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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read Pillars of the Earth a couple of years ago and it has been on my list of favourites ever since. I have been meaning to continue the series but they feel like the kind of books that can only be read once in a while.
There is nothing that interests me more than learning about an average person’s life in the past. It is unusual that you get to see this but I find these books to be hugely captivating ‘slice of life’ stories. I can never get over the differences in lifestyle between now and then, and this highlighted the differences even further. I also loved how the time felt so different to Pillars of the Earth. I picked it up thinking it was about Vikings but it wasn’t. They just made for a traumatic beginning and left the characters to deal with the aftermath.
These books take the reader on such a journey and although they are extremely slow paced, they give you the time to really get to know the characters and feel sorry for them when they are having a hard time, as they are at all times.
It’s slightly embarrassing how long it took me to realise that the bridge being built was Kingsbridge, but when Edgar said it, I could’ve had a little cry. It really made me think about the work that goes into creating these structures that we all take for granted in our modern world.
Ken Follett has cemented himself as one of my favourite authors and I’m sure I’ll be reading the next book in this series much sooner than this one. Although this was the prequel, you could pick this one up first if it interests you.
There is nothing that interests me more than learning about an average person’s life in the past. It is unusual that you get to see this but I find these books to be hugely captivating ‘slice of life’ stories. I can never get over the differences in lifestyle between now and then, and this highlighted the differences even further. I also loved how the time felt so different to Pillars of the Earth. I picked it up thinking it was about Vikings but it wasn’t. They just made for a traumatic beginning and left the characters to deal with the aftermath.
These books take the reader on such a journey and although they are extremely slow paced, they give you the time to really get to know the characters and feel sorry for them when they are having a hard time, as they are at all times.
It’s slightly embarrassing how long it took me to realise that the bridge being built was Kingsbridge, but when Edgar said it, I could’ve had a little cry. It really made me think about the work that goes into creating these structures that we all take for granted in our modern world.
Ken Follett has cemented himself as one of my favourite authors and I’m sure I’ll be reading the next book in this series much sooner than this one. Although this was the prequel, you could pick this one up first if it interests you.
This was great! It took me right back to the pillars by of the earth - excellent story and characters that you really grew to love and despise!
A bit of an enjoyable weird one. Weird because, compared to other authors I recently read, Follett is a bit pedestrian as a writer. Ok it is years since I read his other stuff but I remembered him better. The characters are very black or white, the dialog capable but not memorable, however, he does move the narrative arc along, and for a thriller writer turned to Historical novelist, you have to give him credit that he chooses to have a loose plot rather than some strong theme that drives the beginning middle and end. I trust that it was well researched and it does seem a labour of love and the Pre-Norman period of Britain is an interesting one (I now know what a Hue & Cry is...) I will line up his more famous sequal to my TBR list
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated