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Still, Follett has a serious subtlety problem that undermines everything that Caris is supposed to be. I will take it as a given that Caris, as the heroine of a 1, page novel, might be an outlier; that is, atypical from the other Middle Aged peasant stock.
But if you are going to get me to accept that conceit, you have to show me that it is deserved. Here, Caris is just a transplant from a different millennium. You just need to do this obvious thing, this obvious thing, and this obvious thing. ME: No! Good luck with the bubonic plague, jackasses. Okay, so I made that up. But you get the point. For those of you who appreciate streamlined storytelling, there is no Ambiguous Guy. Caris is in love with Merthin.
Merthin is a builder-savant. Even though he has never had any formal training, he knows everything there ever was about architecture. The biggest problem with this, the central romantic relationship of the novel, is that Caris and Merthin actually seem to hate each other most of the time.
Despite the fact that they are always fighting, and despite the fact that their worldviews are completely inapposite, we are asked demanded to accept their fairy tale romance.
There are several bad guys in this book. Some of them are dispatched quite early; others have to wait for their comeuppance.
Spoiler alert: all the bad guys eventually get their comeuppance. If this surprises you, please contact me for some investment opportunities that I am making up as we speak.
Now, there will certainly be times in World Without End when you will get characters confused. To this day, I cannot tell you the difference between Elfric and Wulfric. Ralph is different, though. You will remember Ralph because of this mnemonic device I am giving you now: Rapey Ralph. Ralph, you see, likes to rape. And when he is not raping, he is thinking about rape. Every time Ralph meets another female, Follett digs deep into his psychology to describe precisely the dirty thoughts that Ralph is having.
And Ralph is not discerning. When he sees a chubby girl, it turns him on, and when he sees a skinny girl, it turns him on, and when he sees an older woman, it turns him on…and you get the point. In short, the character of Ralph was written by a 13 year-old boy who is approximately fifteen years away from ever talking to a woman. I refuse to call Ralph an avatar of anything, yet he is emblematic of a strong rape fetish that courses through World Without End like poison in the bloodstream.
Fetishes turn up a lot in Follett novels. This was hilarious for many reasons, but mainly because people in the Middle Ages were engaged in a minute-to-minute struggle not to scratch themselves on the arm and die of a raging infection. Here, the fetish is rape, and this is less funny.
Rapey Ralph and his rape-dreams are pretty low. Also, this is the second time that Gwendolyn is raped. She also started to enjoy it the first time, before she stabbed the eyeballs out of her attacker. I wish I was making this up. Even if you can ignore the anachronisms, the lack of forward momentum, the rape fantasies, you cannot ignore the dialogue.
The hardest part of writing a novel is dialogue; Follett seems to have recognized this, and decided not to try. His characters utter things that an American teenager would loathe to text. Most exchanges are purely expository, and almost all of them include idioms and phrasings that belong solely to our time, and not theirs. And maybe he did try. Maybe this awful dialogue was part of a bet with his publisher. So yes, the dialogue sucks. Like I said, though, dialogue is hard. What about the prose?
During the course of this disaster, Follett attempts to weave a couple big historical events into the mix. He has to, because this time around, there is no cathedral to build. Of the two, neither are effectively utilized. He does relatively well when he sticks to his central location of Kingsbridge. When he starts expanding the scope of his tale, however, he loses his sure-handed grasp of the material.
The scenes set in France are inert and stage-bound. Even though he is an author, with no limits save his imagination, he writes his battle scenes as though he was on a budget. Follett is only marginally more successful with his usage of the Black Death. Admittedly, when the Plague first appears, it does so effectively, driving the plot in the required direction. After awhile, though, it becomes a deus ex machina: whenever Follett needs someone killed off, the Plague returns.
Around page , I was actively hoping for the Black Death to finish off every last person, just so I could toss this book off a moving train and start fresh. I want to be clear that I do not hate this book. Hate is a strong word, and World Without End does not have the requisite content to create any real emotion. I bought this copy used for 1 cent, plus 4 dollars shipping. No one forced me to read it. I put it on my exercise bike and read 50 to 70 pages every time I worked out.
In comparing Martin to Follett, I discovered a certain irony. Follett has devoted an enormous amount of time and effort into making his novels historically accurate. He has strived and succeeded, largely in getting all the small details right. You can read his novels and learn a lot about the Middle Ages — the feudal system, the way clothing was dyed, the way a bridge was constructed.
