en el libro, zarandearla y decirle -¿qué más quieres mujer?- Aunque por otro lado cuando ponía en su lugar a los monjes (idiotas y machistas en su mayoría) quería decirle ¡bien hecho! Definitivamente ella es una de los mejores personajes femeninos de los que he tenido oportunidad de leer, y el hecho de que, como ya dije, en varias ocasiones no podía entenderle, solo la hace más realista.

Hay también otros personajes, como n  Gwendan, astuta como ella sola, aunque quizás sea la que pase por más penurias, n  Ralphn el hermano de Merthin, que, en un mundo donde la mayoría de los personajes son grises (ni buenos, ni malos) él está más cerca al negro, n  Godwyn y Philemonn, como odie a estos desgraciados,

uno representa la codicia del poder y el otro la pura mezquindad, y lo peor ambos se refugian en la iglesia, y son del pensar que todas sus acciones son buenas,

no me molesta admitir que quería que se murieran, cuando le hacen el juicio a Caris por bruja, mi odio fue tan grande, que si les hubiera caído un rayo en ese momento, fulminándolos inmediatamente, hubiera dicho que era perfectamente lógico y compatible con la trama.

Hay muchos personajes y todos muy bien desarrollados, no los puedo detallar a todos porque la reseña sería interminable, pero mencionare a dos más, que aunque no son personas, se sienten en la trama casi todo el tiempo, la iglesia y la peste. En cuanto a la iglesia, no es un personaje nuevo para Follett, ya que en Los Pilares de la tierra ya era central en la trama, ahora sigue siendo central, pero se han pulido su bordes, ya no es tan perfecta como la conocimos antes, con todo parece más humana, seguimos teniendo juegos de poder con estrategias alucinantes, pero también vemos las relaciones personales que hay en el clero, amistad y a veces más que amistad, vemos como la bondad, inteligencia y ganas de modernizar se contraponen a los viejos hábitos, la mezquindad, y la supersticiones.

Y por último la peste, les dije que Follett era malévolo, que peor desgracia que esta, la gran muerte, la perdición.

¡Órale! Esta reseña me salió más larga de lo que pensaba, pero el libro es largo, se lo merece. Definitivamente lo recomiendo, ya sea si no conoces Los Pilares de la tierra o si eres fan, es una historia maravillosa, años pasan dentro del libro, pero a ti se te hará corto y quedaras con ganas de más.

Book 1: 3*
Book 2: 3.5*

I had heard the rest of the series wasn't as good as book one so I was pleasantly surprised. The book started out much like a carbon copy of its predecessor. It is era two and there are a lot of parallels between many of the characters and the plot. However this one was much darker and the author put more empathy into his character.

There were still some head scratching actions of different characters that seems completely out of character for this time period. There were also some reactions I couldn't buy into or responses where I thought nobody says that there.

Overall though a very good second effort and I'll finish the series off.