#1 New York Times BestsellerIn 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. World Without End is its equally irresistible sequel—set two hundred years after The Pillars of the Earth and three hundred years after the … of the Earth and three hundred years after the Kingsbridge prequel, The Evening and the Morning.
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 crossroads 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 is a “well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages” (The Washington Post) that once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
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The second book in the Knightsbridge series does not disappoint! I loved it as much as the first one. Follett does a great job creating a whole new story based on the characters and events of the first book, set two hundred years before. Didn’t want it to end!
Ken Follet has a great way of building characters and worlds that engross you. They may not be knights or kings but the people behind the scene who actually inflluence history and cause big changes.
i always learn so much when I read A Follet book. He is truly a master writer. This is book #2 of a series. I think reading book 1 (Pillars of the Earth) enhances this book!
I am utterly in love with this world and the characters in it.
Never have I read such excellent evil characters – characters who so justly deserve to die, but who just keep going. And as for the protagonists, how they survived everything the author threw at them, and the plague, well, they are truly the heroes of this story.
An exceptional second part to the series. A book so full of highs and low, that it felt like I was reading it on a ship on the ocean. Love lost, love betrayed, friendships, God, power, money. This book could well be set in 2019, and be just as relevant.
Written by a true master of the historical fiction genre.
5 stars to Ken Follett’s World Without End. One of my favorite books of all time… I was just mesmerized by the characters and everything they went thru. It is a MUST read.
It’s a long read, and it takes place hundreds of years ago, but if you can handle the primitive nature of the timeline, the various plots and subplots will astound you. Amazing.
I kept getting angry at all the tragedy thrown at the two main characters. How could they suffer so much. And for years. I’ll stop there as I don’t want to give it away, but please read this one!
FAVORITE BOOK!!!!
Second time around reading this 2nd book of Follett ‘s trilogy. I found it fascinating the first time and will probably read his third book to complete the trilogy.
I loved both of Follett’s trilogies.
Outstanding writing. A great second bookin a wonderful trilogy. Strongly recommend if you have read Pillars Of The Earth first. It is also a good stand alone novel.
Excellent
From the moment I started reading I knew I would not be able to stop reading this epic book until I knew the whole story of the people involved and their journey!
I loved this book and Pillars of the Earth. Ken Follett is a fantastically gifted writer who knows how to do research and make it the most interesting story ever!
Fabulous. I wanted more.
Ken follet is a great writer. I love all his historical fiction books. His characters are always so interesting and I especially love that he builds his stories to carry out through the life time of the characters in the story
I don’t know how I missed the charms and talents of the great Ken Follet for so long. Recently, I read THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH and enjoyed it very much. But in WORLD WITHOUT END, I found that rarest of things–a superior sequel.
This is set in Kingsbridge about 200 years after Jack Builder and Lady Aliena. The main character is Caris, a freethinking serf woman in the 1300s. (Imagine that!) The male lead is Merthin, a direct descent of Jack, who has inherited his ancestor’s brilliance and ambition. As with PILLARS, they inhabit a decades-spanning tale full of well-drawn characters that Follett describes with his typical insight. In PILLARS, the historical showdown of the age was the murder of Thomas Becket. In WORLD, the Black Death is coming. It’s one of those books you truly won’t be willing to put down, as you race to see who lives, who dies, and how it all comes together.
Yet another book I could not put down, gripping from the first page. Can’t wait for more books along these lines.
Third book in the series. One the best series(3) that I have ever read.
Follet is a master story teller and will entertain you big time.
Amazing book if you like historical fiction!
Always learn from Ken Follet
Ken Folletts books are all wonderful. They provide an everyday glimpse into a time long past.