If I could, I would give this one 3 1/2 stars. Follett is really excellent as story development and crafting stories that are engrossing and intense. However, at times his writing can feel pedantic at best. This is the story of one man that struggles for freedom on his own terms -- outside of the class structure he comes from. A common theme for the time period that this story covers, the scope ranges from Scotland/England to the Pre-Revolutionary United States. Follett does explore the ramifications of the class struggle, as well as other aspects of the English society that would eventually evolve into the American Revolution -- but he does so from the English perspective.

What didn't quite live up to expectations was Follett's development of his characters. A couple of reviews I have read said that his characters tend to be extremes of the spectrum. I also found this to be very much true. Follett doesn't do well as developing the gray areas of the human character. I found myself frequently wishing that something redeeming in some, and that Mack would be a little less "righteous" in his contrast to other characters. However, it seems that once Follett starts a character in one vein, that is where he will stay. This detracts from the character's ability to grow and evolve over the course of the story. Since I love to see characters evolve throughout a book, and experience their growth and development (in either direction, good or bad), I have come to appreciate that shades of gray that make up any human character. But this is sorely lacking in Follet's characters.

His story development can drag at times as well. Sometimes it feels like he is deliberately slowing the whole thing down -- giving the book an overall pedantic feel of telling the reader the story -- rather than allowing the reader to step into the story and experience it for themselves. But I did love the story subject, and the time period in which it is set. I also love Follett's grasp of the time frame and his presentation of the settings.

Increíble. Es tan maca la historia!!! Follet aconsegueix un gran final feliç i q no sigui ñoña! Primera novela llegada ambientada en les mines de Escocia

A wonderful and exciting read!!

Freedom — Life’s Corner Stone

Freedom is not always an easy option. However, it’s thoroughly recommendable!

Fantastic

İlk defa bir Follett kitabı okudum. Bu kitabı çok sevdim. Mack bir maden işçisidir ve efendinin kölesidir. Ama hayatını bu şekilde geçirmeye hiç niyeti yoktur. Efendisi Jamisson'lara başkaldırır ve ne yapar ne eder Londra'ya kaçar. Lizzie ise parasız ama üst tabakadan bir kızdır. Paralı biriyle evlenmelidir. Jay Jamisson'dan hoşlanır ama annesi ağabeyi Robert'la evlenmesini ister. Çünkü miras ona kalacaktır. Ama Lizzie ve Jay birlikte bir gelecek kurarlar. İngiliz kolonisi Virginia'ya gitmeden önce evlenir ve Londra da kalırlar bir süre. Lizzie ve Mack burada da karşılaşırlar. İçten içe birbirini sevmelerine rağmen belli etmezler. Mack'in de bir sevgilisi vardır artık. Mack burada da rahat durmaz ve iş sahiplerine, haksızlıklara karşı gelerek grev başlatır ve Amerika'ya sürgüne gönderilir. Ne tesadüftür ki Amerika'da da Jay Jamisson ve Lizzie'nin kölesi olur. Ve asıl macera burada başlar. Mack hayallarinin Özgür Ülkesi'nde sevdiği kadınla rahat bir hayat yaşayacak mıdır?
Gerçekten baştan sona dolu dolu bir kitap oldu. Aşk, macera, şehvet, tarih... Hepsi dozunda, hepsi tam tadındaydı.

A good, quick read.

Ken Follett is a master storyteller. I found myself talking to the characters at the end if each chapter. Wishing them luck, warning them or for Lizzie, telling her she was pregnant. I get lost in Ken's books. This is probably the 14th of his I have read :o)

I am so looking forward to the second of his cetury trilogy next year.

Started this with enough time invested to want to continue -- and *now* I sleuth enough to find it is an ABRIDGED Follett. I wondered when I downloaded the book how an audio Follett could be only four hours long, I figured it must be a short story, but now I know. This is Follett's 400+ page book (a little short for him) reduced to four hours. I hope I'm not too disappointed.

Update: As I finished the second of four parts, I've decided to abandon this one. Maybe for later, maybe never. Just not the right time for me.

Follett's characters are so extreme-you are either a saint or a really despicable human....not much in between. Highly predicatable you knew where this one was going writhin the first few pages.

Not to be rude but this is the worse book I've read so far! The female characters are flat and limited to the masculine point of view of the author. Follett tried to make his female lead character strong and independent yet she came out basic and dependant on men. Sadly not even the plot is good. Honestly I rated it 1 just because I can't rate 0.5...

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