World Without End: A Novel
Oct 2007 · Kingsbridge Book 2 · Penguin
4.7star
252 reviewsreport
Ebook
1056
Pages
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About this ebook
#1 New York Times Bestseller
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.
World Without End is its equally irresistible sequel—set two hundred years after The Pillars of the Earth and three hundred years after the Kingsbridge prequel, The Evening and the Morning.
World Without End takes place in the same 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 crossroads 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 is a "well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages" (The Washington Post) that once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
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.
World Without End is its equally irresistible sequel—set two hundred years after The Pillars of the Earth and three hundred years after the Kingsbridge prequel, The Evening and the Morning.
World Without End takes place in the same 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 crossroads 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 is a "well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages" (The Washington Post) that once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
252 reviews
Paul Beirne
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April 6, 2024
excellent story, wonderful writing, colorful characters. historically accurate. Follette does it again ! it's long, so it took me several days to complete, but, I looked forward every day to getting back to it. I have been following the author for many years. all the way back to Eye of the needle. bad news is the fact that next book in series is $13.00. That is too much for an ebook.
Joey Fiscolare
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February 9, 2025
I read the first book of the 5-book Kingsbridge Series, The Pillars Of The Earth, last year, and it was the best book I've ever read. Just finished the 1,016 page epic 2nd book of the series, World Without End and I think I may've liked it even better! Great book! 5 stars!
A Google user
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February 17, 2012
I read Pillars of the Earth a few years ago, and, when I spotted this book in a book store, I grabbed it!
I love the first book, and, though this one was slow in the beginning, the more often I picked it up to read it, the more involved I became with the characters, the plot, and the underlying theme. I'm still reading it, and I'm thoroughly engrossed. I can't put it down!
I think part of the allure is that it takes places during medieval Europe. I loved studying that part of history. However, the author does a magic act through a combination of his thorough research, with romance, intrigue, and the perpetual battle between good and evil, and he has produced another epic novel.
I'm sure it is a monumental effort for the author to write a book this size, but I hope he's working on another story about the the people in and around the town of Kingsbridge, England, durith the 13th, 14th, or 15th century!
About the author
Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. Follett’s first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War.
In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published, and has since become the author’s most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick.
Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold 38 million copies worldwide.
Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.
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