World Without End (Kingsbridge #2)

If you are ready for a 40 hour plus epic that runs seemlessly through an ancient age then put this on your list. There are writers and epic writers. Many may achieve the former but to write a book of such length, interest, diversity and spiced with history and keep it flowing and connected takes a master craftsperson. It is not heavy or intellectual or complicated; it is a great yarn and I loved it.

If their is one book that makes the words, \”Historical fiction says more about the day and age in which the writer lives, than about the time in which it happens\” ring true, it is \”World without End.\” Caris and Merthin reminds you of Jack Jackson and Aliena, but the characters is a bit more tarnished and not so ethical in their ways. You meet the same priory, but in a different day and age. While Follett is able to contrast the Kingsbridge of \”World without End\” quite successfully with the one of \”Pillars of the Earth,\” his characters have in my opinion a too modern feel. Feminist issues, the theodicy question and medical science are addressed with a 21st century ring to it. This makes the book at places unbelievable. Yet the intrigue and changes in the main characters keeps you spellbound enough to listen through it. As with \”Pillars of the Earth\” John Lee does an excellent job in narrating the story. I actually think that his narration has improved much since the previous book. The book will not be everyone\’s cup of tea. For those who want to see a sequel to \”Pillars of the Earth,\” this is it! Listen and enjoy it. However, if you\’re a bit of a purist of thoughts and practices of the time, this book might be found a bit much to stomach, Those who love good stories will enjoy it. The book is strongly recommended to those who have fallen in love with story of \”Pillars of the Earth.\” While not so good, its still a good book to listen.

Ken Follett\’s epic \’sequel\’ to Pillars of the Earth is engaging, absorbing, magnificently structured and wonderfully read by John Lee. The downside of not being able to stop listening is that the repetition (necessary perhaps in a novel of this length) is more glaring than it might be to a reader not listening for hours and hours at a time.

After listening to Pillars of the Earth (POE) I was avid to listen to this one. I think John Lee\’s narration is better in World Without End (WWE), his voice seemed more relaxed. I\’ve read reviews of it elsewhere and these expressed a strong theme of the story being more like a soap opera, and objections to the frequent description of sex scenes, rape, violence etc. I can\’t say I agree with either of these criticisms, though I do agree that there is more of the latter in this book than in the previous one. There also seems to be more talking/scheming behind closed doors – I\’ve interpreted this as a reflection of the changed times, after all, the book is set 200 years later and I\’m sure that the level of fear about \’sinning\’ may have become more conscious, thus more verbalised than in POE. Further, the motivation toward accumulation of wealth and the justification for this (added to the growing distrust for the church) would mean that the scheming/scamming could be less \’secret\’ than 200 years beforehand. Anyway, all criticisms aside, I loved this book, just as I loved the previous one and I highly recommend it – particularly to those who have an interest in medieval history – it brings the period alive. Follett has a very candid and realistic approach to human nature; if you like that approach then this is the book for you!

You need to read Pillars of the Earth first. This sequel then starts a few hundred years after the end of Pillars and makes references to the characters and events in Pillars. The story however stands up on its own, and is a thrilling read from start to finish, just like the original.

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