Reviews - Val der titanen | The StoryGraph

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My in-car listening choices are pretty randon - I take whatever's available at the library (within limits).
I hadn't read any Follett in years and didn't really know what to expect.

The story was too contrived too many "conincendental" meetings of the characters -

The storyline around the Lev character was the most contrived of all, I thought.

Nevertheless I enjoyed the historical aspect but the Soviet and League of Nations bits were tiresome.

Overall it was ok, the kkind of book to read on the plane or at the beach.

lorinlee's review against another edition

4.0

The first volume in Follett’s Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants spans roughly 1911 into the twenties. Four families—English, American, German and Russian—experience coal strikes in Wales, entry into World War I, and the Russian Revolution. It’s a complex story and Follett weaves together a saga worthy of reading. He’s crammed the story with historical detail, developed believable characters and set a fascinating pace. Once into the tale, it’s hard to stop.The war emerges as a turning point, undermining Czar Nicholas's hold in Russia, eroding the British class system and setting the stage for Hitler's rise in it's aftermath. Prohibition in the US unleases crime, and provides the basis for one Russian immigrants rise to riches.

ruby_11's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

lorie_schaefer's review against another edition

4.0

Whew. Finished this giant of a book this morning on the elliptical. It’s the first in the Century Trilogy, by Ken Follett. It does an excellent job of tracing the roots of present day issues to what was going on one hundred years ago, before during and just after WWI. The lives of members of several families are tangled and woven throughout the book and across the world.
There are coal mines, manor houses, spies, battlefields, the highest tiers of government, the poorest neighborhoods and yes, romance.
Follet also describes the roots of feminism and the labor movement in Great Britain. During the war, women took over men’s jobs but were paid less for the same work. When the vote was finally granted to women, it was only to women over thirty who were householders, the most conservative women.

amylin's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative slow-paced

Very well written. Different families and their story through the revolution and First World War.

cdhamilto's review against another edition

3.0

I read "Pillars of the Earth" and really enjoyed it. I was hoping to like this one as much but didn't. At times the book seemed to read to much like a history lesson and less like a novel. That made it hard to become engrossed on the story.