World Without End

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 45 hrs and 33 mins

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.

Listen to The Pillars of the Earth.

©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)

A dark history of England

If you are looking for light and cheerful reading this is not it. History at its darkest and most brutal. However there is love and compassion, and it is brilliantly written. If you love history you will love this story.

Wonderful!

This is an epic story with every human emotion and behaviour from the most noble to the most base. Mr. Follett has written a sequel that is every bit as compelling as Pillars of the Earth. This, after 'Pillars" is the best book I have read - and I have read thousands.

Read It

Read this book, either before or after "Pillars of the Earth." These books are two of the most enjoyable novels I've ever read (and I read a lot, trust me).

Why did it have to end??

This book is every bit as good as Pillars of the Earth. Don't be scared off by the length of the book, the 40+ hours will fly by leaving you wanting more! The book is a little racy at times so maybe not the best for children under 15, but a must read for everyone else!

Compelling!

If you love Machiavellian thinking and political maneuvering, you will LOVE this book (and Pillars of the Earth). I could not stop trying to figure out what each party would do next in the "game." The narrator is also excellent... well worth the credit!

World Without End

I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because of the reader. I thought "Pillars" was better. In this book, so many details were repeated, as if explaining a previous book. I, as with "Pillars", will miss the characters.

Very Long

Although this is not as good as The Pillars of the Earth, it is still an interesting (though very long) story. A good way to spend a few days in the middle ages and imagine how different life would have been...

END OF DISC 13

Imagine you're listening to a story, a great epic of life, death, religion and etichENDOFPARAGRAPH1.

Ethical grey areas. World without end is a great book by Follett, a great follow-up to The Pillars of the Earth, with new characters, themes, struggles, focus andENDOFPARAGRAPH2.

Characters. The books weakest point is the antagonists it presents, but otherwise this is a solid 4 stars, the romance between the protagonists feels much more natural and extraordinary than in Pillars.

John Lee is an awesome narrator, every character had a voice and the female characters did not sound like a man trying to imitate a child. A slow "Yes" or a hateful "No" sent a chill through my spine everytime a mayor plot point happened. The only problem I found is with the production, not cutting the "END OF DISC X" every 90 minutes or so. It happens a lot and I never get used to it, sometimes scenes would get cut in half and I'd lose the investment I had in the story.

Avoid the TV series like the Plague, but read this book, just remember one thing... ENDOFREVIEW

Awesome Book

A great way to spend 40+ hours. You'll be sorry it ended!

World without End

Ken Follet does it again with this excellent writing. The book is long, but never boring. I have never read a bad book by Ken Follet