There are fire-breathing dragons, the Red God, decades-long winters, and White Walkers who implacably roam the Earth. View all 8 comments. Aug 02, James rated it it was ok Shelves: history. Follett finally completed the sequel to his evergreen historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth , and although I was compelled by the story enough to read all pages in a week, I was saddened at how poorly the book compares with its predecessor. It is interesting to consider the nearly 20 years between the first book and this sequel.
Many things have changed in our culture since then, leading Follett to inject even more egregious anachronisms into this book than the first.
For example, the ch Follett finally completed the sequel to his evergreen historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth , and although I was compelled by the story enough to read all pages in a week, I was saddened at how poorly the book compares with its predecessor.
For example, the characters at one point fret over the self-esteem of a teenage girl. There are many further examples but I will spare you. More telling is the apparent shift Follett has undergone in what he believes we want to read about. For example, the first book avoided homosexuality, despite the many opportunities to explore it in a monastery. The second, now twenty years deeper into the gay rights movement, explores gay relationships with a frank openness more consistent with San Francisco circa than the Britain of the s.
I am most personally disappointed that the author did not again craft a thoughtful and multi-dimensional portrayal of a man of faith. The character of Prior Philip stands as the hallmark achievement of the first novel. Prior Philip was a man filled with the desire to do what is right by God and by his fellowmen but sometimes unable to know what would be right and what cost was worth bearing to do it.
This is my personal experience of what most spiritual leaders are like. In contrast, the religious figures in the sequel are all one-dimensional sycophants or toadies, ingratiating themselves with higher ups for their own personal gratification, betraying their own principles regularly, and considering faith a stepping stone rather than an end in itself.
The one sympathetic, intelligent, and thoughtful religious character is a woman who is technically an athiest, and only joined a convent to avoid being tried as a witch. She is consistently smarter and more capable than all other religious figures and her athiesm is continually cited as the engine behind her industriousness and her unique interpersonal gifts.
I've met athiests like that, but I've also met religious people like that and you'd think that a novel that spans fifty years of religious life in a town where all activity centers on a cathedral might include even one intelligent, sincere devout person? Just one? The differences between these two books tells us much about ourselves and the kinds of things authors and editors believe we want to read.
I wonder what a third book, written 20 years from now, would say about us? View all 6 comments. Aug 04, Matt rated it it was amazing Shelves: equinox-book-challenge , audiobook. After a lengthy hiatus Ken Follett returns to the series with a second epic tome, if you pardon the pun building on the Kingsbridge Cathedral theme laid out in Pillars of the Earth.
It is now the mids, two centuries after Tom Builder, Jack, Aliena, and Prior Phillip helped shape this community. Their presence is felt through ancestral breadcrumbs and mentioned throughout the complex narrative that seeks to breathe new life into Kingsbridge.
The narrative develops early with the emergence After a lengthy hiatus Ken Follett returns to the series with a second epic tome, if you pardon the pun building on the Kingsbridge Cathedral theme laid out in Pillars of the Earth. The narrative develops early with the emergence of four children in the forest: Gwenda, Merthin, Philemon, and Caris. These four come from their distinct social, economic, and ancestral ties to Kingsbridgeons of old, but whose appearance will prove important throughout the book.
While hiding, the children witness the torture of a knight, Thomas Langley, who is able to escape, but not before burying a secret document, which might be the reason he has been chased and tortured. Langley seeks to enter the priory and become a monk, where he will be protected from the outside world and able to devote himself to a new life.
With the Cathedral casting a daunting shadow on the town, the economic stability of Kingsbridge seems less stable, as the Fleece Fair may suffer without a new bridge to transport much needed items from outside. The town of Shiring might profit, though locals are not yet ready to admit defeat and put off any construction for the time being.
That gamble is foreboding, as there is chaos when the bridge does collapse and hundreds are caught on it, killing them in various forms. The Priory must take action, but the need for a new Prior takes precedence.
Politics meets religion in this election as barters and bribes see young Godwyn assume the role, whose iron-fist is supported by his controlling mother. The new bridge commences, but not only after thorough examination and potential architectural analysis is done. Saving a few coins over stability becomes a strong issue, though the symbolic nature of the bridge, connecting economic stability to the town that seeks to link itself to new life, becomes apparent throughout the narrative.
