World Without End by Ken Follett (2007, Hardcover)

I loved the book in the same way I loved Pillars Of The Earth( Mr. Follett's novel touted by Oprah). The style is the same-- the setting is the same, albeit changed by the natural passage of time. The characters are new but just as strong and endearing as those in the first book. In fact there are descendants of the original characters. World Without End is a joy and a delight to read with all of the twists and turns, scandal and sex and machinations of the clergy and those who come in contact with them. It is political and visceral-- beautiful and shocking. I was sorry when it ended, just the way I was sorry when I finished with Pillars Of The Earth. I am proud to have these books-- I'll read them again in a couple of years so I can visit these people, places and circumstances again.

A wonderful sequel to Pillars of the Earth. Read. I waited for along time for this one to come out. Follett is a master storyteller. This hinges around the cathedreal that was built in Pillars of the Earth That's the positive. I rated this as Good rather than Excellent for two reasons. First, the story doesn't quite move as fast as it's predecessor. It's still a very good read, but it has a way to go to beat that one. Second, and sadly, Follett saw fit to include some very graphic sexual encounters, including homosexuality and lesbianism. While this may be only following the current trend...or rate of degeneracy, it took away from the whole as being a good, clean novel without such. No one needs the sordid details of such. It would have been far better served without them. For these reasons it only rated good in my book.

A sequel to "Pillars of the Earth" Wonderful, entertaining, and informative. It's also a history lesson in twelveth century England. You will fall in love, and hate with the characters. I never would have expected to be interested in a book written in this period of history. It has changed what I look for in reading material.

I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book, Pillars of Fire, so had to get this book. Although I have just read a few chapters, I am engrossed in it. It is as interesting and entertaining as the first book.

I had read Pillars of the Earth by Follett last year...When the sequel, World Without End came out I immediately got on the waiting list at the library...I finally got to check the book out...I only had it three weeks and wasn t able to read over 1000 pages in that short time and no renewal was allowed while a book in on the waiting list...So my recourse was to purchase it on Ebay...I LOVE this book and dont ever want it to end!!

I really liked the way the author followed up in this book by passing a few generations instead of picking up where the first book left off. Easy to read and a lot of fun!

Dear reader, do you want a "good read"? Ken Follett has repeated his incredible talent as an author in World Without End. From the first page, you feel yourself drawn into the lives of the main characters and the life in Kingsbridge. Whether you have read the previous book "Pillars of the Earth", this book will stand on its own. If you have read Follett's previous work, you will fall into this book with your whole being from the start. Reminders of the generations past are sprinkled here and there. The new characters, generations later, are people you love to love and people you love to hate! This on going epic story is phenomenal. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a wonderfully rich picture of the medieval times and fine delicate views of the little world of Kingsbridge through the characters eyes. You find yourself so drawn into the story that when something tragic occurs, it is as if you were a witness right there in that moment. When there is a joyous event, again, you are there as a witness in testimony to the lives and times of Kingsbridge. It will arouse your tender thoughts and your anger as well. I have read many, many books in my life and I have to rate this book, in its combined epic with Pillars of the Earth, as one of the best "reads" in my life. Follett is a magician with peoples simplicities and complexities. His gift as an author is a vehicle for the reader to transcend the time and place you are in and enter into the life of the Priory and the town of Kingsbridge. Don't pass this one up!!!

I bought this, because I heard that Ken Follett had written a follow-up to The Pillars of the Earth, an outstanding and spellbinding book. So I had to have it and since I know that you can get just about anything for less on eBay, I bought it here.
This book is just as good as the first non-thriller novel Ken Follett has written. In a way you could argue that this IS a thriller, just that it is set in medieval England. A must read!

Readers should be sure to first read Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth", I found this book to be a real page-turner, a facinating read. "World Without End" is the sequel and takes place in the same area in England and begins 200 years later and is filled with many references to characters and history of the "Pillars" era. The second book is a bit anticlimatic, not quite as satisfying as the first book.

After reading Pillars by Follett, I wanted to read his follow-up novel. In the same captivating style, the characters are interesting, action keeps my interest. For me, an interesting period of history and a painless way to read about it! I have only managed 200 pages, but know this book will be devoured in a week at the most!

