World Without End

For anyone who recently read or listened to Pillars of the Earth, I would suggest waiting a while before starting World Without End. I just listened to the first one two months ago, and I wish I had waited at least year before listening to the second.
At first, I felt as if Follett had used up all his ideas about basic personality traits and plot ideas in Pillars, and in the second book just mixed them around, assigning them to different characters (good monk becomes bad monk, bullying, jealous builder (Alfred) appears in a new family, etc). The plot "twists," this time much more predictable, and other obstacles were also all too familiar, but each with a new outcome or resolution. After about 20 hours of that, the plot finally took off and became a new story in its own right, and it was a lot more interesting and engrossing. Since it's so long, that still left me with about 30 good hours, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable if my memory of the first book had been dimmer.

If you have read or listened to “Pillars of The Earth”, you will not be disappointed with World Without End. It is yet another masterpiece from Ken Follett that – despite its length – is an easy and rewarding experience. No other author can mix history, drama, love, battle and suspense like him.

World without End follows a number of characters in Kingsbridge during 40 years – beginning approximately 200 years after the end of Pillars of the Earth. It is therefore not a prerequisite to have read this book first.

I have now almost 200 audio books under my belt – and this is one of the best ones. After the usual first listening hour with confusions about all the characters that are introduced, the remaining 47 hours is pure and utter joy.

I really look forward to a third book about Kingsbridge – which Ken Follett has indicated might come in a few years.

I almost forgot: The narrator John Lee is just outright brilliant, with his pleasant and mellow voice.

Enjoy.

I have been a Ken Follett fan since the first time I picked up one of his thrillers and Pillars of the Earth has been one of my favorites. Now I have a new favorite. The richness of the characters as well as the historical detail have me hooked. I am almost done listening and will listen again just to enjoy all the nuances of the richly developed characters.

I debated buying this because of the lenght, don't worry about it. Ken Follet does and excellent job of keeping the story line going.

Pillars of the Earth is one of my all time favoite books and this one is as good as Pillars.

This was the best book that I've read in a decade. I couldn't put it down. It was compelling.

Bad cold; time off from work; trouble sleeping. My medicine was 94 hours in the 12th and 14th centuries. It was a wonderful cure. Now what gets me over medieval withdrawals? If you are looking for a grand escape from your current reality (and also want to feel some gratitude for your 21st century life and times) go for both Pillars of the Earth and this sequel.

Pillars of the Earth is a very entertaining and compelling story told with great narration, but this book is almost a mirrow image of the above mentioned book, narration is good, story is very similar.
If you listen to one, perhaps you should by-pass the second one, in my opinion, Pillars of the Earth is by far the better book

Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth in book form kept me engrossed from start to finish. He's done it again! I haven't even finished listening to part 3 and I give this five stars. I thought I might regret getting the audiobook instead of the novel, but John Lee's narration brings it to life. When I stop listening and open my eyes, I'm almost surprised to see that I'm in the 21st century!

The book has many of the virtues and flaws of Pillars of the Earth, but the story seems less inspired, more like Follet is using the same pattern without the same inspiration.

Overall, his setting, as in the first book, is impressive, and he has successfully advanced the setting to the 14th century. His understanding of architecture and building techniques are just as intricate as Pillars, and his knowledge of the economy and law of the fourteenth century medieval village is more sophisticated than his previous work, and he creates dramas that impressively illustrate and enlighten dry medieval economics and law. Well worth the read.

The characters and stories and dramas, though, sound more like he's trying to recreate "Pillars of the Earth" than like he was inspired to create something new. Same complicated romances, same manipulative power struggles, same unconscionably ambitous nobles and clergy. They are good stories, but even more superficial than in the first, and just as 20th century, rather than medieval.

His characters do deal with specifically fourteenth century medieval issues in this book, such as the changing roles of women in society, or the transition from superstition to a more scientific world view. This is well done especially in the sections about the Black Death.

Some reviews have said Caris seems too modern, but there were women in that era struggling for more independence. Women in fourteenth century towns were guild members and business owners and council members, and maybe even fighters, and often female monasteries offered a path to power that women couldn't find in the secular world, and nuns were conscious of this role, judging from medieval sources. Follet did his research there.

Overall, good research, good medieval setting, but somewhat mechanical storytelling.

Pillars has been my favorite book of all time since I first read it 7 years ago. WWE does not disappoint. I love Ken's books for the rich charecter development and strong females, who I can relate to, who question and reject irrational tradition in favor of scientific, logical reasoning. The historical aspects make the book so fascinating. I wish it was a book "without end", because I was sad to have finished it. My new favorite book.