World Without End

The Kingsbridge Novels (abridged), Book 2

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: Richard E. Grant

Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Abridged edition, read by Richard E Grant (Withnail and I, Persuasion)

The historical saga that has enthralled millions of fans, Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series continues with World Without End.

On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius and a girl who wants to be a doctor. In the forest they see two men killed.

As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war. One boy will travel the world but come home in the end; the other will be a powerful, corrupt nobleman. One girl will defy the might of the medieval church; the other will pursue an impossible love. And always they will live under the long shadow of the unexplained killing they witnessed on that fateful childhood day.

Ken Follett’s masterful epic The Pillars of the Earth enchanted millions of readers with its compelling drama of war, passion and family conflict set around the building of a cathedral. World Without End takes readers to medieval Kingsbridge two centuries later, as the men, women and children of the city once again grapple with the devastating sweep of historical change.

World Without End is followed by the third of Ken Follett's Kingsbridge novels, A Column of Fire.

© Ken Follett; (P) Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

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

riveting

beautifully read, riveting story of the life and times in 14th century! bold, passionate, sometimes gruesome. power of Good over evil triumphs eventually when strong women speak out!

A brilliant work

Ken Follett’s earlier book “The Pillars of the Earth” has long been my favourite book of all time. This book takes us back to Kingsbridge 200 years after the first book. I was a bit apprehensive that it would pale in comparison; however I was delighted to find that this book is a masterpiece in its own right.

Ken Follett creates characters that you can deeply identify with and find yourself caring for as the incredible story unfolds. The book gives a rich historical feel of what it would be like to be living in those times, while keeping the storyline lively and engrossing.

“World Without End” is one of the most brilliant books I have ever read. The Audio book is superbly read by Richard E. Grant who brings the book to life. It is unfortunate that it is the Abridged version but never the less it is still a gem.

Clumsy Abridgement

Normally I only download unabridged recordings. I Really wanted to hear this one so I broke my habit.... derrrrrr.... unsmart move. At random and unexpected moments the abridgement lurched into the future, leaving story threads dangling unsatisfatisfyingly and then slamming up against new situations and characters quite out of the blue. It was possible to work out what was going on, but rather irritating to be dragged out of the fluid magic of a storyteller to sort out a tangle not created by the author.
Don't recommend the abridgement but gave 4 stars for Mr Follett's storytelling.

oops

I Accidentally downloaded the abridged version of this book. As I was listening it skipped ahead and was not comprehensible. Get the unabridged version