3 Review(s)

World Without End is the sequel to Ken Follett’s highly acclaimed novel, The Pillars of The Earth. In World Without End, Ken Follett takes his readers back to the town of Kingsbridge, the setting of the previous novel. The Cathedral, the building that was made popular through The Pillars Of The Earth, still stands, and the church dominates the town in this story too. Some of the main characters are direct descendants of characters in the earlier book. The story starts with four children witnessing a murder, though the act is committed in self-defense. The four children swear never to reveal what they have seen. These children are Merthin, his conniving younger brother Ralph, the intelligent Caris, and Gwenda. Merthin, the eldest son of a knight, wants to be an architect. He wants to rebuild the bridge in his town - one that collapsed, killing many people. He also wants to build a spire to the town’s church. His younger brother, Ralph, is cunning, ruthless, and will do anything to reclaim his family’s lost fortune and to further his own prospects. Caris is an ambitious young woman who dreams of becoming a doctor, which she knows is impossible because back then, only men could be doctors. Gwenda’s life is a tale of misfortune - she is sold for a cow by her father and when she tries to settle down to lead a peaceful married life, Ralph intervenes. Caris and Merthin love each other, but they are torn apart by unfavorable circumstances. The novel also incorporates some major events in the history of Europe in the middle ages - the Hundred Years War and The Black Death. It traces the lives of the main characters through a period of thirty years. Ken Follett is a Welsh writer whose novels cover many genres like war stories (Second World War), spy thrillers, and period epics like The Pillars of the Earth. He has worked as a journalist and in the publishing industry. He began writing novels later. His first major bestseller was Eye of The Needle, which was published in 1978. He is married to Barbara Follett, former Labour Party MP. Other notable novels by Ken Follett include The Key To Rebbecca, On Wings of Eagles, The Man From St. Petersburg, and A Place Called Freedom.