always a pleasant jump in middle ages.Follett kept me glued to my kindle for days..sorry it is over.I probably prefer pillars of the earth, but just slightly.

while there is more sex hinted at in this book unlike the 1st. i found this to be just as interesting with complex plot twists that leave you choosing sides and hoping that your favorite characters get there due.

If you are thinking that this book is the same calibre of Pillors of the Earth, you will be sadly disappointed. As a matter of fact, POE was an anomaly in Follett's career. Did he actually write it? This book is more in character with his body of work which I find to be predictable, trite, boring and lacking in literary merit.

I loved Pillars of the Earth because it informed me while entertaining. The characters were compelling and I cared about their lives. At the same time I learned a great deal about Cathedrals and their construction, information that a truly enjoyed. This World Without End was a great disappointment. I stopped reading about 40% in because I do not care about the characters, I have learned nothing of interest and I still could not tell you what the story line is. I have never read a "romance novel," so I hope that I do not offend that genre's fans by saying that WWE reminded me of the stereotype of a romance novel, the story and characters are secondary to the detailed description of sex in as many increasingly unlikely circumstances as possible. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it as age 13. A real disappointment. I love historical fiction and will end this review with a recommendation that readers unfamiliar with Conn Iggulden's work should check it out!

I read this sequel to Pillars of The Earth right after reading Pillars. Though Pillars was better, in my opinion, this book is still a very powerful read. The characters are so vivid and the multiple story lines so intriguing that I often found myself lying in bed too late on a worknight reading.

The only flaw in this sequel is that the characters and storylines too closely mimicked those of Pillars. It became too easy to guess what would happen next because very similiar things had happened in the previous book. Regardless, I would not hesiate to recommend it to anyone who loves strong characters and a well-defined plot.

Yes, the first book was long as well. But I found this book unfortunately to be a mere shadow of "Pillars of the Earth." The bad guys just aren't as bad, good guys aren't as complex or interesting. I finished it, but it wasn't without effort. I wouldn't recommend it.

I wouldn't have imagined that Ken Follet could enthrall me any more than he did with "The Pillars of the Earth." He certainly did just that with "World Without End." It was a sad day for me when I turned the last page. Now I'm waiting impatiently for the next two hundred years of Kingsbridge history. I admit to being a history buff, but I'd never experienced such remarkable history lessons woven into stories like these.

It takes quite a story to keep me for over 1,000 pages...fantastic book! I hated to finish and leave behind the colorful characters of Kingsbridge. Yes, there are some disgusting scenes in the book, but that was how it was in those days.
I suggest reading Pillars of the Earth first to have the beginning of the story and to understand all the references. Pillars of the Earth was a superb book, too!
Plan to stay up late at night...I ended up reading hundreds of pages at a sitting.

I thought that Pillars of the Earth was fantastic and could not be outdone, but Follett came through with another fantastic and fascinating read. Loved it.

I realize that I'm late to the review party, but it took me six months of on again/off again reading to finish it---and as a Ken Follett fan with a personally-signed copy of Pillars, I was super disappointed. And depressed if I read too many "episodes" at once. That is how the book struck me: A collection of episodes jumping back and forth amongst the characters, each of them promising a new disaster. An apt title might have been, "If Everything Can Go Wrong, It Will".

I can't think of one character I really cared about in this book, and for every protaganist there seemed to be a dozen antagonists to thwart them. One episode line was totally ludicrous: Two English nuns searching the battlefields of Crecy, France, to ask their bishop to restore the money their Prior stole. Thousands of drunken warriors, and these women roam around their camps unmolested. Sure.

Humor? Forget humor, unless it was something crass. If I found anything interesting in WWE, it was the interlocking of the Church, the guilds, and the nobility--they were all in bed together, both figuratively and literally. Follett comes down hard on the Church and I believe he is mostly accurate--there WAS a reason for the Reformation a couple of centuries later.

I give the book two stars: One for Follett writing it, and the other for me reading it.

