World Without End

My wife and listened to Pillars of the Earth on a long road trip in March 2008. We were both completely enthralled, and we knew as soon as we finished it that we had to listen to the sequel.

World Without End is read by the same actor, and he is wonderful. Great voices, perfect delivery. I couldn't ask for a better reader.

The story, however, leaves a bit to be desired. The first thing you'll notice is the similarity between the characters (love story between a kind-hearted builder and a rebellious, intelligent woman; a wannabe knight with no conscience; a conniving religious leader taking advantage of his role). Also, the political maneuvering seems to come naturally to most of the characters, which somehow makes the conflicts less interesting (in Pillars, I liked seeing Tom and Philip learn how to work the system in ways that didn't really seem to match their personalities). And, Follett seemed a little more afraid to take risks in this one (there were sections of Pillars that were so bleak they almost made me want to stop reading, but even the plague isn't that bad in World Without End).

Having said all that, it's still very enjoyable. I care about the characters in this book as much (or almost as much) as I did about Tom, Ellen, and Philip. If you haven't read Pillars, don't even think of reading World Without End until you've read that first (not that there's lots of connections; it's just better). But if you have read and enjoyed Pillars, you'll probably like World Without End too.

WORLD WITHOUT END: Another great read by Ken Follett! A little longer than PILLARS OF THE EARTH, but it, too, left me wanting more. Two hundred years after Prior Philip in Kingsbridge, the characters and conflicts Follett has created rival those in the prequel.

As good as Pillers of the Earth was that's how bad the World Without End is.

It is a real soap opera. The characters are tortured without end in an unrealestic way. As a student of midevil culture I have a insite into the time. His physical discriptions are good but the application of what many of the characters do is unrealistic being that they are either pure evil or good, no gray areas people are not like that.The book is an exact copy of his first book. The characters are the same moved 200 years later and follow the same pattern doing the same things. You can figure out what is going to happen next,it is that obvious. The book is annoyning to read in that the plots and twists are telegraphed so much that it becomes boring.The juvinile sex is even boring.

It is a ashsame that great authors have to surcome to the mighty dollar and because they have a great book they think they can churn out a second with in the same format. Write something new and different. I hate soap operas and that what the book is.

A good follow-up to "Pillars of the Earth".
Very suspenseful story, Really enjoyed this book.

I didn't think Ken Follett could follow up The Pillars of the Earth very well, but he proved me wrong. Pillars is still one of the all time greats, but I loved World without End. It had tremendous characters, story lines, people you loved and people you hated....I am a big fan, this one is a winner.....