Ken Follett: World Without End (2008, Pan Books)
English language
Published Sept. 17, 2008 by Pan Books.
World Without End is a best-selling 2007 novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. It is the second book in the Kingsbridge Series, and is the sequel to 1989's The Pillars of the Earth. World Without End takes place in the same fictional town as Pillars of the Earth — Kingsbridge — and features the descendants of some Pillars characters 157 years later. The plot incorporates two major historical events, the start of the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death. The author was inspired by real historical events relating to the Cathedral of Santa María in Vitoria-Gasteiz. A television miniseries based on the novel aired worldwide in 2012. It premiered on Showcase in Canada on 4 September 2012; in the United States on Reelz Channel on 17 October 2012; on Channel 4 in the UK on 22 December, and on Star Movies in the Philippines in January 2013. The eight-part …
World Without End is a best-selling 2007 novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. It is the second book in the Kingsbridge Series, and is the sequel to 1989's The Pillars of the Earth. World Without End takes place in the same fictional town as Pillars of the Earth — Kingsbridge — and features the descendants of some Pillars characters 157 years later. The plot incorporates two major historical events, the start of the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death. The author was inspired by real historical events relating to the Cathedral of Santa María in Vitoria-Gasteiz. A television miniseries based on the novel aired worldwide in 2012. It premiered on Showcase in Canada on 4 September 2012; in the United States on Reelz Channel on 17 October 2012; on Channel 4 in the UK on 22 December, and on Star Movies in the Philippines in January 2013. The eight-part television event miniseries stars Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Richardson, Peter Firth, Ben Chaplin, Charlotte Riley, Sarah Gadon and Tom Weston-Jones. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones who also directed the historical epic Rob Roy.
yes, you won't put it away. but it's not the masterpiece you'd expect. parts of it are so unrealistic that I was close to awarding two stars only.
A guilty pleasure to read as each character meets an end that he or she deserves. Though the book seemed slightly less well written than Pillars of the Earth.
There are moments when the plotting is a little obvious, but a really immersive tale which is a page turner. The endings were a surprise....... very good.
World Without End? More like book without end.
I'd be hard pushed to recommend this book. It's okay but way too long and way to repetitive. The trials and tribulations of the characters seem often far to contrived and my overall feeling is that it's a book that lingers just too long on various plot points.
It could have been sharper, snappier and more tightly focused - and it would have been a more enjoyable read.
