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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
FULL REVIEW ON MY BLOG
It's been a long time since I read the Knightsbridge Series, and The Pillars of the Earth is one of my all-time favourite books ever. I love Follets style and storytelling. I know these books are fiction, but when reading them it just all seems real to me. I think that's what makes his books so good.
The Evening and the Morning is, just like the rest of the books in this series, marvelous. But yes, I must say, it's not as good as The Pillars of the Earth. I loved every page, but I somehow just felt it missed something.
I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, and to anyone who's read the other books in the series.
These books are always propulsive and sweeping but very formulaic and I continue to be a sucker for that formula.
I can't argue with another Kingsbridge installment! Follett played with his familiar tropes of good vs. bad and a story of figuring out how to get two characters together that are clearly meant for one another, but I felt like his hand was a tad more subtle in this book, which I liked. It was fun learning the origin of the place that he has come to imagine so clearly along with the families that come to inhabit it.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A very average Ken Follett book. Good, with some tense bits, and some loathe-worthy characters and heros to root for. The writing is quite formulaic if you read more than one book from Follett in a row, so I would advise waiting a few months between books. I enjoyed the 10th century setting, it's not often that fiction goes back that far.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, War
Retains much of what I loved about the first two books, but weaker in several respects: none of the characters are as rich and interesting as the best characters of the first two, the motivations for some character choices seem under-developed, some parts of the narrative are rushed, etc. My sense is that Column of Fire and Armor of Light are weaker still, so I may not read them anytime soon, especially since each book in this series is effectively a standalone.
this one was a bit weird to read. it wasn't like his other historical fictions, but then it was? it just felt like he wasn't really into writing this. it felt...like the story was skeletal. he was merely going scene by scene and there wasn't really anything of substance between that. no meat, i guess. it all felt bland and just a bullet point list of events. like there was this one part that was written so awkwardly where they see off this couple and without even giving a sense of time ever passing since they said their goodbyes, they were back with no clothes and bloodied. like??? hello??? idk it felt lazy. this whole story could have been good if there was...interest from the author in it lol i didn't really feel concerned for any of the characters because no one stood out. they were all the same???
the only thing that made me give it two stars instead of one, was because i appreciate his realism in his stories. he's one of my favorite historical fiction writers just for that alone, where nothing is solved with just one thing being done. there's causes, effects, etc. etc. i like it. it's nice. i mean it wasn't a bad read, it was just...odd. it felt like something was off. it definitely was not like his other books, that's for sure.
the only thing that made me give it two stars instead of one, was because i appreciate his realism in his stories. he's one of my favorite historical fiction writers just for that alone, where nothing is solved with just one thing being done. there's causes, effects, etc. etc. i like it. it's nice. i mean it wasn't a bad read, it was just...odd. it felt like something was off. it definitely was not like his other books, that's for sure.