#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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I love Ken Follet he always writes a great book, very informative.
Did not want the story to end. Loved it.
Ken Follett is a master, I have enjoyed everything of his that I have read.
Excellent!
This author never disappoints. Always a good read.
Follet is a master story teller. I learn from him.
Love the entire series! EPIC adventure experienced through graphic detail and great storytelling. I was totally engrossed in it, as if I were actually there!
It was a very enlightening book about history of the time. I really enjoyed this book. He is very informative in a very interesting way!
Excellent Book!! I bought the series when they were released.
I had never heard of Ken Follett until a family member begged me to read him. I started with PILLARS OF THE EARTH and just loved it. WORLD WITHOUT END is just as strong. Interestingly, it DOESN’T pick up where PILLARS OF THE EARTH ended but jumps forward one hundred and fifty years. This requires a completely new cast of characters, and although some of the characters claim to be related to those in the earlier book, it really wasn’t necessary to have that connection. As in the previous book, WORLD WITHOUT END opened with a powerful image, and closed with another one, so that it had a satisfyingly resonant ending, something, I fear that is increasingly becoming as rare as hen’s teeth.
Despite complaints by some readers that the book was over-long, I found it completely absorbing up until the end. The characters were well-rounded and realistically portrayed, and the events that happened to them were well-grounded in their motivations. In short, I highly recommend this novel. If you love PILLARS OF THE EARTH, I don’t think you will be disappointed by WORLD WITHOUT END. Five stars.
“World Without End” is the sequel to “The Pillars of the Earth,” one of the finest historical novels I’ve ever read. Although the sequel is set 157 years later, the books are similar, both in quality and structure. Both highlight the harshness and injustice of life in the Middle Ages—especially for those not nobly born—and the book’s characters are similar too. One significant difference, however, is the period in which they occur. “World Without End” unfolds during the reign of Edward III, which allows the story to explore two significant events in the Fourteenth Century: the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death. The scenes concerning the Black Death really hit home while reading this book during the pandemic, and Ken Follett’s portrayal of the battle of Crécy was the best since Bernard Cornwell’s “The Archer’s Tale.” Also, every chapter reminded me how masterful Follett is at storytelling. Few authors end chapters with a disaster for their characters better than Follett, and this constant conflict kept me turning the pages—all 1,014 of them—to the book’s satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend it!
Love this trilogy!
Great follow up to The Pillars of the Earth. Several interconnected subplots. Rich characters. I’m 4/5ths of the way through, and will then start A Column of Fire, the third book in the series. Definitely worth a full 5/5 rating.
Must read series.
Another great epic work by Ken Follett! Interesting characters, witty dialogue, and diabolical villains, what more could you ask for? Also, lots of historic detail. If you like Ken Follett, you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read Ken Follett, you will be pleasantly surprised.
A long read but so good, I was swept up in the stories of the main characters and their ups and downs.
Part of a series that’s great. Starts in the Middle Ages to the 1960s
Been awhile since I read this but the historical detail, story and character development was excellent. Read Pillars of Earth as well. Both are excellent.
Ken Follett’s most magnificent work!
This is my favorite book ever!!