As time passes, those aforementioned children grow as well, finding themselves looking to take on trades or turn to the Church for solace. It is here that the drama of the novel builds and social interactions turn to lust and sexual dominance. Forbidden love is tested and sexual control is exerted, sometimes against the will of one participant. Much is asked about that document that Thomas Langley hid away, but there is more on the horizon to keep the locals concerned.
After a time away, Merthin returns with an ominous gift from abroad, leaving Kingsbridge under the cloud of plague. No one is entirely safe and, like the bridge, many perish. Families are decimated and yet Prior Godwyn espouses that this is an Act of God, forcing some to swallow the hard pill of religious retribution.
Follett illustrates this well throughout, as the sobering clash of complete devotion to God is weighted against the early understanding of disease transmission. Will prayer save you, or might precautions prevent infection? Even as Kingsbridge suffers, the Cathedral stands firm, though there is a need to revisit its foundations, at least in part. The symbolism of a renewed strengthening of part of its body parallels nicely with the constant rejuvenation of the populace and those who can trace their ancestral lines from the early founders of the town.
Plague and general injury fuels a discussion about building a new hospital to treat the injured in one location and isolate those who are contagious in another, though this becomes a new religious and political discussion. Follett has emerged to develop another stunning piece that adds to the drama of his opening novel, yet leaves much room for further development, answered with the most recent and final? Fans of Pillars will likely enjoy this piece, though there is still a need for patience and determination to sift through a much more character-developing based piece, which sees a generational development, rather than that of a stone structure.
Highly recommended for those who have time and interest in a slowly evolving narrative. After admitting that he was out of his comfort zone with the opening novel, Follett continues tilling the soil with this an amazing series.
Equally as epic in its development and final delivery, Follett is forced to use scores of characters to flesh out the story he wishes to present. Moving the story ahead two centuries, the characters will all differ from those found in Pillars, though the lineage that is mentioned and some of the mere characteristics of those featured herein allows the reader to feel a strong connection to all involved.
Certainly, there will be some names who grace the story throughout and others who play their smaller roles to support, though the thread is not lost in the narrative. The four children who emerge from the beginning all branch out and develop their own lives, but it is impossible for the reader not to trace their growth physical, emotional, and social through the time period of this story.
Love, death, rape, and domination all feature significantly and no character is kept completely protected from these themes. While Kingsbridge Cathedral stands strong in the background, readers are able to draw parallels between its development and the new architectural piece, the Bridge, that keeps all aspects of the town occupied.
Politics seeps in as council and the Priory weigh in on the issue, forcing the higher-ups to also issue their own decrees. The symbolism of the experience is not lost on the attentive reader, though the political and economic arguments differ slightly. Kingsbridge is no longer a speck on the map, though it is still a developing community, receiving scant attention at times.
As plague swept across the continent, Kingsbridge must suffer alone and find its own footing, but exemplifies resilience in the face of disaster. Follett is clear to instil these themes throughout, no matter the narrative twists presented. I acknowledge these issues, but counter that this is not the type of novel that can be both rich and brief. Follett has surely taken a massive chunk and must process it, leaving only the most dedicated to synthesise it. There is no shame in admitting that the book is not for everyone, but those who are able to patiently remain enthralled, many gifts shall be granted.
Follett has a purpose for taking the reader on this journey, particularly since he did such a wonderful job with the opening novel.
I applaud that this is not a novel meant to appeal to the masses, for there seems to be an inherent dedication required before committing to the journey back to Kingsbridge.
There is still much to be seen and more generations to come, their lives shaped by the firmly rooted cathedral, priory, bridge, and so much more. Follett has so much to offer and the journey is one that has me extremely excited. Kudos, Mr. Follett, for returning to this piece and building on its greatness. I am pleased to have been able to come back and read this again, fulfilling a reading challenge requirement, but also reminding myself why I love this type of story.
Oct 29, Adrienne rated it it was amazing Shelves: all-time-favourites , historical-fiction. A truly delightful read.
I really enjoyed the background of the story; the characters mostly and how Follett used the story 's to show emerging attitudes ie to the church and medicine. The setting is s in the reign of Edward We see the changing of people's attitudes. This is shown mostly in treatment of the sick, attitude to land usage and the power of the church and state. The emergence of sick people treatment from bleeding and dung mixture wound treatments: to treatment with cl A truly delightful read.
The emergence of sick people treatment from bleeding and dung mixture wound treatments: to treatment with clean washing and bandages. Particularly noticeable was plague victims being tended with nuns wearing masks, washing their hands in vinegar and being separated from other people.
