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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
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A decent read - I admire how Ken Follett is able to weave the intricacies of history with the culture and times. He adds interesting, well-developed characters that all signify different aspects of the countries and societies that were involved. I regretfully admit I didn't know much about World War I before reading this book, and now feel I have a good grasp of the events, battles, and its political nuances, and especially how the results of this war were crucial to the development of events leading up to World War II.
However with this said, I didn't feel it was as good as his previous books, especially "The Pillars of the Earth", and felt it was a bit bogged down with war details for about a quarter of the book. When a book is nearly 1,000 pages, that can be a bit difficult to get through. I felt especially that he spent too much time on the Bolshevik revolution, and conversely, not enough on why the different countries ended up punishing Germany so severely at the end of the war.
In all, I would recommend this book. It is easy to read, full of inspirational characters, as well as teaching history without feeling like you are sitting in a classroom. But, if you haven't ever read Ken Follett before, start with "Pillars of the Earth" first.
However with this said, I didn't feel it was as good as his previous books, especially "The Pillars of the Earth", and felt it was a bit bogged down with war details for about a quarter of the book. When a book is nearly 1,000 pages, that can be a bit difficult to get through. I felt especially that he spent too much time on the Bolshevik revolution, and conversely, not enough on why the different countries ended up punishing Germany so severely at the end of the war.
In all, I would recommend this book. It is easy to read, full of inspirational characters, as well as teaching history without feeling like you are sitting in a classroom. But, if you haven't ever read Ken Follett before, start with "Pillars of the Earth" first.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was long (which I like) and very action packed.
I read his pillars of the earth trilogy and was just in love with the characters and his writing.
This trilogy is no different. I love home incorporates real history in this fiction story.
On to the next one
I read his pillars of the earth trilogy and was just in love with the characters and his writing.
This trilogy is no different. I love home incorporates real history in this fiction story.
On to the next one
In 1911 verandert de wereld voorgoed. Arbeiders laten zich niet langer onderdrukken, vrouwen eisen hun rechten op, de rijke aristocratie kan haar macht niet langer handhaven. En overal fluisteren diplomaten elkaar woorden in die het lot van miljoenen mensen over de hele wereld zullen veranderen.
Aan de vooravond van de Eerste Wereldoorlog proberen acht mensen hun weg in deze roerige wereld te vinden: Gus Dewar, rechterhand van de Amerikaanse president; Lev en Grigori Pesjkov, twee arme Russische broers op zoek naar een beter leven; mijnwerker Billy Williams en zijn ambitieuze zus Ethel, huishoudster van de vermogende graaf Fitzherbert; de vrijzinnige lady Maud en haar geliefde, de Duitse diplomaat Walter von Ulrich.
Terwijl hun levens elkaar kruisen, dragen deze mensen ieder op hun eigen manier bij aan een titanenstrijd die zijn weerga niet kent… Met Val der titanen, het eerste deel in de Century-trilogie, staat Ken Follett garant voor levensechte personages, een feilloos historisch decor en een onvergetelijke leeservaring.
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Deze omvangrijke roman is het eerste deel van de ‘Century-trilogie’*. De trilogie beschrijft de historische ontwikkeling van de afgelopen honderd jaar. Deze roman speelt van 1911 tot 1924. Aan de hand van vier families vertelt de schrijver over de onderdrukking van arbeiders en de opstand van arbeiders tegen de heersende klasse, sociale verhoudingen die onder druk komen te staan, de Eerste Wereldoorlog en vooral wat die betekende voor de gewone soldaten, en ten slotte het vrouwenkiesrecht. Het verhaal speelt afwisselend in Engeland, Duitsland, Rusland en Amerika. Onderling hebben de families op verschillende manieren met elkaar te maken, door arbeidsverhoudingen, familiebanden of huwelijken. De Britse schrijver (1949) is erin geslaagd een bijzonder boeiend verhaal te maken met oog voor details, zoals het werk in de mijnen in Wales en het harde leven van boeren voor en tijdens de Russische revolutie. Voorin is een lijst personages per land opgenomen. Een geweldige leeservaring!
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Aan de vooravond van de Eerste Wereldoorlog proberen acht mensen hun weg in deze roerige wereld te vinden: Gus Dewar, rechterhand van de Amerikaanse president; Lev en Grigori Pesjkov, twee arme Russische broers op zoek naar een beter leven; mijnwerker Billy Williams en zijn ambitieuze zus Ethel, huishoudster van de vermogende graaf Fitzherbert; de vrijzinnige lady Maud en haar geliefde, de Duitse diplomaat Walter von Ulrich.
Terwijl hun levens elkaar kruisen, dragen deze mensen ieder op hun eigen manier bij aan een titanenstrijd die zijn weerga niet kent… Met Val der titanen, het eerste deel in de Century-trilogie, staat Ken Follett garant voor levensechte personages, een feilloos historisch decor en een onvergetelijke leeservaring.