Fantastic book! If you read Pillars of the Earth then you will love this as much or more. Pillars is not required to get into this story line but I'd recommend reading it too. These are two of the best books I've read and certainly Ken Follett's best. They are both good summer reads. Set in the Middle Ages of England they both cover what life was like in the lives of the peasants, the gentry, the Church, and nobility. The powerful and powerless are in a constant struggle. In World Without End, one of the key storylines is how devistating the black plague was. I recommend World and Pillars without question.

I rarely read Oprah books but this one was a real find. It is one of the best books I've ever read. It is not at all like Follett's other books. It is historical fiction and gives you a picture of the times of the 1100's. Don't let the size turn you off (over 900 pages) because every page is pure pleasure. It is a must read.

I read Pillars of the Earth a while back ago and fell in LOVE with the story and the characters. It was one of those books I wanted to carry everywhere with me and was sorry to see it end. With that said, I was skeptical that the second book could live up to my expectations. I wanted World Without End to be just as captivating. I wanted to lie awake at night and mull over what I had read that day and be excited to wake up and resume reading.

World Without End was a good book. It wasn't extraordinary though. In a lot of ways it followed a similar pattern as the first. I did like the fact that in this book Ken Follett doesn't go on and on with details of all the building that takes place. In his Pillars of the Earth I skipped entire passages that bored me with all it's details of building the cathedral. All in all, I enjoyed the book. It is still a great read.

World Without End is a must read for anyone who loved Pillars of the Earth! You can not put this book down....I read the 1014 page book in less than six days....would have read quicker, but I do have other things to do in my life!! The setting is in the 1300's.....which is about 200 years later in time than Pillars. It includes some of the descendents from Pillars also. Anyway, please do yourself a favor, and don't miss out on this fantastic book. My husband and I absolutely loved both of these books!

This is the follow-up of Pillars of the Earth, following the lives of the family of Tom the Builder - the mason, and the live of the his family and the gerations of his family that live around the priory. It becomes apparant that some people serve God and many people use God to find power and wield power.

I've read from other reviews that the historical content isn't accurate, but others say readers will learn a great deal of the Britain's history.

Both books are over 1000 pages long. Be prepared to get involved in the lives of these characters.

Wow, this was an awesome read!! It was just a good as the first part (Pillars of the Earth). It picks up about a hundred or so years after the Pillars left off, with decendants from the book. It is also centered on building and rebuilding structures. Again this book has mystery, secrets, love, romance, violence, and a happy ending. (:

This sequel to "Pillars of the Earth" is another page turner......You just can't put it down. This story takes you into 14th century England and the lives of four children who grow up with their ambition, love, greed and revenge. It is long at 1014 pages but it won't take you long to read. Enjoy !

I have to deduct one "star" from Ken Follett because of the sexual content in his book. He is a GREAT story teller and I love his historical fiction. (Pillars of the Earth was great too, except for the explicit sex and some foul language.)
Otherwise this book is well written especially for those who find history boring. This is a great way to make history come alive. He is quite accurrate with his historical facts of who held what office, what struggles went on between them, etc.
The story is vivid and brings to life what is was like to live in the middle ages. Fascinating.

Product was listed as "brand new," but it certainly wasn't in that condition. The dust cover was creased, the binding had a huge black smudge on it, and I even found a dead bug stuck between some of the pages. The worst thing about this transaction was that shipping took forever! The standard policy for half.com is to ship out the item within 48 hours of a sale... The package was post marked more than TEN DAYS after I made the purchase. I've never been so dissatisfied with a purchasing experience, but then I guess I've just been lucky.

The book weighs more than I do. If you loved Pillars of the Earth, you will enjoy this one too. Very time consuming reading.

I love this book; a great sequel to "The Pillars of the Earth." Ken Follett is a wonderful author. All his books are great reads!

Having read Follett's "Pillars of the Earth", I wanted to read his follow-up novel. As expected, it is fabulous!

If you enjoy stories set in Medieval England, this is the book for you. Follett brings his fictional characters to life in the context of real events -amplified for his purposes. The incredible struggles of everyday life are made real and immediate. The reader finds him/herself caring so much about what happens to the characters, that he/she does not want to put the book down. Even at the conclusion of what is a lengthy tale, the reader would like to have more.

like-interesting history bits, interesting characters, interesting story line; dislike-Too much sex; why I bought it-I read and loved "Pillars of the Earth".
Definitely worth the read, but I think that I liked Pillars better.