Land usage was initially tightly governed by Lord of the manor rules. All tied to getting the king his taxes - which did not alter. At the end of the period there was more flexibility for the peasant and labourer.
Prompted by the thinking of land worers resulting from the plague - ie less people to work the land. We see the emergence of entrepreneurs; driven by desire for profits. In this they slowly reduce the power of the church controlling their every day operations. But the king still gets his taxes. Follett craftily used his characters to show all these changes.
And he does it brilliantly. Using a powerful story with wonderful characters. View all 47 comments. Sep 25, ChopinFC rated it it was amazing Shelves: follett , favorites , historical-fiction. Follet conjures up another masterpiece with World Without End , as he achieves near-nirvana by writing a spellbinding story that is captivating from page 1 until ! I was just a lonely lad, ignorant to the brilliance of Ken Follett until my father suggested I read Pillars of the Earth.
My world just about shattered!! After reading it, the verdict was unanimous: World Without End is an absolute masterclass in storytelling, character development, imagination and a tale of the unbound human spirit! Ultimately World Without End is at its bare essence a story of love. His prose is quite effective, his characterization is absolutely incredible! Follett goes to the extremes to depict this evil, unscrupulous character that will do almost anything to fulfill his aspirations of power and nobility.
In fact, Ralph does not shy away from raping innocent females, killing woman and children and lying incessantly to ascend in the hierarchical food chain! Truthfully, I fucking hated Ralph and cringed everytime he got away with murder! This reaction is exactly what Follett achieves with the power of his words. In fact, Europe experienced the most deadly disease outbreak in history when the Black Death hit in , killing a third of the human population!
Follett uses this accurate historical event, as it shapes the lives of most resident of Kingsbridge, and ultimately affects every character in the book. The results are astounding and downright terrifying. Follett creates another masterpiece that is wildly accurate to the historical time, as he tells a tale that is fascinating, with memorable characters! Apr 03, Karen rated it it was ok.
Well, Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books and I was looking forward to completely enjoying this without reservation. But way back when it first came out, I stumbled onto an online discussion that cited a passage with anachronistic vocabulary, which bothered me. It was very anachronistic. So it was a single passage, but it added some reservation to my anticipated complete enjoyment.
And then I got to page 15, and there's this conversation that no two people would ever have under any Well, Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books and I was looking forward to completely enjoying this without reservation. And then I got to page 15, and there's this conversation that no two people would ever have under any circumstances that served only for the author to show off some detail about the time period. That doesn't bode well, at least not on top of sloppy word choice.
Finally, there's a character in this book that might as well be a character from Pillars , which makes me worry that other character types will be recycled. PLUS there's a major plot point hinged on the kind of intrigue that drove the motivations of some characters in Pillars --derivative! So I have four things in my conscience mind to have to suppress as I am reading.
Fortunately, I have been able to do so, at least through the first part of the book. I am sad that people who are sort of shabby and bumbling are the descendants of people who were just fantastic in Pillars , but I accept that family fortunes rise and fall. I think it will color my feelings about those Pillars characters next time I read the book, but not necessarily my feelings about the book. I had really hoped the Great Mumbo Jumbo Kerfuffle of Aught-Seven was an anomaly, but I just encountered the word "sexy" in a character's thoughts and I'm not even at page yet.
Is two a pattern? It becomes extraordinarily boring around the plague and then it just doesn't pick up again. The second half of the book is like a checklist of all the social changes that the plague triggers. The characters turn into mirror images of the characters in Pillars , and some of them in that book were a little silly.
The final scene between Gwenda and Annet is just goofy; there is a rebellious teenage girl running around with a bad crowd; I skimmed the last pages while fooling around in a chat room.
I will forget I have read this book. I was sad for a while to see what became of Jack and Aliena's descendants, but it doesn't matter. The book is inconsequential. Also lesbian nun sex. View 2 comments. Dec 19, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it Shelves: novels , historical , welsh , 21th-century , fiction. It is the second book in the Kingsbridge Series, and is the sequel to 's The Pillars of the Earth.
The novel begins in the fictional city of Kingsbridge, England in the year Together the children witness two men-at-arms killed in self-defence by Sir Thomas Langley, aided by Ralph. The children then flee, with the exception of Merthin, who helps the wounded Sir Thomas bury a letter with instructions to dig up and deliver it if and when Sir Thomas should die.
