World Without End by Ken Follett
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Book Reviews of World Without End
Book Review: Follett excels in this genre
Summary: 5 Stars
I only decided to read this novel (And Pillars of the Earth) because of their positive reviews. I have never had any interest in reading books set in bloody middle-ages England. Well, Follett's books are so engrossing that I actually gave up some of my regular television watching just to find out what was going to happen next to these richly defined characters. I think I read "Pillars" in only 4 days. "World without End" has about ten main characters; and Follett makes it very easy to keep up with them and gives hints about what happened to them earlier. It also became easier in this book for me to accept the gory episodes that occasionally cropped up - in fact I actually enjoyed them.
I guess that proves to me that sometimes I should listen to the vast majority; and hope that Follett churns out another one.
Book Review: Reader Beware
Summary: 5 Stars
If I didn't know better, I'd swear that a couple of Follett's more manipulative clerics were plotting to accuse him of witchcraft. After all, his novels cast a spell. Once you're in, you can't get out; you are hopelessly in thrall. While this addictive excellence distinguishes all his books, the Kingsbridge duo are most powerful of all. Beware, oh Gentle Reader: There is no escape. Nor antidote. And that's the problem: Once you've read the Kingsbridge duo, where do you go? I've read the Sir Walter Scotts and Thomas B Costains. The Sharon Kay Penmans and the Edward Rutherfurds... some of which were better than others. I could go on, but you get the picture. Follett's left me stuck in medieval England, without an amazon.com list to insure my survival there. What do I read now?Book Review: An amazing medieval story!
Summary: 5 Stars
In the year 1327 four children come across a man being attacked in the woods near where they live, and from that day on their lives become interwined. This book is the story of their lives over the next four decades. These were very difficult times and that is to put it mildly, with the Hundred Years War, and the Great Plague, both of which get woven into this story. The story is set in the same town, Kingsbridge, as the earlier novel, The Pillars Of The Earth.
I found the book a fascinating read! The era is brought vividly and colourfully back to life, by the author. The customs, the clothes, the politics etc. I found myself totally immersed in the medieval times, and did not want the story to end. I would highly recommend this book.
Book Review: Ken Follett writes another winner!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ken Follett is a master craftman at telling stories. I loved Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End does not disappoint. It takes place in the same town as Pillars, but 200 years later. It's not necessary to have read Pillars to enjoy World Without End. Mr. Follett has apparently done his homework in terms of the details of life in the 1300s. The novel contains much engineering, crafting, legal, political, and religious historical information that illustrates how this town functioned and how the characters relate to each other. But there are also plenty of typical Middle Ages novel elements--romance, knights and damsels in distress, inquisition-like trials, plot twists galore. I read it in 4 days!Book Review: Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't want to put this book down. In fact, I wanted to live in it. I really liked the female doctor character, Caris. (She wasn't technically a doctor because such opportunities weren't available to women at the time, but she was essentially a doctor despite technically being a nun). The politics at the cathedral seemed believable to modern-day audiences. All the scheming and back-stabbing was similar to many a modern workplace. I liked the market scenes, the details about cloth-making, the details about engineering the bridge, the plague scenes, etc. In fact, I liked everything about this book. I bought it in hard-copy and for the iPhone Kindle app, so I always had it with me.