I am an avid reader, and while I do read from just about every genre, there are but two that are close to my heart- medieval historical fiction, and fantasy. This book falls within the former category, I should say, it dominates it. There are any number of books out there that are purported to be historically accurate, or historical fiction or just plain fiction set in the timeframe between the Crusades and the Renaissance era, but few, I have found, can capture the essence of the setting, environment, chronology, locale, etc as completely and fantastically as Ken Follett. A writer known primarily for his novels in the thriller genre, of which he is quite capable, this and its prequel, the Pillars of the Earth mark a decided departure from the thriller genre and made an indelible impact on the historical fiction side of things. From the engaging and interesting cast of characters, to the timeframe of the Hundred Years' War during the reign of Edward III, to the dismal yet beautiful countryside that is England (and other locales within medieval Europe)- his most excellent grasp of the English language and its usage will paint a picture that you can't help but see and in some cases, cringe, due to the brutality of a given act or set of occurrences. You'll weep in shared empathy when one of the main lead characters must go through a long and arduous journey to win the heart of his childhood love; cry with frustration when that same childhood love is put through an ordeal that one should never have to face in order to survive in this world; your heart will race as you hide with the others from the constable who is coming to lay claim to their eldest son for defending himself from an official who sought to do him harm for moving to another town- the list goes on and you'll feel for each and every sympathetic as well as antipathetic character. I love a book that answers the question of why do characters do what they do, what is the cause, the inspiration or driving force behind their actions? Mr. Follett weaves a magnificent tale of love and betrayal, triumph, tragedy and the beauty and fortitude of the human spirit. In this book you'll experience life as seen through the eyes of commoners in 14th Century England- all of what they experience over a 4 decade sprawl that is this book- in such a way as to smell the rank odor of the newly deceased, the crush of unwashed bodies of the people sleeping on the stone floor of the church, to feel the abject misery of being sold into slavery for a few coins, the loss of loved ones- every instance painful and poignant and yet- this book is a serious page turner, most difficult to put down. I guess it goes without saying that I truly enjoyed this book- so much so that upon finishing it, I immediately started re-reading it...not only because it was that good, but because I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed a thing, I want it all in memory. There are few books with which I've pursued reading with such zeal...this is one of those books.Read full review
I have to start by saying that reading is one of my favorite things to do. And since my interests are broad, I read a little bit about everything under the sun. I had heard about Ken Follett's books from a few different people, and since they dealt with topics that interested me, I thought I'd give them a try. SIGH! Mr Follett, it turns out, does create interesting worlds to write about, but he populates his novels with characters so one dimensional, that I'd swear I've met gingerbread men with more depth. Those cookies were more interesting, too. It's hard to muster much interest for a book this flat no matter how fascinating the topic. For all the laurels Mr. Follett's received, I think most people would find more deeply and clearly developed characters in say, a Danielle Steele novel (who, by the way, is another author that bores me beyond tears). The man doesn't bother with any form of intrinsic prose or description, either. Just 900+ pages of neatly clipped sentences mixing blandly and pathetically around undercooked, cookie-cut people. Prepare to be bored. You know, unless you consider Mary Higgins Clark to be High Literature.Read full review
Hard to put down. Well-developed characters. Insight to how Romans took control of Europe thru its Catholic Church. Understand better why everyone wanted to leave Britain. Clever handling of politics and challenging lifestyle. Great story.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Well written..but not recommended for preteen readers because some abuse and violence gets a bit detailed.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Got this for my mom. Yes, there's lots of people that still read actual books. This arrived fast & you can't even tell it's not new.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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