After this Sir Thomas flees to Kingsbridge and seeks refuge in the monastery and becomes a Benedictine monk, while the four children swear never to speak of what they saw. Aug 01, Orient rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: history fans. Shelves: hero , killer , bloody-romance , desperado , favorites , psychological , entertaining , historical , horror.
Oh, what a long read it was, but no regrets - the book is really good. Beginning two centuries after "The Pillars of the Earth" Oh, what a long read it was, but no regrets - the book is really good. Beginning two centuries after "The Pillars of the Earth" in the same town, this book has a lot of interesting characters and combines three decades of love, action, treason, history, corruption, difficult and adventurous life.
The characters are so lively and real. This book marks the new era to Kingsbridge, the era of new ideas about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. Though the technical things slowed me a little bit. Also I found some repetition comparing the first and the second books which reduced my fangirlism in some way, like: two brothers- one good and one bad.
The good one is a great builder, not a great fighter, he has difficulties to reach the popularity, but after some time abroad he becomes skilled and famous. The bad one gets a bad end of course. The life long love of the main character suffers some hardship and creates something new in business. I liked that the story line had so much unpredictable things. The lives and the towns are changed forever. This book is not a history lesson about the fourteenth century, but a complex story about lives of ordinary people - their loves and losses, ups and downs, despair and suffering.
It's a touching and cruel book, but the fourteenth century was a strange, cruel and dark time. And when I reached the last page, I knew that this is one of those books which I'll remember for a long time. I was spellbound by Mr. It is one more fascinating, mesmerizing and gripping book for me. I tried to watch the TV-series "World Without End", but for me it was a real meh and even a badly made interpretation of the book.
View all 13 comments. Book 2 in the Knightsbridge series first published This book has all the ingredients that make for a successful soap opera. There is murder, lying, cheating, conniving, back stabbing, lots of bastards, the biblical and non biblical types, gr Book 2 in the Knightsbridge series first published There is murder, lying, cheating, conniving, back stabbing, lots of bastards, the biblical and non biblical types, greed, avarice, rape and pillage and strangest of all the plague.
How portentous is it that I should have been reading this just as corvid 19 is rearing its ugly head. For those readers who have read the first book of this series you will find pretty much the same content as has gone before. The story concerns the denizens of Kightsbridge. The hardships of the peasants, the trials and tribulations of the merchants, the privileged lives of the aristocracy and the dominance of the church over everyone and everything. The characters are strongly defined and you will soon finding yourself loving and hating them in equal measure.
A entertaining 4 star read. Oct 18, Shawanda rated it it was amazing. Another engrossing tale on the heels of Pillars of the Earth. A return to the Kingsbridge Priory with 4 strong main characters whose lives are entwined. Apr 28, Klaus rated it really liked it Shelves: follett , historical-fiction. It's a great book. Or say, the same characters who have new names. I really enjoyed reading this one, but that's the problem with Follett's books: they're great, but as soon as you've read one or two of them, they're always the same.
Same characters, same story, same ending. Set in fourteenth century, Kingsbridge is a prosperous town. Merthin and Ralph go to the archery field to try out Merthin's homemade bow and arrows. Because he is an eleven year old child, Merthin is not allowed to practice. Caris, Edmund Wooler's daughter, suggests they go to the forest to practice, which is against the law. Gwenda, a laborer's daughter, with her dog, trails along with them.
When they reach the forest, Merthin shots an arrow and misses the chosen mark. Ralph, Merthin's younger Set in fourteenth century, Kingsbridge is a prosperous town.
Ralph, Merthin's younger brother, tries and is successful. All the children hide in the bushes when they hear men running in the forest. A knight is being chased by two men-at-arms. The knight, Sir Thomas Langley, kills one man and Ralph kills the second man.
Three of the children run off leaving Merthin and Sir Thomas Langley to hide the dead men in the bushes. Merthin helps Thomas bury a leather wallet containing a secret scroll. Thomas tells Merthin to keep it a secret because men would kill to find the scroll. If, however, Thomas dies, Merthin is instructed to give it to the prior. Sir Thomas rides to the priory hospital for the treatment of his wound. He asks to join the priory and become a monk. Gwenda, Caris, Merthin and Ralph grow up. Merthin and Caris love each other.
Gwenda is in love with Wulfric, who is in love with Annet. Ralph is training to be a knight in the household of Earl Roland, the Earl of Shiring. Merthin is an apprentice under the master builder, Elfric. Life never goes as planned. When Merthin refuses to marry Elfric's daughter, he is dismissed as an apprentice.
