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sunny_reader_girl 's review for:
Fall of Giants
by Ken Follett
Another epic Follett in the books. This was an interesting read, as I've been watching Downton Abbey while reading and I enjoyed the parallels between book and show. Besides that, I have to say this is not Follet's best work. The trouble is, it really could have been. Having read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End (which I believe are better), I thought I was prepared for another 800+ page epic. I found myself feeling disappointed in this book more often than the old thrill that Follett usually delivers.
I would divide the book into thirds. The middle third was classic Follett epic. I found myself reading during odd times, like waiting for the water to boil on the stove. It was exciting, moving, and I couldn't read quick enough. The first and last third are what knock this from 5 down to 4 and then to 3 stars. The first third is spent introducing the myriad of characters. As stated, I expected this from a Follett tome such as this. Unlike PoE and WWE, however, I didn't get the old feeling of knowing any of the characters. Those books focused on Tom the Builder and Follett built (no pun intended) the rest of the story's world (and millions of characters) around him. I think Follett attempted that with this book around characters such as Billy, Maud, Gus, Ethel, or Fitz, but I did not feel the same draw towards them as I did with Tom the Builder. No one stood out. Whatever the reason, the character development and subsequent attachment to them was missing in this book.
Then came the middle third, which got me hooked and feeling a bit different. World War I was in full swing, the Bolshevik Revolution was exciting...and then came the last third of the book. I feel this book could have been at *least* 200 pages shorter. That's a huge chunk, I know, but I was so deflated during this section of the book. I kept wanting it to end already! The story dragged...and dragged...and dragged. I understand most of it was essential to the *history* (no spoilers here, you all know WWI history: Russian civil war, failure of League of Nations, etc.). But I do not believe it was essential to this *story*. There were a few great pages and chilling moments of foreboding near the end about World War II that gave me goosebumps. I will give Follett props for writing a pretty good (overall) historical fiction book about WWI, when there aren't that many out there. That all being said, however, I will read Winter of the World and hope that the characters are a little better focused this time.
I would divide the book into thirds. The middle third was classic Follett epic. I found myself reading during odd times, like waiting for the water to boil on the stove. It was exciting, moving, and I couldn't read quick enough. The first and last third are what knock this from 5 down to 4 and then to 3 stars. The first third is spent introducing the myriad of characters. As stated, I expected this from a Follett tome such as this. Unlike PoE and WWE, however, I didn't get the old feeling of knowing any of the characters. Those books focused on Tom the Builder and Follett built (no pun intended) the rest of the story's world (and millions of characters) around him. I think Follett attempted that with this book around characters such as Billy, Maud, Gus, Ethel, or Fitz, but I did not feel the same draw towards them as I did with Tom the Builder. No one stood out. Whatever the reason, the character development and subsequent attachment to them was missing in this book.
Then came the middle third, which got me hooked and feeling a bit different. World War I was in full swing, the Bolshevik Revolution was exciting...and then came the last third of the book. I feel this book could have been at *least* 200 pages shorter. That's a huge chunk, I know, but I was so deflated during this section of the book. I kept wanting it to end already! The story dragged...and dragged...and dragged. I understand most of it was essential to the *history* (no spoilers here, you all know WWI history: Russian civil war, failure of League of Nations, etc.). But I do not believe it was essential to this *story*. There were a few great pages and chilling moments of foreboding near the end about World War II that gave me goosebumps. I will give Follett props for writing a pretty good (overall) historical fiction book about WWI, when there aren't that many out there. That all being said, however, I will read Winter of the World and hope that the characters are a little better focused this time.