I'm so pleased that Ken Follett wrote this sequel to "Pillars of the Earth." It was tremendous!

I must admit I don't often read 1,000 page books. And I don't recall ever reading one in less than a week. This book however, made it easy to do both. The pages flew by without an effort. The plot wove into and out of the lives of each of the four main characters--Gwenda, Caris, Merthin, and Ralph, with a seamlessness that again, is not often found in books that try to spin multiple parallel tales.
As were other reviewers, I too was impressed with the author's ease in venturing outside his own previously established "box" to situate the novel in the 14th century (his earlier books stuck with the 20th century). But I was more impressed with how he develops each of his characters' stories and how he interconnects them. The protagonists start as children, who meet for a game in the forest, and fatefully witness a scene that reveals a secret (a secret "with a capital S", knowledge of which is dangerous inherently to them, and deemed dangerous by those who share it). The children part ways, but are joined again by fate, by their choices, and by the denouement of the secret itself, as they grow into and through adulthood by the book's end.
Beyond the cleverly knit plot, I found the psychological development of both the main as well as the lesser characters fascinating. Each starts with clear strengths and weaknesses. We watch how both sets of traits progress in different ways in each, and how characters grow in virtue, or malice, accordingly. And though the author doles out strokes of luck or misfortune quite "equitably" among his players, he lets each take it from there, to spiral up or down in fortune, guided by his own wisdom or impulse. In most cases, I gave up guessing which turn a character would take next long before the author was done with him.
`So what kinds of stories does "World Without End" tell so well? We read about a town's blossoming on the border between the "Dark Age" and the early Renaissance, from superstition and witchcraft kangaroo trials, to a better enlightenment and faith, and from rigid to more fluid economy and morality, and tolerance. We follow several love stories and marriages through some cool turns--from lukewarm to hot in one nice case, and from hot to cold to hot (and a few more back and forths in between!) in another. We see a mind of a genius at work (Merthin), as he fights the town's retro established interests, and changes the face of the town with his innovative, skillful building. We see how Ralph evolves from coddled and aggressive (but not evil) boy, to a man, in a way that is chilling but believable. But I won't give more away...just read and you'll be well rewarded for your 1,000 page marathon!
The Pillars of the Earth

I must admit I don't often read 1,000 page books. And I don't recall ever reading one in less than a week. This book however, made it easy to do both. The pages flew by without an effort. The plot wove into and out of the lives of each of the four main characters--Gwenda, Caris, Merthin, and Ralph, with a seamlessness that again, is not often found in books that try to spin multiple parallel tales.
As were other reviewers, I too was impressed with the author's ease in venturing outside his own previously established "box" to situate the novel in the 14th century (his earlier books stuck with the 20th century). But I was more impressed with how he develops each of his characters' stories and how he interconnects them. The protagonists start as children, who meet for a game in the forest, and fatefully witness a scene that reveals a secret (a secret "with a capital S", knowledge of which is dangerous inherently to them, and deemed dangerous by those who share it). The children part ways, but are joined again by fate, by their choices, and by the denouement of the secret itself, as they grow into and through adulthood by the book's end.
Beyond the cleverly knit plot, I found the psychological development of both the main as well as the lesser characters fascinating. Each starts with clear strengths and weaknesses. We watch how both sets of traits progress in each; sometimes strength builds more strength, and weakness abets greater weakness, sometimes one's weakness is transformed into strength, and a character grows in virtue, or malice, accordingly. And though the author doles out strokes of luck or misfortune quite "equitably" among his players, he lets each take it from there, to spiral up or down in fortune, guided by his own wisdom or impulse. In most cases, I gave up guessing which turn a character would take next long before the author was done with him.
`So what kinds of stories does "World Without End" tell so well? We read about a town's blossoming on the border between the "Dark Age" and the early Renaissance, from superstition and witchcraft kangaroo trials, to a better enlightenment and faith, and from rigid to more fluid economy and morality, and tolerance. We follow several love stories and marriages through some cool turns--from lukewarm to hot in one nice case, and from hot to cold to hot (and a few more back and forths in between!) in another. We see a mind of a genius engineer at work (Merthin), as he builds the town's infrastructure and lovely churches. We see Ralph evolve from coddled and aggressive boy, to a different man, in a way that will surprise the reader. But I won't give more away...just read and you'll be well rewarded for your 1,000 page marathon!
The Pillars of the Earth