Caris loves Merthin but does not want to be restricted by the vows of marriage. She wants her independence and Merthin too. He wants to be a master builder, have a family and own a house. Gwenda is sold as a commodity by her father to Sim Chapman. Caris is working with her father in the wool business. Ralph despairs of ever becoming a knight. Then the bridge collapse and Kingsbridge is threatened with economic ruin.
Without a bridge, the merchants and traders will travel to Shiring for market days and fairs. Kingsbridge Fleece Fair merchants and traders will suffer from lack of trade. The priory will not pay for a new stone bridge because they have no money.
It will be up to the townspeople to raise the funds, with the promise of reimbursement from the priory. Merthin is hired to build the bridge. In replacement for part of his pay, Merthin receives Leper Island as his property.
Leper Island joins the expansion bridges. He has great plans to build up the property with rentals and storage areas. Then Caris is accused of witchcraft and enters the nunnery to save herself. Merthin is heartbroken and decides to leave for Florence, Italy, after he is dismissed as the builder of the bridge. This epic tome follows the life of the four individuals -- Merthin, Ralph, Caris and Gwenda -- and the people connected to Kingsbridge.
Two hundred years after the Kingsbridge cathedral is built in the Pillars of the Earth , we are carried along in the lives of its descendents. Through love, greed, lust, plague, and prosperity, we witness the lives in and around Kingsbridge. From lives decimated from the plague to the resurgence of the community, we ride along on the journey.
This is a character-driven novel. Though the plot and subplots are important, it is the characters we identify with throughout the book. The settings and descriptions are stunning. The pace is consistent and flows smoothly. I could set this book down for a respite and pick it back up and still be enthralled in its pages.
This over a thousand page book isn't for everyone, but if you are looking for a story that is full-bodied, rich and textured, then this is the novel for you.
Feb 24, PennyiSD rated it did not like it. One of my book clubs selected this as we had all read and loved Pillars of the Earth when it came out 20 years ago. I got halfway through this tome and decided I didn't want to waste another moment of my life on a book which failed on so many counts. The characters didn't seem real and certainly didn't elicit any sympathy from this reader as they moved from one contrived crisis to the next, the writing was repetitive and juvenile a gifted high school student could write better , the language wa One of my book clubs selected this as we had all read and loved Pillars of the Earth when it came out 20 years ago.
The characters didn't seem real and certainly didn't elicit any sympathy from this reader as they moved from one contrived crisis to the next, the writing was repetitive and juvenile a gifted high school student could write better , the language was too modern for the time period "shagged" didn't come into use - at least in print - until late 18th C. If you want to read really well written and very well researched historical fiction try Dorothy Dunnett or Diane Gabaldon.
View all 4 comments. I was so depressed while reading book one, I had to take a month in between, so I can get my Happy back. I feel like this book is even more devastating emotionally to me than the previous one. You might say, but of course, in the first book there was no Plague, while here it is very prominent and we all know that more than half of Europe's population was wiped out by the merciless infection, bringing devastation on a scale we can't even imagine today.
But this is not the only reason this whole tome had a solid core of depression to it. It is the thick fog of misfortune and crap everyone with some measure of decency had to thread through on every page, while those with darkness in their hearts kept on prospering and rejoicing with every evil deed perpetuated on the weak and unfortunate.
Follet does that with no respite for the entirety of the book. Just when you think something might happen that would make all the struggles of our characters worth it, they still have to pay a heavy price for it and the feeling of hopeless helplessness that emotes from the page infuses into the reader until you wear it as a second skin At one point I became well trained - the author gives us struggle toward something, we have hope and even a good result, only to follow it up with something to put us back in our place, cowering in fear and despair back into the dark and dusty corner of a surfs' latrine.
We're all good when it suits us, he used to say: that doesn't count. It's when you want so badly to do something wrong - when you're about to make a fortune from a dishonest deal, or kiss the lovely lips of your neighbor's wife, or tell a lie to get yourself out of terrible trouble - that's when you need the rules. Don't get me wrong. It was not anger because the writing was terrible or the storytelling inadequate. The opposite. I was riveted to the story and even did not sleep last night so I could finish it up today.
