Dana Ilie's Reviews > World Without End
World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)
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Dana Ilie's review
bookshelves: historical-fiction
Jul 20, 2014
bookshelves: historical-fiction
Read 2 times. Last read July 13, 2018 to July 24, 2018.
World Without End is written in the third person but isn't choppy like some third person books are. I loved that we get to see the characters grow up and mature. They all encounter hardships (war, death, disappointed hopes and dreams, the black plague) but never stop fighting and never give up hope.
I really enjoyed reading about the advances in medicine and what people believed to be cures (bloodletting, poultices made with dung, balancing the "humours" of the body). Physicians believed that diseases could be transmitted by looking at a sick person because the eyes have "feelers" that touch things in order to see them. Isn't that wild? When the black plague befalls the country, one of the nuns wants to wear a mask over her nose and mouth to prevent transmission of the disease and this is treated like heresy!
I also enjoyed reading about the politics of the church. There was definitely more corruption in World Without End than there was in The Pillars of the Earth. Of course, the fact that The Pillars of the Earth's main character was a humble and worthy prior may have something to do with that.
I am in awe of Follett's plot. He weaves the stories together in a way that they all make sense and seem cohesive.
The last thing I enjoyed reading about was the architecture. Now, the descriptions were hard to read, which they were but they were also really informative and practical to the story. I'm not a fan of architecture, but reading about how they had to build things back then was pretty fascinating to me.
When I finished the book, I was left with a feeling of hope. I think the ending is totally appropriate. It's not so perfect that it's unrealistic. I think that's the special thing about Follett's writing---he makes you feel what his characters are feeling.
I really enjoyed reading about the advances in medicine and what people believed to be cures (bloodletting, poultices made with dung, balancing the "humours" of the body). Physicians believed that diseases could be transmitted by looking at a sick person because the eyes have "feelers" that touch things in order to see them. Isn't that wild? When the black plague befalls the country, one of the nuns wants to wear a mask over her nose and mouth to prevent transmission of the disease and this is treated like heresy!
I also enjoyed reading about the politics of the church. There was definitely more corruption in World Without End than there was in The Pillars of the Earth. Of course, the fact that The Pillars of the Earth's main character was a humble and worthy prior may have something to do with that.
I am in awe of Follett's plot. He weaves the stories together in a way that they all make sense and seem cohesive.
The last thing I enjoyed reading about was the architecture. Now, the descriptions were hard to read, which they were but they were also really informative and practical to the story. I'm not a fan of architecture, but reading about how they had to build things back then was pretty fascinating to me.
When I finished the book, I was left with a feeling of hope. I think the ending is totally appropriate. It's not so perfect that it's unrealistic. I think that's the special thing about Follett's writing---he makes you feel what his characters are feeling.
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Reading Progress
July 20, 2014
–
Started Reading
July 20, 2014
– Shelved
February 6, 2015
–
Finished Reading
July 13, 2018
–
Started Reading
July 14, 2018
–
45.0%
July 16, 2018
–
72.0%
July 24, 2018
–
Finished Reading
October 11, 2018
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction
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Irene
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Mar 21, 2018 03:09AM
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![Dana Ilie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1584606424p1/21690081.jpg)
Hi Irene,
My review does't do it justice.... I can only tell you that you do not know when you get to page 1000.
I read the book in 2014 but I update in 2015. Don't believe the Reading Progress from above.
![Irene](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1565617599p1/31914348.jpg)
![Dana Ilie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1584606424p1/21690081.jpg)
The TV series is far from the books, so you will have some surprises....
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![Dana Ilie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1584606424p1/21690081.jpg)
Hey Campbell B,
There are many scenes of sex, rape and love, there are not long scenes, just enough for the reader to understands the attitude of the people at hand, the risks to which women were exposed, injustice, fear, etc.
There are many such scenes than in The Pillars of the Earth, but they are not put there to give a touch erotic or sexually book..
I don't know your age, but if is a big deal for you, don't read the book.
After I read Column of Fire, I'll start The Century Trilogy, and I will tell you if is ok to read that