|  |
| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 quite the same as pillars of the earth. Nov 18, 2009
this book is clearly the sequal of pillars of the earth, so the content seemed known to me and you often know whta happens befrore readig it. except for this, the book is quite good and easy to read
 World Without End Nov 13, 2009
Great book and follow-on to "The Pillars of the Earth", though not necessary to read, but does lend depth to this storey. Great characters, some strong and kind, others strong and malevolent and others conniving all in a vivid picture 200 years after "The Pillars of the Earth". Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed reading to each other...
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Flat characters, no plot, and a total disregard for social history Nov 05, 2009
Ken Follett may have done a lot of research on medieval buildings, but he obviously did very little research on marriage and families in the 14th century. The utter disregard for historical accuracy eventually jarred and irritated me so much that I skipped several hundred pages of the book.
Some examples:
There is significant discussion between Merthin and Caris about Lolla, Merthin's 16 year old daughter. She is described as being at the age where she is "between a child and adult" and Caris chides Merthin for assaulting her "self-esteem." (Yes, Follett has a character in 14th century England use the phrase "self-esteem." Never mind that the concept of self-esteem didn't enter psychology until the late 19th century, at the earliest.) In fact, the concept of adolescence as the period between childhood and adulthood did not develop until the mid 19th century. There is great concern on Merthin and Caris' part that Lolla may be sexually active. In the 14th century, girls were eligible for marriage at 14. At 16 years old, people might have been asking rather why she wasn't married or at least betrothed. In the final chapters of the book, the main characters are all in their 40s, portrayed as in the prime of life. In the 14th century, men and women were old at 40. Very few people lived into their 50s or beyond (a little over a century later, Henry VII and Henry VIII were considered old men when they died, both in their early to mid-50s). The bottom line is that marriage, children, and family relationships in the 14th century were simply not the way Follett portrays them.
None of the main characters is very appealing. Merthin comes closest, but he is very nearly a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu, in this case): brilliant, overcoming one tragic episode after another, misunderstood yet always saving the day (or he would, if it weren't for the jealousy of the lesser beings around him). The rest of the characters are static, never developing, rehashing the same situations and character flaws over and over without ever learning anything. No explanation, or the thinnest of reasons at best, is given for characters' motivations. Why, for instance, did Ralph lust after Gwenda for decades? Especially when he thought she was ugly. We are simply told that he does and expected to believe it.
There is no actual plot. There is only a series of unfortunate events loosely strung together by the reader's hope that one of these days, the bad guys will get what's coming to them.
I've certainly read worse books, but this is a long book and a serious commitment to make to such a historically inaccurate and unsatisfying story.
Why is this book familiar? Nov 04, 2009
This is a great book, I enjoyed "Pillars in the Earth" many years ago and was excited when this sequel was finally written. The characters are strongly developed and there is enough detail in the story to allow an avid reader to dawdle through the book.
I keep getting the feeling; however, that I've read this book before. Not only does the plot seem familiar, but especially the characters.
Did anyone else notice this?
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
As good as the First Nov 03, 2009
This is the sequel to Pillars of the Earth. It is about decendants of the Pillars characters, but it is set 200 years into the future. Kingsbridge Catheadreal still stands, and the beginning is about making repairs to the roof, but then the story goes into The Black Plauge, and describes how the characters learn how to fight it and help others through tough times. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It has five stars from me, that is for sure.
|
| | |