The author has done his research into the time period perfectly and the story is more than realistic, it is down right depressingly so. I know that what my 21st century heart truly rebels against is the historical truth of how one people, who happened to have been born to a class of privilege and influence, exerted their power over other people, who happen to be born in a circumstance that makes them into almost a property of the other, stripping them from everything we believe to be a human right, all the way down to the smallest choices over their livelihood and personhood My free-loving spirit wanted to spit in the faces of the "Lords" and "Nobility" and kick them in the balls, show the bullies that we will not let them bully us or anyone else, but I had to let the author lead me through his story and hope he would take us to a place where we would have some literary vengeance and a pay-off for all the hopeless emotions he put us through Kingsbridge Priory is well established and the town is prosperous.
There are many descendants of Jack and Aliena Fitzgerald, and they are representatives of all the social classes of the time. Our main protagonist Merthin and his brother, the heartless monster of the age, Ralph, are just two of those coming from the branch of the Earls, but long ago fallen into poverty and as kids, circumstances make them and their parents dependents of the Priory. Ralph, being a big boy and physically fit, is given into the care of the current Earl as a squire, while Merthin, having not been blessed with great physique, goes as an unpaid apprentice to a carpenter-builder.
He falls for the daughter of a prosperous wool merchant, and the rest is history. Caris meets Merthin, Ralph, Gwenda and her brother Philemon while playing in church as kids and their lives change for ever when they encounter a fleeing knight, wounded in the forest. From that day on their faiths are intertwined in intrigue, power-struggles, murder, secrets and a never-ending personal loves and hatreds, which shape their actions and their personalities on the long run.
Although there are some redemption for some of the main characters, the overall hardships they go through are demoralizing. No wonder people thought of themselves as old at the age of 40 and ancient if they were able to reach fifty years old.
Caris was strong and independent of spirit, but she also came from a place where she had been given a sense of self-worth since she was born. Merthin and Ralph were raised to think of themselves as better than the rest, despite their impoverished state, but Gwenda and Philemon came from the lowest of the low and their parents only made them feel and be even lower than that. My heart broke for both of them when we first met them. As much as I loved and respected Caris, despite her acting ridiculously irrational at times, Gwenda was the one whose story I couldn't get enough of.
I hurt for her, I loved for her, I was angry and disappointed by her, I wanted to shake her and and hug her alternatively, and I wept with her, but I was just as taken by her perseverance and strength, both in body and mind, which made her survive in this miserable time with so little going for her. She was so flawed, so real, that it hurt.
And I loved reading about her, every single word. I would still recommend it to those who loved the first installment in the series and those who love a realistic but slow portrayal of 14th century Europe in the mids of the Black Plague. Nov 23, Miquel Reina rated it it was amazing Shelves: mustread , top-books , travel-and-adventure , adventure , pearl.
I was wrong. In this second book, Follet makes a big temporary jump and presents a more evolved society with a fascinating female as its main character. I think the female character gives to the story a new point of view, a richness and completely new way of facing the problems of that time.
Pero mis dudas fueron infundadas. Un mundo sin fin es un libro extraordinario, y ahora tengo que decir que compite con el puesto de Los Pilares. Jan 24, Christine Whitney rated it it was ok Recommends it for: ONLY extremely bored people with no capacity for long term memory.
However, WWE seems to be a page snorefest after the first book. Perhaps if I had read them 18 years apart They have the same plot, same polar characters no one is reasonable, they are all so totally overboard in every description , same activities, same cads, same villians, same love story Same everything But the characters all have new names.
So, if you decide to read them Skip 18 years before reading the sequel, which takes place in the same town as TPOTE years later. If you wait 18 years, the book might seem fresh instead of boring, annoying, unoriginal and tedious. I kept wanting people to die just so I would not have to read another word about them.
If I did not have this incessant need to complete books, I would have just thrown it on the floor and never picked it up again. It makes me annoyed every time I pick it up.. View all 7 comments. Feb 11, Mom rated it did not like it. I cannot find the words to express how disappointed I was with this book. Having enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth" twice I awaited the issue of the sequel with immense enthusiasm.
What a letdown! The characters, the plot,the writing are all dreadful Mr Follett has tried to bring the 13th century into the 21st and it hasn't worked. The gratuitous sex and foul language spoil the book from the first chapter and for the first time in years, I will not be finishing this novel!
Very sad to see a good au I cannot find the words to express how disappointed I was with this book. Very sad to see a good author with good ideas go down the path of populism. Dec 29, Mary Catherine rated it it was ok.
This is the sequel to "Pillars of the Earth.
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