Search - World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2)

World Without End - Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2
Author: Ken Follett

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. Critics were overwhelmed and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel. World Without End takes place in the sam... more »e 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 crossroad 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 breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.

On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius and a girl who wants to be a doctor. In the forest they see two men killed. As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war. One boy will travel the world but come home in the end; the other will be a powerful, corrupt nobleman. One girl will defy the might of the medieval church; the other will pursue an impossible love. And always they will live under the long shadow of the unexplained killing they witnessed on that fateful childhood day.

Ken Follett's masterful epic "The Pillars of the Earth" enchanted millions of readers with its compelling drama of war, passion and family conflict set around the building of a cathedral. Now "World Without End" takes readers back to medieval Kingsbridge two centuries later, as the men, women and children of the city once again grapple with the devastating sweep of historical change.

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ISBN-13: 9780451224996 ISBN-10: 045122499X Publication Date: 10/7/2008 Pages: 1,014 Rating: Currently 4.2/5 Stars. 167 4.2 stars, based on 167 ratings	Publisher: New American Library Trade Book Type: Paperback Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD Members Wishing: 3 Reviews: Member \| Amazon \| Write a Review

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Currently 3/5 Stars.

Cara (cheddy) reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 5/17/2009 + 29 more book reviews

6 member(s) found this review helpful.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as Pillars of the Earth. This is a stand alone book, and not truly a sequel to Pillars. The book follows the town of Kingsbridge during the 14th century England and includes a vivid portrait of the devastation of the plague, the trials of the serfs/peasants and the hostility of the ruling gentry, and the lack of sanctity of the church. This is a social novel that depicts the conflict between serfs/nobility; men/women; clergy/guilds and the rise of the middle class. The novel is extremely long (1,000+) pages, but if you like historical fiction, or Pillars, then this is worth a read.

Currently 0.5/5 Stars.

Amber (amber1111) reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 12/22/2009

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

I made it about 200 pages into this book and I just couldn't get into it. It's nowhere near as good as Pillars of the Earth in my opinion. The sheer size of the book is ridiculous. It could have been condensed a great deal.

Currently 5/5 Stars.

Edward C. S. (ed) - Decatur, GA reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 3/30/2009 + 91 more book reviews

4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Great read. 1014 pages long you can't wait to get to next episode but don't want it to end. This is a sequel to "Pillars of the earth".It is set in the late middle ages and contains abundant details about life in those times.

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Currently 5/5 Stars.

John S. reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 5/29/2012

I enjoyed this book very much. I had read his earlier book Pillars of the Earth as well.

Currently 4/5 Stars.

Karen M. reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 1/12/2012 + 18 more book reviews

Really enjoyed this book as I had read the first one, Pillars of the Earth, & this continued 200 yrs. later. Hope there will be another following.

Currently 5/5 Stars.

Kim H. reviewed World Without End (Pillars of the Earth, Bk 2) on 8/9/2011 + 15 more book reviews

couldn't put it down great book!!!

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Series

Pillars of the Earth 2 of 2

Genres:

Literature & Fiction >> Genre Fiction >> Political
Literature & Fiction >> Genre Fiction >> Historical
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense >> Authors, A-Z >> ( F ) >> Follett, Ken >> Paperback

TagsHistorical Fiction

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