#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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After reading Pillars of the Earth, I couldn’t wait for this second book to be available. I again loved every word.
Not as good as the original, Pillars of the Earth, but still a good follow-up
A sequel to Pillars of the Earth, 200 years later. A real page-turner like all Follett books. In this one, bad things happen to good people, but not nearly as bad as in the earlier book. In fact, this one had quite the happy ending. Can’t get much better than a good novel with a happy ending! I hope Follett does another sequel, with another 200-500 year advance on the story.
One of the best book series I’ve ever read.
One of the Best Books I have ever read !
A magnificent sequel to Pillars of the Earth! I love that the story continued 300 years later. Fabulous story in a realistic setting with believable characters!
Waiting for the next Follett trilogy.
I love all of Folletts historical fiction.
One of the best books I have read. I have read all of Follett’s books!
Loved this almost as much as Pillars!
Follett never fails to please.
Ken Follett at his best.
Having read all 3 volumes in this trilogy, I can only say, Wow! What an author. What an undertaking. I never imagined that the wonderful Pillars of the Earth would have not one but two sequels, each every bit as good as the firs in the series. Love Ken Follett’s books.
Kingsbridge Cathedral is at the center of another Ken Follett saga. This story takes place two hundred years after the completion of the cathedral in Pillars of the Earth. England is again at war. Life in the monastery, the town and its surrounding countryside is full of challenge, intrigue, politics and danger. The book begins with a cadre of children who witness an act of violence. From that point Follett creates a large cast of characters who move from crises to cliff-hanger to resolution time and again. As the years pass the lives of the original group become intertwined, looping and circling around the central mystery of that early event.
Although the setting of this tome feels historically accurate, the characters are suspiciously modern. (For example, I had trouble believing that two nuns dressed as men could or would travel through the battlefields of France to place a petition before the king.) This book uses many of the same plot devices of Pillars of the Earth and the story progresses in much the same way.
I was reminded of his first book much too often while reading. I wanted to like the characters, but it took too long for things to happen. I’m glad I read it, but I’m not sure I’m going to read his third book in the trilogy.
I would recommend all three in this series. For anyone into historical fiction this is must read. Wonderful characters that link in the series but each book can be read in any oder. Very well researched and well written.
I’ve read three of Follet’s novels and I’ve concluded that I don’t care for his turgid prose. I guess that says as much about me as Mr. Follet but I won’t be reading anything else by him.
I always learn something from historical novels and Ken Follet is the best
If you ever read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, this is a must Read!
Really liked it-long but very good