World Without End

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed—“it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you” (Chicago Tribune)—and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel.

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, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas— about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.

Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and 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

“[A] well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages . . . Follett’s no-frills prose does its job, getting smoothly through more than a thousand pages of outlaws, war, death, sex, and politics to end with an edifice that is as well constructed and solid as Merthin’s bridge.” —The Washington Post

“Follett tells a story that runs the gamut of life in the Middle Ages, and he does so in such a way that we are not only captivated but also educated. What else could you ask for?” —The Denver Post

“So if historical fiction is your meat, here’s a rare treat. A feast of conflicts and struggles among religious authority, royal governance, the powerful unions (or guilds) of the day, and the peasantry . . . With World Without End, Follett proves his Pillars may be a rarity, but it wasn’t a fluke.” —New York Post

“A work that stands as something of a triumph of industry and professionalism.”—The Guardian (UK)

“The four well-drawn central characters will captivate readers as they prove to be heroic, depraved, resourceful, or mean. Fans of Follett’s previous medieval epic will be well rewarded.” —The Union (CA)

“Populated with an immense cast of truly remarkable characters . . . this is not a book to be devoured in one sitting, tempting though that might be, but one to savor for its drama, depth, and richness.” —Library Journal

“Readers will be captivated.” —Publishers Weekly

Not Perfect

Initially, this book appears to be a "bodice ripper" as it primarily describes the sexual encounters of the various characters. Eventually, a storyline does develop. The theme of the first book was unrelenting evil with sex on the side, The theme of this book is sex with unrelenting evil on the side. I had to continually remind myself that the lack of morality by much of the clergy, nobility and commoners was a way of life in the 1300's.

Novel without end!

Ken Follet wrote some really long epic novels; World Without End is among the longest. Set in 14th century England this historical novel tells a wonderful tale. It is, nevertheless slow moving and sometimes redundant. I recommend the abridged version of the audio book which at 14 hours is almost 70% shorter. I generally stay away from abridged versions of novels, but Follett is a clear exception.

The Enlightenment Came Early in Kingsbridge

I had previously enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth". This book was equally satisfying. The characters are engaging. Kerras Wooler brings many modern qualities to the story. At times I wondered if it was possible for a woman in 14th century England to understand the scientific method intuitively and develop a preliminary understanding of the germ theory. This is fiction after all and there are extraordinary people in every age. My only criticism is that there are so many parallels to "Pillars" that it was easy to predict which characters would ultimately triumph. This is something like a first time ride on a very long roller coaster. You know where you will end, but you can't guess the many twists and turns before the conclusion.

A literary cathedral

A magnificent monument to man, echoing with ideas, shimmering with a reflection of mankind's' greatest traits, offset against the unilluminated silent corners of our baser instincts, but buttressed with our Quixotic desire to achieve the unachievable.

Shedding a little light, not only on the dark ages, but on all ages.

Bravo.

Get it, you will not regret it.

This book easily gets on my top ten list. I have been listening for a long time with over 300 books downloaded from various sources.

I am not sure whether it's better than "Pillars of the Earth", but it's irrelevant because I'd recommend to get them both.