In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed—“it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you” (Chicago Tribune)—and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel. World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas— about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death. Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
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"Following this epic saga of Pillars of the Earth I didn't think I could stick with World without End. Completed I decided to read Fall of Giants. I amaze myself when I step outside of my comfort zone. You need a flow chart to keep track of everyone, but the building of the cathedrals initially in Pillars of the Earth is inspirational. You may scream for a Nook or Kindle or an IPAD once you open these 1000 page books." — Betty (5 out of 5 stars)
"Following this epic saga of Pillars of the Earth I didn't think I could stick with World without End. Completed I decided to read Fall of Giants. I amaze myself when I step outside of my comfort zone. You need a flow chart to keep track of everyone, but the building of the cathedrals initially in Pillars of the Earth is inspirational. You may scream for a Nook or Kindle or an IPAD once you open these 1000 page books."
“Readers will be captivated by the four well-drawn central characters as they prove heroic, depraved, resourceful, or mean. Fans of Follett’s previous medieval epic will be well rewarded."
“This book is a big event…Follett’s technique is to follow the lives of four individuals who have varying goals in life and, in the process, build a comprehensive tapestry of medieval English life—an especially important background thread being the horrible natural disaster of that era, the black plague. Follet has complete mastery over his material, and the result is a novel destined for the bestseller lists.”
" Couldn't put it down until I had read it! Brilliant! "
" Almost as good as "Pillars" "
" Probably more like 4.5. It was a slower start for me, but by the middle I couldn't put it down. A very good book. "
" Really enjoyed the story - grateful to not live in that time period caught between the Roman Catholic church and nobility. No doubt in my mind, I would have been born a serf. "
" I loved Pillars but was largely disappointed with this - it felt like he was just writing the first story all over again - just set 200 years later. "
" Was glad when it finally ended "
" It was worth waiting 18 years for this sequel. Compelling story, sucks you right back in time, "
" Took me a while to get into it at first but then I couldn't put it down. The characters came alive and it was fascinating to read about the way of life in the 1400's especially during The Plague. "
" Really enjoyed this sequal to Pillars of the Earth. Very well written characters which illustrate the divide between the have's and the have not's "
" I listened to the audiobook "
" Loved this book just as much as the first one. "
" Enjoyable enough, but it felt too much like I was rereading the original. "
" Follett did not disappoint with this sequel. However, after a while some of the story line seemed a bit too reminiscent of the first book. Even so, it is definitely worth the read. "
" Not so much architectural details as in the first book, but this still threw a huge punch. I listened to the audio book read by John Lee and the storytelling was superb. I like strong female characters so I was naturally drawn to Caris. She's in my list of favorite kickass heroines. "
" Very good, but at times you'll swear you're re-reading Pillars of the Earth. "
" This book ran between a 4 or a 5 star until the end. Compared to pillars the characters aren't as well made including the villains but my biggest issue was with the ending and how they tried to tie everything up felt forced. Good book but should have been better. "
" I enjoyed this book, but it did take me a bit to plow through being over 1100 pages. There seemed to be terrible things always happening to the good people and a couple of times I put it down to take a breather or read ahead to see if things got better lol. But I am glad I finished it, "
" Hardly interesting. I finished it but wouldn't read another in this series if he wrote it. The story line is tired and the prose flat. An airplane read for an 24h layover if there ever was one. "
" Amazing. Strongly recommended "
" even better than the first "
" Not as good as the first book, but still a good read. "
" It was no Pillars of the Earth, and it could have been shorter, but relatively enjoyable. "
" Didn't like it as much as Pillars of the Earth, but still a great read! "
" I really enjoyed this book, and it's long, which I love.If you love old england, you'll like it. "
" The sequel to The Pillars of the Earth this book has it all...I adore this man's writing. Well researched, continues the tale of building the Gothic cathedral...ends with the Black Death. Every element of human experience is in this tale....LOVED. "
" 2nd best book I have ever read. (after Pillars pt.1) "
" As it turns out I enjoyed this book more than the first - If you ask me you should read this book "
" Not quite as exciting as the first book but a really good read just the same. I really like Ken Follett's writing style. "
" Not a bad yarn, a page turner, but, I think I've been "Folletted" out. Personally, I could have done with a little less bodice ripping and more character development, historical points. "
" A BIG doorstopper of a novel that has enough action, incident, twists and complex characters for a couple of dozen trilogies. Ken Follett's mighty historical fiction is one of the best books I've read this year. I look forward to reading the second volume of his "Century" series very soon. "
" Loved it! Another long read, but worth it. "
" Almost as good as Pillars of the Earth, Follett's stories are just irresistible. "
" Though I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth slightly more, I would definitely recommend World Without End to anyone who enjoyed the first novel. It may be long, but it's well worth the read. Many of the characters will stay with me for a long time to come. "
" Excellent book. Ken Follett is a master world builder. "
" Not as great as "Pillars," but still fascinating... "
" I was so looking forward for the sequel to Pillars of the Earth that I asked one of my students to get it for me in his trip to London. I read it in the metro to work in 4 days. It confirmed that his writing compels you to read it till the end, and leaves you wanting more. "
" Unfortunately too similar to Pillars of the Earth. The characters are nearly transplanted, and while the circumstances are different they are quite similar. Still a good book, but if you've read one you've basically read the other "
" Excellent Book!!!! Ken Follett can tell a story!! "
" A must read! Pillars of the Earth was great and World Without End met every expectation. "
" Good story - pretty much similar to Pillars of the Earth "
" Once again, Follett wowed me with his epic work. I especially like the way the lives of his characters intertwine and the detailed descriptions of all facets of life in the 1300's. "
" Although not as gripping as the first one, it is set quite some time later, I still really enjoyed Follett's writing and the saga he presents. What a masterpiece. "
Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. His first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, an Edgar Award–winning spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become the author’s most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick. The series has sold more than fifty million copies worldwide and hitting the New York Times bestsellers list.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.
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