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1.9k reviews for:
La Caída de Los Gigantes (the Century 1) / Fall of Giants (the Century, Book 1)
Ken Follett
4.19 AVERAGE
1.9k reviews for:
La Caída de Los Gigantes (the Century 1) / Fall of Giants (the Century, Book 1)
Ken Follett
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellent must read
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wasn't sure I'd be able to get into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. As is always the case with Mr. Follett, the book is meticulously researched and has quite a bit of detail. I was less interested in the battle sequences and more interested in the interpersonal relationships, but on the whole I love how he created an international cast of characters whose lives continually intersected.
I found he went into too much detail about the war, I was more interested in the character development.
This was my first Ken Follatt book. I love historical fiction. The story was pretty good, I enjoyed the different view points from each front. A few unnecessary moments of sex (as in didn't fit in with the story line I thought)but nothing disturbing. Expect some language, in case that is the sort of thing that bothers you. Looking forward to the next installment.
Can ANYone write historical fiction like Ken Follett?!?!?!
I think not.
I learned more “modern” history reading this trilogy than I did in most of my schooling.
HIGHLY recommend ALL of Follett’s books {Pillars of the Earth is in my top 5 favorites of all time}, and this trilogy is no exception.
I think not.
I learned more “modern” history reading this trilogy than I did in most of my schooling.
HIGHLY recommend ALL of Follett’s books {Pillars of the Earth is in my top 5 favorites of all time}, and this trilogy is no exception.
Hmm so this one is kind of hard to review. I will start by saying this is my first Ken Follett book, and that I don't usually enjoy pure historical fiction, so take that as you will.
The writing itself was pretty good, and for the most part, I was motivated to keep reading, but it got suddenly really dry and boring around the 70 percent mark compared to the rest of the book. By 90 percent it was better again, but still.
If you are a history buff and already know everything about WWI, then this will bore you to no end, as it is primarily a play-by-play of WWI in Europe and the USA, with a few characters imagined to help tell the story. I think that was why I liked it a bit more than other historical fiction novels, because it often reads more like pure nonfiction. I don't think there was any special insight gained from his retelling, though- it was like listening to your super old uncle tell you all about how great "The West" is, while you listen and nod and roll your eyes because it's not even worth bringing up another viewpoint.
That being said, I did enjoy the multiple viewpoints of each chapter and the complex web of characters he created, across both sides of the conflict. It was interesting to think about the ties that bound everyone together and how the war complicated it all. Some characters were really horrible, like Earl Fitzherbert, and some were much more interesting, like Lady Maud. I wish there had been a bit more drama or plot twists or something, because you already know how the war will end so you kind of know what the characterts' story will turn out to be like.
Anyways, if you like basic (as in, nothing new) history and a huge web of characters then you would probably like this a lot. It had enough to keep me reading but I wouldn't read more of the series.
The writing itself was pretty good, and for the most part, I was motivated to keep reading, but it got suddenly really dry and boring around the 70 percent mark compared to the rest of the book. By 90 percent it was better again, but still.
If you are a history buff and already know everything about WWI, then this will bore you to no end, as it is primarily a play-by-play of WWI in Europe and the USA, with a few characters imagined to help tell the story. I think that was why I liked it a bit more than other historical fiction novels, because it often reads more like pure nonfiction. I don't think there was any special insight gained from his retelling, though- it was like listening to your super old uncle tell you all about how great "The West" is, while you listen and nod and roll your eyes because it's not even worth bringing up another viewpoint.
That being said, I did enjoy the multiple viewpoints of each chapter and the complex web of characters he created, across both sides of the conflict. It was interesting to think about the ties that bound everyone together and how the war complicated it all. Some characters were really horrible, like Earl Fitzherbert, and some were much more interesting, like Lady Maud. I wish there had been a bit more drama or plot twists or something, because you already know how the war will end so you kind of know what the characterts' story will turn out to be like.
Anyways, if you like basic (as in, nothing new) history and a huge web of characters then you would probably like this a lot. It had enough to keep me reading but I wouldn't read more of the series.
It took me a while to get into it, I'll be honest. I really enjoyed the lower-class plotlines more, but eventually the names of the aristocracy just sort of blended together and it took me a while to separate them in my mind. I often glazed over with the WW1 plotline, but Follett does a really nice job of interweaving the characters' storylines and making each character distinct. I'll give the sequel a try.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes