Ken Follett's Novels

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I enjoy reading a good novel and when it involves historic significance I find it even more to my liking. IMO Ken Follett is just that type of author. How he can write such incredible novels that are based around fact never ceases to amaze me. I have read most of his works and many have even been made into wonderful movies.

Last year I read The Pillars Of The Earth which was probably one of the most difficult books I have ever read but once into it, the story takes on epic proportions. It is set in the 12th centuryand involves the construction of a church and all of the perils that go with it including war between King Stephen of England and the would be Queen, Maude. It becomes a book which is impossible to put down. Having finished it I discovered that Ken Kollett had just published his sequel to the book which he entitled World Without End which takes place 200 years later and involves descendants of the original characters. I read this book as well and it was the 2nd most difficult book I have ever read but the story is also mesmerizing.

Now here's the good news. If you get Starz network from your cable provider, The Pillars Of The Earth has been made ino an 8 hour miniseries which shows on Friday evenings with the first 4 installments having been aired but freely available on On Demand. Indeed the first four epsodes are very true to the book and worth watching. The cast of characters in it are well known to all including Donald Southerland who plays the Earle Of Shire who is beheaded in episode two for leading an uprising on behalf of Maude.

Two other novels by Ken Follett that I bet everyone has either read, or seen at the movies are On Wings Of Eagles and The Eye Of The Needle both of which were filled with intrigue

Happy reading
 

Randy Bessinger

New Member
Jun 29, 2010
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I really like this series. Have not read the books. Steve, why were the books difficult...was it the slow development or?
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
The book was lines of solid facts. It was developed historically so the plot is terrific and takes place over many years. Paragraphs could be a whole page and a sentence many lines. If you look at the book page by page it is solid text.

Having said that I can say that the book is a masterpiece. If you like the series you'll love the book. How Ken Follett can spin such a tale is mind boggling. It is extremely well researched historically. The sequel to this book World Without End takes place 200 years later with all of the offspring of the original characters.

Long and then short it was just a very long book to read. Once youre done you can say you read an epic.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Was it me Gavin or did you find it a long read

BTW Randy the story development is slow and methodical. This should not stop you from reading the book. It will bring back memories of your high school history.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Lee it is very abridged and for me that is what made the book so great. The development of the story in my mind for miniseries could have been done over an entire season if not more just as The Tudors lasted 4 years. I loved The Tudors BTW
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Jun 30, 2010
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Pillars of the Earth was great. Haven't read the sequel. Steve, if you like this kind of thing you should give The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Echo, a shot. Not an easy read, but worth the trouble.

P
 

RUR

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Pillars of the Earth was great. Haven't read the sequel. Steve, if you like this kind of thing you should give The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Echo, a shot. Not an easy read, but worth the trouble.

P
Absolutely a terrific novel. Also try The Killler Angels by Michael Shaara.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
So it has been a while. I'm interested in who saw the entire miniseries as well as having read the book and what your thoughts were.

IMO to do an 8 part miniseries although very good just didn't seem to do the book justice. That book could easily have run as a series over a whole TV season rather than 8 parts.

Overall if one hasn't read the book, the miniseries was most enjoyable with parts of the story being told in the blink of an eye and years passing quickly in every episode. Nonetheless my overall impression was favorable and would definitely recommend watching the mini series but reading the book first is the way to go
 

RBFC

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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www.fightingconcepts.com
Follett's new book Fall of Giants is being released on 9/28. My wife has pre-ordered it for her Kindle. Supposedly, it follows the descendents of the Pillars of the Earth saga about 200 years later.

Lee
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
From Ken Follet's web page


Fall of Giants ...
To be published on 28 September 2010
Fall of Giants, the first novel in my 'Century' trilogy, will be published in 14 countries simultaneously on September 28, 2010. In Fall of Giants, I follow the destinies of five interrelated families – one American, one Russian, one German, one English and one Welsh – through the earth-shaking events of the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

The second book in the 'Century' series, due to be published in 2012, will feature the children of the characters in Fall of Giants as they live through the Depression and the Second World War.*The third book, due out in 2014, will be about the next generation during the Cold War.

Fall of Giants will be published in hardcover on 28 September 2010 in:

The United States
The United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Spain and Latin America
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Brazil
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Poland
Hungary
Bulgaria
>> More information on Fall of Giants
 

Bill Hart

Well-Known Member
May 11, 2012
2,683
174
1,150
From Ken Follet's web page


Fall of Giants ...
To be published on 28 September 2010
Fall of Giants, the first novel in my 'Century' trilogy, will be published in 14 countries simultaneously on September 28, 2010. In Fall of Giants, I follow the destinies of five interrelated families – one American, one Russian, one German, one English and one Welsh – through the earth-shaking events of the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

The second book in the 'Century' series, due to be published in 2012, will feature the children of the characters in Fall of Giants as they live through the Depression and the Second World War.*The third book, due out in 2014, will be about the next generation during the Cold War.

Fall of Giants will be published in hardcover on 28 September 2010 in:

The United States
The United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Spain and Latin America
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Brazil
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Poland
Hungary
Bulgaria
>> More information on Fall of Giants
Just read both, they are great, sweeping novels that animate the world wars with characters from all ranks of societies and give a sense of how the wars and shifting political alliances affected them. Good, solid reading, sort of WWI and II 'lite' as far a military stuff goes, but enjoyable - the 'upper classes' in England, Germany and Russia come off as crass, self-interested, insular twits for the most part. And an easy read. Sort of winter beach material.
 

Bill Hart

Well-Known Member
May 11, 2012
2,683
174
1,150
I just noticed that the second one is out. Haven't read it yet. Part one was very good but far from how good Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were

I agree about Pillars, but I wasn't taken with the sequel to it. If you like those kinds of big sweeping historical novels, try Roma and Empire (two separate books) by Steven Saylor. About the history of Rome. He is probably most famous for his series of detective novels set in early Rome, but the two i mentioned are not part of that series and are quite enjoyable.
 

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