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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed this book, can't wait for the next one to come out!
This might be one of my favourite books. I've already been a fan of Ken Follet for many years. This book is brilliant, because Follet is brilliant.
I have always admired his capability to be an historian and a novelist at the same time. His books are always filled with detailed historical information combined with a rich fictional narrative. There are a million things to learn from his books, specially in the details, that demonstrate how meticulous Ken Follet is.
In The Fall of Giants, Follet gives and enphasis of the female characters. Maud and Ethel are brilliantly constructed and are now two of my favourite characters in modern literature. And I felt very sad for what happened to them. They are, alongside Grigori and Bill, the strongest characters in this book.
But, of course, The Fall of Giants isn't perfect. In my opinion there are a few moments that would need a few more pages and detail. For example, I felt that Grigori's political rise was a bit rushed.
There are a couple of characters I'm curious about. But it is already obvious that the youngest generation is going to have a major role in the second book.
I have always admired his capability to be an historian and a novelist at the same time. His books are always filled with detailed historical information combined with a rich fictional narrative. There are a million things to learn from his books, specially in the details, that demonstrate how meticulous Ken Follet is.
In The Fall of Giants, Follet gives and enphasis of the female characters. Maud and Ethel are brilliantly constructed and are now two of my favourite characters in modern literature. And I felt very sad for what happened to them. They are, alongside Grigori and Bill, the strongest characters in this book.
But, of course, The Fall of Giants isn't perfect. In my opinion there are a few moments that would need a few more pages and detail. For example, I felt that Grigori's political rise was a bit rushed.
There are a couple of characters I'm curious about. But it is already obvious that the youngest generation is going to have a major role in the second book.
Reasonably enjoyable schlock - and I learned some things about WWI and the Bolshevik Revolution that I didn't know before.
I think I learned more about history reading this book than through any class I have had. The author does a fantastic job of portraying the many sides and perspectives involved in World War I. Overall, the novel is a wee bit two-dimensional, as there is a long list of main characters, and thus they don't seem fully developed. However, I think this just goes along with the huge scope of this project. I believe I read somewhere in the Foreword, perhaps, that Follett was diligent about portraying historical events and persons accurately, not having someone appear somewhere they could not have, or either quoting historical figures directly, or trying to remain true to the spirit of their ideals, etc. I was truly impressed with how artfully he accomplished this. I do believe it is the most successful historical novel I have read, by way of marrying history with fiction and producing a work that is both didactic and entertaining. As I said, I think my favorite aspect about this book was getting a feel for the social issues and sentiments that helped define each country's role in this war.
As usual, an amazingly complex story of intertwined lives and stories. But so big it makes me want a kindle!
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
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wow, this is quite a hefty novel, even reading it took quite some time! The First World War and the events surrounding it can be confusing to break down and unpack – all of the alliances, behind the scenes conversations, and upheaval. In The Fall of Giants, Follet takes us back and forth across the globe and behind the front lines to the depth of the action. We go from inside the lives of the powerful to the virtual nobody. And somehow, it is easier to digest this way.
Throughout the novel, we follow the lives of interconnected families from a variety of backgrounds and belligerent nations. This gives a relatively well rounded world view of the events as they unfold. Sometimes we are privy to more information than others as we have some characters that are in political power positions and others who are just surviving the results of everyday life. Sometimes, I admit, it feels a little contrived that our characters happen to be in the same place to interact with one another, but I was able to put that aside as I dove into the sheer breadth of the novel.
I think the most interesting sections for me were those set in Russia especially during the revolution. This is a country that I have always said doesn’t get the treatment it deserves in historical fiction, but it gets ample time here. I felt that the events here were the most desperate and high-stakes, whereas all the other choices that characters had to make were about personal choices, not world changing decisions. Additionally, we are seeing the events from those who are right in the thick of leading the revolution, not from the perspective of the powerful as is typical. As a matter of fact, we don’t even see the Russian royal family once.
One part that did begin to feel a bit wearing was all the “baby-mama-drama” occurring across the globe! I get that the purpose of this was to set up characters to take over the storytelling reins in the next installment, Winter of the World, but it got a tad bit crazy at times. However, I will say that it did break up the political drama.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you have some reading time on your hands. You don’t have to be a war buff to enjoy it as there are so many different elements to this story.
Regarding the audio book: I have to say, John Lee knocked it out of the park here. Not only did he have A LOT to narrate (I can’t even begin to imagine how long it took to record all of this book) but he had a lot of different types of action and people to contend with. He admirably voiced the characters so that each was distinctive and you had a very clear idea of who was speaking lending even more to the development of characters. His reading pace was fantastic and allowed me to digest what I was reading. Even though it took me quite a while to complete this book that wasn’t due to not being interested in the story being told or the way it was told – I just get the opportunity to listen in small chunks and with a book this long that took a while.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
Throughout the novel, we follow the lives of interconnected families from a variety of backgrounds and belligerent nations. This gives a relatively well rounded world view of the events as they unfold. Sometimes we are privy to more information than others as we have some characters that are in political power positions and others who are just surviving the results of everyday life. Sometimes, I admit, it feels a little contrived that our characters happen to be in the same place to interact with one another, but I was able to put that aside as I dove into the sheer breadth of the novel.
I think the most interesting sections for me were those set in Russia especially during the revolution. This is a country that I have always said doesn’t get the treatment it deserves in historical fiction, but it gets ample time here. I felt that the events here were the most desperate and high-stakes, whereas all the other choices that characters had to make were about personal choices, not world changing decisions. Additionally, we are seeing the events from those who are right in the thick of leading the revolution, not from the perspective of the powerful as is typical. As a matter of fact, we don’t even see the Russian royal family once.
One part that did begin to feel a bit wearing was all the “baby-mama-drama” occurring across the globe! I get that the purpose of this was to set up characters to take over the storytelling reins in the next installment, Winter of the World, but it got a tad bit crazy at times. However, I will say that it did break up the political drama.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you have some reading time on your hands. You don’t have to be a war buff to enjoy it as there are so many different elements to this story.
Regarding the audio book: I have to say, John Lee knocked it out of the park here. Not only did he have A LOT to narrate (I can’t even begin to imagine how long it took to record all of this book) but he had a lot of different types of action and people to contend with. He admirably voiced the characters so that each was distinctive and you had a very clear idea of who was speaking lending even more to the development of characters. His reading pace was fantastic and allowed me to digest what I was reading. Even though it took me quite a while to complete this book that wasn’t due to not being interested in the story being told or the way it was told – I just get the opportunity to listen in small chunks and with a book this long that took a while.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
I've been reading this book for months. Because I read it in audio format, I could only read a few bits at a time (in my car, while folding the laundry, washing the dishes...). This book was perfect for this. The story is greatly interesting, the characters are so vivid in my mind that I could easily leave them and get back to them 3 days later (or 2 weeks later), and I loved John Lee's narrative, with all the different accents.