When do you read a book or see a movie where the "sequel" manages to equal if not excel its original publication / movie? Follett breaks the stereotype of falling short of his wonderful "Pillars of the Earth" with this marvellous tale of 14th Century England. Its masterpiece of over 1000 page magnificence is full of adventure, love, betrayal, treachery, greed . .and some more. I did not want it to end. Hope Oprah discovers it sooner than she did "Pillars" and makes it the only second book from an author to be merited as her Book of the Month. It is that deserving of the acclaim.

This book was fabulous. I had loved POTE and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one as well. I had my nose in this book for over a week - just couldn't tear myself away....now what do I do?? I will say that my husband was very happy to see me shut that book and be done with it....now to get on with my life without Merthin, Caris, Gwenda...........

I found the book to start slow for the first 150 pages, but once I became accustomed to the characters I thoroughly enjoyed this book and did not want it to end...........thanks Ken Follett for another great novel.
Cathy Browning

I think I must have read every Ken Follett book now, so, yes, I'm a fan. WWE is one of his weakest. The plot limps along with no discernible beginning or end, there are no cliffhangers that make it impossible to put the book away, no parallel plots that you can vaguely see converge into some horrible disaster in the future, no intricately woven plot strands (yes, yes, there's the buried letter that pops up in the beginning and then again in the end, but really, it doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the novel); WWO has a very small cast of very easily pegged characters, who at a higher than usual rate engage in very much off-the-shelf sex scenes. It's narrative is entirely linear, and plot twists nonexistent; in fact, sometimes you suspect the author simply forgot to pick up again some storyline that he planted earlier. None of that good stuff, in short, that made you love The Pillars of the Earth, Night Over Water, The Eye of the Needle, or The Third Twin.

Most troublesome of all, though, I think Follett lost the edge. He's become soft. The evil characters in this book are so unimaginative, so predictable, so... homespun, the book achieves an almost children's-book-like harmlessness. Maybe it's just hard to come up with truly shocking villains in this day and age of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, but do you remember how, when reading, say, The Pillars of the Earth, you repeatedly caught yourself whispering to yourself `Oh no, he can't, he won't..., not that!!' and it would turn out twice as bad? Well, if that upset you a little too much, then WWE is for you.

So, if you're a Follett loyalist like me, yes, you will want to read it but you might as well wait until it hits the shelf of your local library. If you haven't worked your way through his earlier books, treat yourself to those instead!

I've enjoyed this every bit as much as I loved the first book. Both are rather sizable tomes, but I still found myself getting almost nostalgic as I reached the last few chapters, knowing it was coming to an eventual end. I think what I enjoyed the most, besides, of course, the wonderful characters, is the depth of knowledge Ken Follett has of the way the people lived in those times. Sharing their everyday lives (and seeing how little politics have changed!) and living with them their struggles through the every day matters of being part of a culture was truly inspiring. Please, Ken - another about the next hundred years???? And thank you for both "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" - not just a read, but a genuine experience. Thank you.

I discovered Ken Follets previous book Pillars of the earth and found it oddly addictive. Who would think building a church would be so facinating. The next installment - World without an end was, in my opinion, even more addictive. I especially enjoyed the medical sub theme in this novel and have developed a passion for historical novels. Well worth the read and expect to look at the world in a more informed way. Thanks Ken hope there will be another.

I couldn't put the book down....I couldn't get enough of the characters, the excitement.It was the best book I've read!

Such an excellant read. However, I do prefer historical novels and especially those of the area of the English Isles. Read "Pillars" prior to reading this and hope that Follett is either working on a new addition to these two or is considering doing so. This book is not only easy to read, but the author creates such a binding tale that you can't put it down.

