World Without End
#1 New York Times Bestseller
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.
World Without End is its equally irresistible sequel—set two hundred years after The Pillars 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.
Reviews
Though the plot and character naivety are similar to the first novel, it's still a good read.
By SlowJoeMoe
I find myself incredibly frustrated with the ignorance portrayed in these stories (first two in the series) yet I plowed through. Each time I picked back up I tell myself I can’t tolerate anymore ignorance. I have since begun reading the third in this series (I know what you are saying…) and again same story only separated by time. The choices and decisions made reads like the Halloween movies where the victims being chased can leave in the car or find the only place to corner themselves from an assailant. I appreciate the writing and often find myself asking however, what did 15-20% of the story add. Like this review it leaves you scratching your head and asking well did you like the book or not? Good question!
By Still A Chance
Wonderful story telling. Makes you feel like you are there page after page.
By Elizarose247
It’s troubling to realize that, even very very long ago, the religious hierarchy was so greedy and selfish professing it was not human nature but God’s will?
By MerrieDeb
I enjoyed the book, series and history. They are all very long books and reiterate every detail of what happened in the earlier chapters, as if the reader cannot remember anything. Also, Follett uses the empty word “nevertheless” way too many times is throughout the all the series. That was a bit annoying.
By TJEL