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ist schon länger war. war damals ein geschenk. fand es recht spannend, die charaktere haben mich damals emotional nicht gepackt. es war ein schnelles, gutes, spannendes lesevergnügen
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Whiteout
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Jealousies, distrust , and hidden rivalries uncover dark secrets, then a dozen vials of a deadly virus go missing. As a blizzard whips out of the north on Christmas Eve, several people converge on a remote family house. Stanley Oxenford, director of a pharmaceutical research company, has everything riding on a drug he is developing to fight a lethal virus. Several others are interested in his success his children, at home for Christmas with their offspring, have their eyes on the money he will make; Toni Gallo, head of his security team and recently forced to resign from the police, is betting her career on keeping it safe; an ambitious local television reporter sniffs a story, even if he has to bend the facts to tell it; and a violent trio of thugs are on their way to steal it, with a client already waiting. As the storm worsens and the group is laid under siege by the elements, the emotional sparks crackle and dark secrets are revealed that threaten to drive Stanley and his family apart for ever. Filled with startling twists, "Whiteout" is the ultimate knife-edge drama from an international bestselling author who is in a class by himself.
4 pages, Audio CD
First published November 23,2004
This edition
- Format
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4 pages, Audio CD
- Published
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January 1, 2006 by Macmillan
- ISBN
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9781405052719
- ASIN
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1405052716
- Language
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English
About the author
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Ken Follett is one of the world's most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken's first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken's most popular books.
In 1989, Ken's epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken's new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken's first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken's most popular books.
In 1989, Ken's epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken's new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
31(31%)
4 stars
33(33%)
3 stars
35(35%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
99 reviews All reviews
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(review in English below)
Lê-se bem e depressa, que era o que eu pretendia.
De resto, achei bastante básico. Um thriller pouco emocionante, com umas intrigas amorosas à mistura, incluindo um casal de adolescentes (!) que acaba por ter alguma influência no desenlace.
Gostei da personagem principal, Toni Gallo.
E pronto, cumpriu e ficou por aí.
A nice and quick read, which was what I was looking for.
Otherwise, I found it pretty basic. A not so thrilling thriller, with some love intrigue in the mix, including a teenage couple (!) that ends up having a somewhat relevant role in the outcome.
I liked the main character, Toni Gallo.
So, it did its job and that's that.
Lê-se bem e depressa, que era o que eu pretendia.
De resto, achei bastante básico. Um thriller pouco emocionante, com umas intrigas amorosas à mistura, incluindo um casal de adolescentes (!) que acaba por ter alguma influência no desenlace.
Gostei da personagem principal, Toni Gallo.
E pronto, cumpriu e ficou por aí.
A nice and quick read, which was what I was looking for.
Otherwise, I found it pretty basic. A not so thrilling thriller, with some love intrigue in the mix, including a teenage couple (!) that ends up having a somewhat relevant role in the outcome.
I liked the main character, Toni Gallo.
So, it did its job and that's that.
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Comprei este livro na passada 6ªfeira, pois estava na Fnac com 40% de desconto e tinha ficado curiosa em relação ao autor, pois apesar de ter comprado Os Pilares da Terra, na feira do livro de Lisboa no ano passado.
E depois de ler o livro, a pergunta que se impõe “como é que eu ainda não tinha lido nada de Ken Follett?”
O livro é um thriller alucinante que nos deixa literalmente agarrados ao livro e que se torna muito complicado largar o livro.
A história começa com o desaparecimento de um cientista da Oxenford Medical, que acaba por ser encontrado morto em casa, devido a ter ficado infectado com um vírus mortal. No entanto, este é apenas o ponto introdutório da história, onde nos é dado a conhecer o verdadeiro perigo daquele vírus específico. Aos poucos vamo-nos envolvendo na vida das personagens e no plano para roubar a Oxenford Medical.
O ambiente criado faz-nos prender a respiração, em que tememos pela vida de determinadas personagens. Achei as personagens com características muito reais, principalmente os chamados maus da fita, que são mesmo agressivos, odiosos e que nos causam uma revolta enorme, principalmente Kit.
Muito, muito bom!
E depois de ler o livro, a pergunta que se impõe “como é que eu ainda não tinha lido nada de Ken Follett?”
O livro é um thriller alucinante que nos deixa literalmente agarrados ao livro e que se torna muito complicado largar o livro.
A história começa com o desaparecimento de um cientista da Oxenford Medical, que acaba por ser encontrado morto em casa, devido a ter ficado infectado com um vírus mortal. No entanto, este é apenas o ponto introdutório da história, onde nos é dado a conhecer o verdadeiro perigo daquele vírus específico. Aos poucos vamo-nos envolvendo na vida das personagens e no plano para roubar a Oxenford Medical.
O ambiente criado faz-nos prender a respiração, em que tememos pela vida de determinadas personagens. Achei as personagens com características muito reais, principalmente os chamados maus da fita, que são mesmo agressivos, odiosos e que nos causam uma revolta enorme, principalmente Kit.