Loved it. A real page-turner. I wasn't sure I'd like the title, but once into the book I didn't care what it was called! Follett's books are also surreptitously educational. Enjoy.

I throughly enjoyed Pillars of the Earth. However, while reading World Without End I kept noticing how the characters and plot were similar to what I'd read in Pillers of the Earth. It seemed a rehash with a few things added such as the plague and lesbianism. The author repeated information already known from reading about it a hundred pages back or so. Personally, I found this to be terribly annoying and insulting. Ken Follett is a talented writer, but this book is not one of his best.

I loved PILLARS OF THE EARTH, so my expectations for this follow-up were high. OK, I'm not completely finished, but so far it is just as compelling and satisfying as the earlier tome. There are those exciting, big scenes of death and disaster juxtaposed with honest, emotional sequences, and the pages keep turning. I'm a professional scriptreader and am pretty picky/bookwormy/nerdy about what I read on my own time. This book (as well as its predecessor) is smart enough to engage my mind and readable enough to qualify as relaxation. A coup. I'm only sorry that it comes to an end after only 1,000 pages!!!

If you've read Pillars of the Earth, you've read World Without End. Despite the passage of two centuries, the characters are essentially the same, as are the plotlines. Jack is now Merthin, Aliena is now Caris, and William Hamleigh is Ralph Fitzgerald. Merthin and Caris are separated by plot contrivances that the reader can be certain will be overcome. As in Pillars of the Earth, the characters are all two-dimensional, drawn with nary a shade of grey. The narrative also misses the cohesion of a Prior Phillip, probably the most interesting character in Pillars. However, some new characters do brighten the pages, such as Caris's poor friend Gwenda, a desperate, hard-working woman who leaves the family that allowed her to be traded for a cow. I actually found Lady Philippa and Brother Thomas, two minor characters, to be among the most interesting characters, possibly because the writer did not focus as much attention to their motives and thoughts. The writer also spent far too much time and detail on the details of bridge-making and cathedral-repairing.

All these complaints said, I couldn't put the book down. I stayed up `til past 3 for two nights until the book was finished. The author does an excellent job of describing Kingsbridge as well as the culture of the middle ages. I also enjoyed reading about the conflicts the warrior class, as exemplified by Ralph, the church, as exemplified by Godfrey, and the merchant class, as exemplified by Caris's faather. Too bad that wasn't more fully developed! World Without End is very much a plot-driven book. So, borrow the book from the library or a friend, and enjoy.

I am not going to rehash what has already been said over and over again by other reviewers.
My only commentary to this is that I reread "Pillars of the Earth" while on vacation in Italy last October. I enjoyed it thoroughly as it rewhetted my appetite for Middle Ages architecture and building practices. I found Pillars to be entertaining as well as educational.
"World Without End" I had hoped would be a sequel but instead of cathedral building, there would be bridges etc. It kind of started that way but it ended up disappointing.
Why did I beat my brains out to finish this 1,000 page doorstop? A test of wills; either me or the book. I won but not without a fight.

If you've read Pillars of the Earth, you've read World Without End. Despite the passage of two centuries, the characters are essentially the same, as are the plotlines. Jack is now Merthin, Aliena is now Caris, and William Hamleigh is Ralph Fitzgerald. Merthin and Caris are separated by plot contrivances that the reader can be certain will be overcome. As in Pillars of the Earth, the characters are all two-dimensional, drawn with nary a shade of grey. The narrative also misses the cohesion of a Prior Phillip, probably the most interesting character in Pillars. However, some new characters do brighten the pages, such as Caris's poor friend Gwenda, a desperate, hard-working woman who leaves the family that allowed her to be traded for a cow. I actually found Lady Philippa and Brother Thomas, two minor characters, to be among the most interesting characters, possibly because the writer did not focus as much attention to their motives and thoughts. The writer also spent far too much time and detail on the details of bridge-making and cathedral-repairing.

