World without End

When I heard that Ken Follett had written a sort of sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, I was thrilled.

"Pillars" ranks as one of the best books I have ever read, full of danger, intrigue, suspense and fascinating details of life in the 1100s. An unscrupulous bishop unites with a vicious lord to tangle with a prior and his master builders in the fictional English town of Kingsbridge. The book held me enthralled from first page to last and still does after repeated readings.

If I had not already read "Pillars", World Without End would certainly have been more satisfying.

"World without End" is set two centuries after "Pillars of the Earth". "World" references the original book's characters, but stands alone. Just as its predecessor, "World" opens with a mystery. But unlike "Pillars", the mystery is not central to the plot.

The characters in the second book seem to be copied from Follett's first visit to Kingsbridge. The builder Merthin Bridger is a copy of the original cathedral's builder Jack Jackson. Merthin's lifelong love Caris Wooler is a copy of Jack's lifelong love Lady Aliena. The twists and turns of Merthin and Caris' love affair somewhat parallel those of Jack and Aliena's. Ralph Wigleigh, Jack and Aliena's descendant, is a copy of the villian William Hamleigh.

"Pillars" was set against the background of Stephen and Maud's battle for kingship and the lawlessness and disasters it spawned. The barons were lawless in Edward II and III's time as well, plus the Black Death slaughtered much of the population.

Still, even though I didn't like "World without End" nearly as well as I loved "Pillars of the Earth", I still recommend it.