Muito, muito bom!
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Che delusione.
Complici due notti insonni ho finito questo libro in due giorni, ma non mi è piaciuto per niente. Personaggi stereotipati, frasi ad effetto trite e ritrite, brutte descrizioni, scene inverosimili... bah, siamo sicuri che sia lo stesso autore de I pilastri della terra? Come fa ad essere lo stesso autore de Il terzo gemello? Nel libro appena citato c’è una descrizione del mondo accademico particolareggiata, la dinamica dei personaggi è chiara, il lettore riesce ad appassionarsi ai temi trattati... qui nulla di tutto questo. Mancano i dettagli fondamentali per far sì che questa storia non sia qualcosa di già visto o di già scritto. Ecco, mi è sembrato che la storia fosse già stata letta/vista: in fondo è un suspense blando, perché tanto si sa che tutto andrà bene. Ci sono, verso la fine, un paio di cose che non immaginavo, ma stonano con tutto il resto. Niente, leggerò sicuramente altro di Follett, che scrive bene, però questo è un no gigante.
Complici due notti insonni ho finito questo libro in due giorni, ma non mi è piaciuto per niente. Personaggi stereotipati, frasi ad effetto trite e ritrite, brutte descrizioni, scene inverosimili... bah, siamo sicuri che sia lo stesso autore de I pilastri della terra? Come fa ad essere lo stesso autore de Il terzo gemello? Nel libro appena citato c’è una descrizione del mondo accademico particolareggiata, la dinamica dei personaggi è chiara, il lettore riesce ad appassionarsi ai temi trattati... qui nulla di tutto questo. Mancano i dettagli fondamentali per far sì che questa storia non sia qualcosa di già visto o di già scritto. Ecco, mi è sembrato che la storia fosse già stata letta/vista: in fondo è un suspense blando, perché tanto si sa che tutto andrà bene. Ci sono, verso la fine, un paio di cose che non immaginavo, ma stonano con tutto il resto. Niente, leggerò sicuramente altro di Follett, che scrive bene, però questo è un no gigante.
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Such a disappointment, as I gave Pillars of the earth 5 stars. This is a very bad short story, stretched forcefully to make a novel.
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Time (and the filling of it) can be a trademark of an author. Some writers can’t do justice to their story unless it is spread over decennia’s or longer. A majority of the works of James Michener fall under this category. Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and World Without End also weaves a tale over generations. Whiteout is on the opposite end of this spectrum. The story is played out in a three-day period. The Christmas holidays and a freak Scottish snowstorm add to the mix. Follett proves his ability once again in making a page-turning thriller that the reader lives by the minutes and hours instead of months and years.
Anything having to do with deadly viruses is bound to catch the reader’s imagination (although it has been extensively exploited by a variety of authors). Follett takes another angle and leaves the reader on the edge of their seats. His characters are memorable and, in my opinion, true to life. The story’s concept still leaves me with chills as to its potential implications to our daily lives. The need to research potentially fatal viruses goes without saying but the thought of these viruses in any institution (no matter how secure) could cause me sleepless nights.
I gave the book three stars as it proved a fast paced, well written and interesting book. On the down side, I found it sometimes hard to believe. With instant and mobile communication a keystone in our 21st Century way of life, the difficulties presented in the book seemed to me highly unlikely. Another strain on my common sense is the relative passive actions of the story’s villains. I doubt they would have acted as they did…..but there again, if they hadn’t the ending would have been much different.
Anything having to do with deadly viruses is bound to catch the reader’s imagination (although it has been extensively exploited by a variety of authors). Follett takes another angle and leaves the reader on the edge of their seats. His characters are memorable and, in my opinion, true to life. The story’s concept still leaves me with chills as to its potential implications to our daily lives. The need to research potentially fatal viruses goes without saying but the thought of these viruses in any institution (no matter how secure) could cause me sleepless nights.
I gave the book three stars as it proved a fast paced, well written and interesting book. On the down side, I found it sometimes hard to believe. With instant and mobile communication a keystone in our 21st Century way of life, the difficulties presented in the book seemed to me highly unlikely. Another strain on my common sense is the relative passive actions of the story’s villains. I doubt they would have acted as they did…..but there again, if they hadn’t the ending would have been much different.
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Não é assim tão comum avaliar um livro com cinco estrelas mas este merece essa classificação, sem dúvida. Ken Follett tornou-se agora num dos melhores escritores cujas obras eu tive oportunidade de ler. Ele não exagera nas descrições e aponta apenas os pormenores importantes, não comete o erro de se tornar demasiado científico quando a obra não necessita e utiliza os diálogos para expressar as personagens como pessoas normais, como nós, sem cair na tentação de se tornar demasiado literário e fora da realidade.
