#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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Very deep…showing how the crule the church was…..and in such control using the fear of God.
I really enjoyed reading this book..
It’s a great 200 page book; needs editing!
Follett is an amazing writer and this is a spectacular book.
I’ve read this book twice and found it just as engrossing the second time…that’s saying something.
I enjoyed the story line – although I did not read the first book. There were some references back but the book stood on its own. I love historical novels.
Ken Follett is a masterful story teller. Characters are compelling and the historical details are phenomenal. The entire series is one of the best reads EVER.
I love all of Ken Folletts books.
Ken Follett outdid himself on this follow-up to Pillars of the Earth. Outstanding story that kept me on the edge, you never quite knew what was going to happen next.
Historically speaking this is a fascinating account of the hardships of ordinary people during the days of old. btw, Knights were bullies and murderers not the shiney armor type at all and most Cathedrals were built by the guy that had a foot long ruler…..spoiler alert there are two more books in the series and I read them all. This is the second of the series and I believe the one with the Plague. Anytime someone sneezed….. Anyway read them in order and they make more sense.
As with all of Follett’s books, I found myself transported to another time and what it may have been like to be there. This is an amazing historical book.
Book two, following the first book “Pillars of the Earth”. Fascinating read!
Amazing read. Wonderful follow up to (Pillars of the Earth. ) The research for this book is amazing. Ken Follett has written with such accuracy and passion in telling the story of the building and daily life surrounding the magnificent cathedrals of the Middle Ages, Kingsbridge Carhedral in particular. He maintains accuracy of the church and political struggles of the time. Ken Follett is a master story teller. In my opinion (World Without End and Pillars of the Earth) are must reads for British Cultural education.
World Without End gives the reader a look into what 14th century life must have been like in England. Life was still medieval, but new learning was beginning to make an appearance. This led to many clashes between the church order and the new inventors, healers, and visionaries who wanted to learn by using evidence and science. This is the kind of book you get involved in and ponder even when you’re not reading it.
First half was good, but I got tired of nothing working out for the protagonists and I quit.
Super book
Been done before
WONDERFUL…I read it many years ago and still think about it and still recommend it.
Great book
i find it to be intellectually stimulating. it is a followup to the novel “the pillars of the earth”, also a fantastic book.