Stack of Spines

Go figure.  Just as soon as I go and question a sequel, I find one that blows me away.

I usually have the most difficult time reviewing books I loved.  Those are the books you stay up late reading, characters that are on your mind long after you mark your page, and books that transform your idea of what a novel really is meant to be.

Pillars of the Earth was one of my absolute favorites from the last year, and World Without End did not disappoint either.  These two Follett’s masterpieces are epic in proportion, and there’s really no other way to describe them.  Majestic.  Fascinating.  Historical fiction that teaches you something and helps you appreciate how the world got to be how it is today.

I had heard that World Without End takes place in the 14th Century, two hundred years after the close of Pillars of the Earth, and at the time, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.  How can you possibly have a sequel without any of the same characters? But, they are there in spirit, and their legend remains, but also important to remember is that Kingsbridge Priory is a central character in itself, which has remained relatively unchanged.

It took me a bit longer to get into World Without End, mostly because all the new personalities were a bit harder to keep straight.  Just as in Pillars, there is a deceptive villain, a shrewd female leader, power hungry and dangerous clergy, a genius builder, a forbidden love affair, and peasants struggling to find their way amongst it all.  But the story, plot, struggles — nothing is the same — not even close.  And dare I say it, I liked the content (perhaps as a product of the time period) a bit better?  Battle axes and gruesome hand to hand combat skeeve me out, but the plague?  Oh, I can handle the plague.

This time the events surround four children who witness a murder at a critical point in their adolescence, and the events of that day affect them and ensuretheir lives intertwine.  I actually preferred that the book only spanned 40 or so years, rather than the 80? (I’d have to look it up) with Pillars of the Earth.  Here, the plot is more centralized and the main characters to not switch or fade into the background depending on where you are in the storyline.

Really though (see, I’m having trouble articulating my thoughts), World Without End is a great following to Pillars of the Earth.  It can stand alone, is still as gripping, and makes you want to cry, scream, and as soon as you finish the 1000+ pages, turn it over and start again.   I don’t re-read books often, but both are on my list, and if you like Pillars, make time for World Without End.