• World Without End

  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 45 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (20,620 ratings)

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World Without End  By  cover art

World Without End

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's summary

In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in 12th-century England that centered on the building of a cathedral and the men, women, and children whose lives it changed forever. Critics were overwhelmed, and readers and listeners ever since have hoped for a sequel.

At last, here it is. Although the two novels may be listened to in any order, 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.

Three years in the writing, World Without End once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.

©2007 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

"Fans of Follett's previous medieval epic will be well rewarded." (Publishers Weekly)

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What listeners say about World Without End

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Hard to put down!!

Fantastic book, I feel like I'm parting with old friends. Looking forward to reading the sequel.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ken Follett does it again!

What did you love best about World Without End?

I love how Ken Follett's characters are so diverse and tangible, although there are many characters throughout his stories I rarely have a hard time differentiating them. Narrator can make or break a book, John Lee doesn't disappoint!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

All of the Ken Follett books I've read are intimidating in size but I'm always surprised by how quickly I devour them.

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    5 out of 5 stars

The plague...who would have thought it played such Positive role in the overall lives of man's rights.

The character's detailed thoughts, actions and lives in general explore and explain the machinations of men, their roles in the church, their social status, the government, careers, community, royal circles and family. Each character has flaws but ultimately how a person deals with their imperfections determines if they are good or evil. Follett is a master at following the twists and turns of human nature while teaching us history. Fabulous book.

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fantastic

Ken Follet did exactly what he always does. He gives us a great story, great interaction of characters and a great history lesson. Can't wait for the next one.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

Loved the characters. Great story all around. Love the fact that historical characters are also blended into the story
John Lee has become my favorite story.reader.

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My new favorite author

riveting from beginning to end, I'm going to read his other books as soon as possible

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful read!

If you love epic novels, this is a must read. The story is well written and narrator brings it alive. Well worth downloading. I loved it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

World Without End

Follett seldom disappoints and he hasn't here. One of my all-time favorites was Pillars of the Earth. World Without End takes up the story but you needn't have read Pillars to thoroughly enjoy this one. It is long but very enjoyable.

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Another Winner

What did you love best about World Without End?

Once again Ken Follet has magnificent character development and continuos melodramatic conflict.

What did you like best about this story?

The interweaving of plots and characters makes the book tough to put down

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

The main characters, Merthin and Karis, clear protagonists but still very human

If you could rename World Without End, what would you call it?

Kingsbridge

Any additional comments?

Like Pillars of the Earth there was just a bit too much description of architecture.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Any additional comments?

I could not stop listening to this book. Placed in the historic reality, it is captivating.

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