------------
Deze omvangrijke roman is het eerste deel van de ‘Century-trilogie’*. De trilogie beschrijft de historische ontwikkeling van de afgelopen honderd jaar. Deze roman speelt van 1911 tot 1924. Aan de hand van vier families vertelt de schrijver over de onderdrukking van arbeiders en de opstand van arbeiders tegen de heersende klasse, sociale verhoudingen die onder druk komen te staan, de Eerste Wereldoorlog en vooral wat die betekende voor de gewone soldaten, en ten slotte het vrouwenkiesrecht. Het verhaal speelt afwisselend in Engeland, Duitsland, Rusland en Amerika. Onderling hebben de families op verschillende manieren met elkaar te maken, door arbeidsverhoudingen, familiebanden of huwelijken. De Britse schrijver (1949) is erin geslaagd een bijzonder boeiend verhaal te maken met oog voor details, zoals het werk in de mijnen in Wales en het harde leven van boeren voor en tijdens de Russische revolutie. Voorin is een lijst personages per land opgenomen. Een geweldige leeservaring!
---------
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, how does one best describe the century trilogy?
It's like Game Of Thrones without the magic, set in the early 1900's. The first installment follow a vast array of charachters: A welsh earl, a welsh maid, and a miner's son. Two russian brothers and the Tsar's daughter. German diplomats, american businessmen, and sufferagettes. All in it for their own intentions. There are bastards and fallen women, heroic soldiers and sleezy generals - And this one guy, Lenin. He wants to return from exile in Germany.
So yeah, GOT without dragons. It's marvellously written, and listening to the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens was great. He really did a great job with all the different accents. So if you're looking for something to boost your page number (Or a fun way to rehearse for that history test) I would definetly recommend this book.
It's like Game Of Thrones without the magic, set in the early 1900's. The first installment follow a vast array of charachters: A welsh earl, a welsh maid, and a miner's son. Two russian brothers and the Tsar's daughter. German diplomats, american businessmen, and sufferagettes. All in it for their own intentions. There are bastards and fallen women, heroic soldiers and sleezy generals - And this one guy, Lenin. He wants to return from exile in Germany.
So yeah, GOT without dragons. It's marvellously written, and listening to the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens was great. He really did a great job with all the different accents. So if you're looking for something to boost your page number (Or a fun way to rehearse for that history test) I would definetly recommend this book.
I know, based on experience as a reader these past three years, that whatever I say about Fall Of Giants will not result in an insightful review. I don't have the reading history to back up my claims and my inclinations. I just think that what comes to mind with this book is that there's nothing new under the sun, especially Fall Of Giants.
I have read very few writers of historical fiction. Not only that, but FoG is the only Ken Follett book I've read. I can only compare him to Jeffrey Archer. In my mind, Archer is head and shoulders above Follett. Follett's shallow interpretation of his characters means that when it comes to milking drama for the pay dirt of the reader's (THIS reader's) emotions, his attempts ring hollow.
There are sparsely dotted examples of poignant thoughts by the characters. The author didn't give the required pathos to his cast. These people comprise of fictional and real people. Both sets are dead. The book ends in 1923. That's a year before my late grandfather was born. So we're viewing another generation from a different world. The author didn't capitalize on all the possibilities. Did the author trust his audience to go along his one dimensional creation? His experience, in terms of accolade and success for FoG, has been validated. Quite a pity. FoG is just a boring book that will sooner or later go out of print. Maybe future readers will be spared the possibility of reading it. One can only hope.
I have read very few writers of historical fiction. Not only that, but FoG is the only Ken Follett book I've read. I can only compare him to Jeffrey Archer. In my mind, Archer is head and shoulders above Follett. Follett's shallow interpretation of his characters means that when it comes to milking drama for the pay dirt of the reader's (THIS reader's) emotions, his attempts ring hollow.
There are sparsely dotted examples of poignant thoughts by the characters. The author didn't give the required pathos to his cast. These people comprise of fictional and real people. Both sets are dead. The book ends in 1923. That's a year before my late grandfather was born. So we're viewing another generation from a different world. The author didn't capitalize on all the possibilities. Did the author trust his audience to go along his one dimensional creation? His experience, in terms of accolade and success for FoG, has been validated. Quite a pity. FoG is just a boring book that will sooner or later go out of print. Maybe future readers will be spared the possibility of reading it. One can only hope.
Loved it. I have to wait to read the second in the series otherwise I'll fail my classes this semester.
Solid 4.5 stars. This book was like a buffet with all of the delicious food you could want to eat; there is something here for everyone: politics, action, family dynamics, romance, history. With so many characters and story lines this book could have been a disaster of confusion but Follett has created an epic on a grand scale, masterfully tied together. No effort was needed to care about these characters- I was drawn into each and every story immediately. Compulsively readable and utterly engrossing- I did not want it to end and cannot wait to read the next in the series.