A história é interessante e, no final de cada capítulo, dá sempre vontade de ler mais e mais. Gostei da forma como ele incorporou toda a dinâmica de uma família comum no centro de um crime, neste caso, de um assalto. Além disso, conseguiu incluir os mais básicos sentimentos humanos, como o amor e toda a dúvida que dele surge. Em 24 horas, a corajosa Toni Gallo lida com um possível fracasso profissional e uma possível desilusão amorosa, mantendo-se, no entanto, sempre no seu melhor tanto no trabalho como na vida pessoal.
Kit Oxenford é, inicialmente, o grande vilão da história mas, no final, não consegui deixar de ter pena dele porque ele olhava à sua volta e parecia que não tinha mais razão para viver, porque a família o iria odiar, a polícia andaria atrás dele, tudo parecia correr mal. Mas quando o pai quase se sacrificou para salvar a sua vida, tudo mudou. Um pequeno gesto trouxe-o de volta à realidade e à família, que o apoiou mesmo depois deste ter cometido tamanha traição.
Bem, veremos qual será o próximo livro de Ken Follett que me vai deixar tão deliciada como este!
A história é interessante e, no final de cada capítulo, dá sempre vontade de ler mais e mais. Gostei da forma como ele incorporou toda a dinâmica de uma família comum no centro de um crime, neste caso, de um assalto. Além disso, conseguiu incluir os mais básicos sentimentos humanos, como o amor e toda a dúvida que dele surge. Em 24 horas, a corajosa Toni Gallo lida com um possível fracasso profissional e uma possível desilusão amorosa, mantendo-se, no entanto, sempre no seu melhor tanto no trabalho como na vida pessoal.
Kit Oxenford é, inicialmente, o grande vilão da história mas, no final, não consegui deixar de ter pena dele porque ele olhava à sua volta e parecia que não tinha mais razão para viver, porque a família o iria odiar, a polícia andaria atrás dele, tudo parecia correr mal. Mas quando o pai quase se sacrificou para salvar a sua vida, tudo mudou. Um pequeno gesto trouxe-o de volta à realidade e à família, que o apoiou mesmo depois deste ter cometido tamanha traição.
Bem, veremos qual será o próximo livro de Ken Follett que me vai deixar tão deliciada como este!
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There's a missing canister of a deadly virus, something that potentially causes the infected to suffer bleeding from basically all parts of his body. Stanley Oxenford owns a small pharmaceutical company that also investigates deadly viruses. Toni Gallo, a former officer of the law and now the security director of a medical research firm must act upon this deadly biohazard anomaly, before everyone else dies on Christmas Day.
It is important to note that this novel was written in 2003 where bio-terrorism was something that baffled scientists all over the world. The storyline might have sounded a bit of a stretch at that time but I liked that the main characters weren't the typical man and woman engaging in romantic tryst. Nope, there was a wide age gap between Stanley and Toni, (30 years age difference) and they're both imperfect. Their families got tangled in a deadly situation and the mystery behind the missing virus canister was certainly unexpected.
I must admit, I found the central plot of this book, quite interesting and even potential to be adapted to film, however, it lacked the wow factor that can make me say, "this was real page turner." There was nothing like when I perused this book, maybe because Follett tried to introduce a romantic-comic scene in the middle part of the book, but failed miserably.
Anyway, my reaction might be a little awkward, given that I have loved Follett's previous thriller books. I still think Follett weaves believable fictional characters and truly remarkable plots that would make you crave for more. I am a big fan of his Pillars of The Earth novel and had admired his writing ever since. This one (Whiteout) however, fell short on my expectation. But hey, maybe it's just me.
FYI: Whiteout (the movie) is not the same with this book that Ken Follet wrote. It's a completely different story.. Whiteout which starred Kate Beckinsale is written by another author, Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber..
It is important to note that this novel was written in 2003 where bio-terrorism was something that baffled scientists all over the world. The storyline might have sounded a bit of a stretch at that time but I liked that the main characters weren't the typical man and woman engaging in romantic tryst. Nope, there was a wide age gap between Stanley and Toni, (30 years age difference) and they're both imperfect. Their families got tangled in a deadly situation and the mystery behind the missing virus canister was certainly unexpected.
I must admit, I found the central plot of this book, quite interesting and even potential to be adapted to film, however, it lacked the wow factor that can make me say, "this was real page turner." There was nothing like when I perused this book, maybe because Follett tried to introduce a romantic-comic scene in the middle part of the book, but failed miserably.
Anyway, my reaction might be a little awkward, given that I have loved Follett's previous thriller books. I still think Follett weaves believable fictional characters and truly remarkable plots that would make you crave for more. I am a big fan of his Pillars of The Earth novel and had admired his writing ever since. This one (Whiteout) however, fell short on my expectation. But hey, maybe it's just me.
FYI: Whiteout (the movie) is not the same with this book that Ken Follet wrote. It's a completely different story.. Whiteout which starred Kate Beckinsale is written by another author, Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber..
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