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amieg17's review against another edition
4.0
I finally finished up The Century Trilogy! I'm really glad I read this series as, not only are they enjoyable books to read with characters that you become invested in over the course of generations, but also because this book in particular taught me a lot about the Cold War. I never claimed to be knowledgable about history and politics but this book really hit home to me how I didn't know a lot about what is actually very recent history. That was a major highlight of this book for me. Follett had a lot to cover as the book spans from 1961 - 2008 so naturally some parts of history are missing. I am also well aware that this is told from Follett's perspective and therefore, his opinions on what was right and wrong do come through. A few reviewers have criticised this book for having a clear liberal agenda. It's definitely something to be aware of as you read it - you are getting just one man's view - but, I enjoyed how this span countries and decades and created a picture (albeit a biased one) of what is was like during the Cold War. Edge of Eternity was a conversation starter for me, away for the book itself. I became very much invested in most of the character within this story, specifically the Franck family as well as Dimka, George and Tania however, some of the other characters less so. There are lots of characters within this book and to make a reader be invested in them all would be very impressive work. A very solid four star read which almost became a five.
singhrat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
grecia_r's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely well-written as always. Although I found it irresistible not to be drawn back in time by the writing style, this book just didn't draw me in like the other two. For expert writing and placement of his characters, amazing as always.
linnsku's review against another edition
4.5
Tän kirjasarjan paras kirja! Tässä tykkäsin hahmoista kaikista eniten. Taitavaa syvän tarinan rakentamista jälleen.
sonja29's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
wademitchell's review against another edition
3.0
4 stars for the history, 2 stars for the fiction. It was like reading the stories of a bunch of NPCs wandering around.
queeneallie's review against another edition
2.0
SPOILER ALERT At over one thousand pages long, this book is too long. Yes, Follett covers fifteen years. But he spends chapters on a week's time...and then towards the end he completely skips over seven years. Why did George marry Verena out of nowhere? Especially when the wedding scene follows almost on the heels of George finally sleeping with Maria? That was a bracing edit.
Also, Follett described Maria and JFK's first encounter as little better than a rape. I was disgusted by that scene.
There's almost nothing about England. ETH Leckwith makes a great intro speech about how she'll fight for homosexual rights....then we only have one other scene with her. And...no Margaret Thatcher???
Apparently the Iran Contra affair wasn't interesting, so Follett left it out. I guess he was too busy writing extra marital affairs for ALL of his characters. No one is faithful. I'm not trying to be moral, but it got boring after a while to read about infidelity so often.
Overall a bad ending to an otherwise good trilogy. I wish he had tightened up this book. It dragged on, while still glossing over huge parts of history.
Also, Follett described Maria and JFK's first encounter as little better than a rape. I was disgusted by that scene.
There's almost nothing about England. ETH Leckwith makes a great intro speech about how she'll fight for homosexual rights....then we only have one other scene with her. And...no Margaret Thatcher???
Apparently the Iran Contra affair wasn't interesting, so Follett left it out. I guess he was too busy writing extra marital affairs for ALL of his characters. No one is faithful. I'm not trying to be moral, but it got boring after a while to read about infidelity so often.
Overall a bad ending to an otherwise good trilogy. I wish he had tightened up this book. It dragged on, while still glossing over huge parts of history.
bethannie18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
ritaralha's review against another edition
3.0
3 livros, 3 guerras, 3 estrelas.
A história de alguns dos grandes eventos do século XX.
56/198 – País de Gales
A história de alguns dos grandes eventos do século XX.
56/198 – País de Gales
domicspinnwand's review against another edition
5.0
Hat mir sehr gefallen! Wieder als Hörbuch, denn hey - 42 Stunden Buch für 9,95 Euro im Audibleabo? EBEN! Auch den zweiten Teil der Trilogie hatte ich ja schon als Hörbuch gehört, aber dieser gefällt mir besser, fast so gut wie der erste Teil. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass ich mich zumindest an die Ereignisse ab den 80ger Jahren erinnern kann- das Kriegsrecht in Polen hat mich z.B. als 9jähriges Mädchen sehr erschreckt, ich dachte, das wäre "das Recht, Krieg zu führen" und jeden Augenblick würden in Ostwestfalen die Bomben fallen... Aber auch die Rassendiskreminierung und Civil Rights-Bewegung in USA in den 60gern fand ich spannend - zu der Zeit spielt ja auch die Bienenhüterin. Vielleicht sollte ich doch bald mal "Wer die Nachtigall stört" lesen...