World Without End by Ken Follett

World Without End
2007, Dutton Adult, Publisher

I was anxious to devour this 1,000 pages-plus book after thoroughly enjoying Pillars of the Earth. “World” is touted to be the sequel to “Pillars” Only be the loosest of definitions. “World” takes place in Kingsbridge as did “Pillars” and some minor references to the characters 200 years earlier. The relationships of the new characters to the old seemed diluted, I panicked. Is this all? I really wanted more of the same people from Pillars. This new cast was so different. I was feeling a bit disappointed, I wanted more of a tie in to Pillars. It was not long before the new day, the new Kingsbridge —200 years later—came to life for me and just like antecessors gone 200 years so were my thoughts of the people from Pillars.

Impact of Ken Follett’s writing is powerful. Some of the passages in World can be traumatic. When you come to the storyline of the Parish being robbed, I would recommend skipping skip the rest of that chapter. I had a suspicion I should do that very thing, but was worried I would miss some valuable bit of information. Let me save you from this. The parish robber is flayed alive. You can read about it in graphic detail if you wish but if you are even a tiny bit squeamish do not read it. I am about average when it comes to my sensitivity to horrific details. This made me physically sick. I had trouble falling asleep for two nights as the scene keep playing in my mind—seriously, you do not need to read about the flaying of the parish robber.

This book is a stand alone from Pillars. Either can be read first, both should be read if you enjoy good writing. Not to take anything away from Pillars but I enjoyed World even more the Pillars.

Was this book really over 1,000 pages long? It is. Yet not long enough and over too soon. Ken Follett is smart leaving us wanting more. Is he going write books to fill in the 200 year gap between Pillars and World? I hope so.