All these complaints said, I couldn't put the book down. I stayed up `til past 3 for two nights until the book was finished. The author does an excellent job of describing Kingsbridge as well as the culture of the middle ages. It is very much a plot-driven book. So, borrow the book from the library or a friend, and enjoy.

I found some of the one star reviews amusing and more than a bit confusing. To condemn a book because it has sex scenes is just too ridiculous to even attempt to understand. In reality, if these "antisexites" had read the entire book they would have found relatively few explicit sex scenes for a 1000+ pages. I find it sad that some reviewers focus so acutely on a single subject and condemn the entire work on such a thin basis. None of these "one stars" spends any time on the style, plotting, characterization, drama and language. The vast amount of historical research alone gives the work an appealing life as a unique addition to Follett"s bookshelf.

"World Without End" is a sequel, and comparisons are natural. Like many of the other reviewers I too had read the first volume years ago, and though I remember enjoying it very much I think that even if one does not read that book they will still experience a great read. WWE is loaded with interesting characters and literally hundreds of stories winding through the main plot. The characters come off as real and lively as well as purely evil, funny or pathetic - in other words a book chock full of something for every reader who truly enjoys settling down with a thick volume that takes effort to complete.

Follett creates and paints a believable world for his cast of characters. As usual the quality of the writing keep the story flowing and scene after scene setting up great events. Follett's characters are as usual drawn with daring, humor and more than a touch of mystery. The setting is dynamic and part of what I enjoyed the most, seeing how his creations moved through the society of the times and how they reacted, rebelled, fought and, yes, fornicated. Family life, and the society of the guilds and how they worked within the ages, and of course the conflicts that developed within that context.

Plotting is very strong, Follett should be congratulated for juggling so many characters and moving them through the scenes and situations he has created to bring out conflicts, love, hate and violence that was very much familiar to the time period. If, like me, you have enjoyed many of Follett's books, no matter what genre as much as I have then I believe you will like this one too, and very much.

A little slow getting started, but does not disappoint. A compelling books filled with vital,captivating, well drawn characters and many twists and turns.

Read the first two sections then start again about page 970 and you will have enough of this book. This is no where near the quality of Pillars. What dull characters of absolute purposelessness. This is a soap opera of the middle ages at its worse. Its as if he spent the whole effort to find one horrible thing after another to happen, ad nauseum. I got tired of it two thirds the way in, gave up went to the end of the book. If anything of quality happened to anyone it happened in the last thirty pages. But to sum up everyone's life of one misfortune after another in 30 or so pages after subjecting the reader to 980 of pages nothing but the horrors they experienced was too much. I got to the point I could not care about any of the characters because they were ALL quite a stupid lot who did not seem to learn from any of their destructive behaviors or have any redeeming qualities. Even the supposed heroic characters seemed rather simple minded to me. All the characters seemed bent on self destruction and Follett explained it either through love or brutality. Did no one have any common sense? Reading the reviews I was amazed though that anyone found the women any better than men. To me they were at least as vain and flighty as half the men. The rest of the men were just to ignorant or brutal to be believed. I wish I had now waited for the paper back edition so I would not have spent the money for the hard bound book that I could not wait to finish. I am a copious reader and rarely if ever do not finish what I start. When I do not read in detail, it really has to be bad. I read this one fast by skipping large sections because it was so repetitive of the same misery page after page. You did not have to read it closely to know that it was just going to be one misfortune after another. Wait for the paper back if you must read it, but do not expect another Pillars from it.

I personally thought this book was better than "Pillars". I couldn't put it down (all 1000 pages) and was sorry when it ended. It did end with a slight promise of more, so maybe there will be another sequel! Hope Ken Follett doesn't wait 10 years for another one.

My field is History--specifically English Medieval History of the Fourteenth Century. I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. It's a great story designed to touch on many aspects of life in the Middle Ages and relate that to the characters.
It's a long book but I wound up hoping it would never end. It's easy to understand the difficulties of the individual characters and see how that corresponds to problems each of us encounter in present day society.
I will recommend this book to my students.