What do you think?
Rate this book
Kingsbridge #3
毓賲賵丿 賳丕乇
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2017)兀毓丿賲賳丕賴 兀賲丕賲 賰丕鬲丿乇丕卅賷丞 賰賷賳睾夭亘乇賷丿噩 丨賷孬 鬲購賳賮匕 丕賱廿毓丿丕賲丕鬲 毓丕丿丞賸貨 賮廿賳 賱賲 鬲賰賳 賯丕丿乇丕賸 毓賱賶 賯鬲賱 乇噩賱賺 兀賲丕賲 丕賱乇賾亘賾 賱賳 鬲賳噩丨 賮賷 賯鬲賱賴 兀亘丿丕賸. 兀丨囟乇賴 丕賱卮乇賷賮 賲賳 丕賱夭賳夭丕賳丞 兀爻賮賱 賲亘賳賶 睾賷賱丿 賴賷賱 賵賷丿丕賴 賲購賯賷賾丿鬲丕賳 禺賱賮 馗賴乇賴. 賲卮賶 亘丕賳鬲氐丕亘賺 賵亘賵噩賴賺 卮丕丨亘賺 賷賮賵乇 亘丕賱鬲丨丿賷 賵丕賱卮噩丕毓丞. 爻禺乇 賲賳賴 丕賱丨卮丿 賵卮鬲賲賴貙 賵賱賰賳賴 亘丿丕 賵賰兀賳賾賴 賱丕 賷乇賶 兀丨丿丕賸 爻賵丕賷. 鬲賱丕賯鬲 毓賷賵賳賳丕貙 賵賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱鬲亘丕丿賱 丕賱賱丨馗賷 賱賱賳馗乇丕鬲 賲乇賾 毓賲乇賹 亘兀賰賲賱賴. 賰賳鬲購 丕賱賲爻丐賵賱 毓賳 廿毓丿丕賲賴 賵賴賵 賷毓賱賲購 亘賴匕丕. 胤丕乇丿鬲賴 賱毓賯賵丿賺 賲賳 丕賱夭賲賳貙 賮賯丿 賰丕賳 賲賻賳 夭乇毓 丕賱賲鬲賮噩乇丕鬲貙 賵賱賵 賱賲 兀賵賯賮賴 賱賰丕賳 賯鬲賱 賳氐賮 丨購賰賾丕賲 亘賱丿賷 鈥� 亘賲賳 賮賷賴賲 丕賱毓丕卅賱丞 丕賱賲賻賱賰賷賾丞 鈥� 亘賰賱 賵丨卮賷丞 賵鬲毓胤卮賺 賱賱丿賲丕亍. 賯囟賷鬲 丨賷丕鬲賷 賮賷 鬲賯賮賷 兀孬乇 丕賱賲噩乇賲賷賳 兀賲孬丕賱賴貙 賵賯丿 兀賵氐賱鬲 丕賱賰孬賷乇賷賳 廿賱賶 丕賱賲賯氐賱丞. 賱賲 賷購毓丿賲賵丕 賮丨爻亘 亘賱 兀購睾乇賯賵丕 賵賯購胤賾毓賵丕貙 兀賲賾丕 兀丨賰丕賲 丕賱賲賵鬲 丕賱兀賰孬乇 鬲乇賵賷毓丕賸 賮賯丿 賰丕賳鬲 賲賳 賳氐賷亘 兀爻賵兀 丕賱賲噩乇賲賷賳. 賯賲鬲購 亘賴匕丕 賲乇丕鬲賺 毓丿賷丿丞貙 賵乇丕賯亘鬲購 賰賱 乇噩賱賺 賷賲賵鬲 賵兀賳丕 毓賱賶 毓賱賲賺 鬲丕賲 兀賳賾賷 鈥� 賵兀賰孬乇 賲賳 兀賷賾 兀丨丿賺 丌禺乇 鈥� 賲賻賳 兀賵氐賱賴 廿賱賶 賴賳丕 賱賷賳丕賱 毓賯丕亘丕賸 乇賴賷亘丕賸 賵毓丕丿賱丕賸 賮賷 丌賳賺 賲毓丕賸. 賯賲鬲購 亘賴匕丕 禺丿賲丞賸 賱亘賱丿賷 丕賱睾丕賱賷貙 賵賲賳 兀噩賱 丕賱賲賻賱賰賷賾丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀毓賲賱 賱賲氐賱丨鬲賴丕貙 賵賲賳 兀噩賱 賲亘丿兀 丌禺乇 賵賴賵 丕賱廿賷賲丕賳 亘兀賳賾 兀賷賾 卮禺氐 賷賲賱賰 丨賯 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 胤乇賷賯賴 廿賱賶 丕賱乇賾亘賾. 賰丕賳 丌禺乇 丕賱乇噩丕賱 丕賱賰購孬乇 丕賱匕賷賳 兀乇爻賱鬲賴賲 廿賱賶 丕賱噩丨賷賲貙 賵賱賰賳賴 噩毓賱賳賷 兀毓鬲賯丿 兀賳賴 兀賵賾賱賴賲..
992 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2017
18.7k people are currently reading
93.5k people want to read
About the author
Ken Follett
534听books57.1k听followersKen Follett is one of the world鈥檚 most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy 鈥� later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken鈥檚 first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken鈥檚 most popular books.
In 1989, Ken鈥檚 epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken鈥檚 new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy 鈥� later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken鈥檚 first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken鈥檚 most popular books.
In 1989, Ken鈥檚 epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken鈥檚 new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,819 reviews
October 11, 2017
I've had a whole month and 900+ pages to think about it-- and I just didn't enjoy as much as and .
I think I know why, and I'll get to that in a second, but I'd first like to say that this isn't a bad book. I happily read right through to the end without feeling like it was a chore to finish. Some of Follett's tried and tested formula is present here - namely, a central starcrossed romance and despicable villains - which keeps the pages turning, but I think this book overall is a move away from a style I really enjoyed in the previous books.
This book didn't focus in-depth on the lives of the Kingsbridge citizens. Instead, I felt like it was hardly about Kingsbridge at all, but rather about the entire world at this time, and the wider struggles between Catholics and Protestants. Perhaps it is because, by this time, sea travel and exploration was much more common, but the effect was that I cared less about the individual characters; I felt less pulled into the nitty gritty of their everyday lives.
operates on a bigger scale and with a wider scope than its predecessors. Larger political and religious battles dominate the narrative at the expense of characterisation. More scope, less depth.
At times, it felt almost like an overview of history at this point and it's a history lesson that every British schoolchild learns early. Where and focused on chapters of the Middle Ages that were foreign to me, I can quickly name every single Tudor monarch, every wife of Henry VIII, and tell you about the religious struggles, even details such as what happened to Margaret Clitherow. And the gunpowder plot? We still light bonfires and fireworks and eat toffee apples every fifth of November in remembrance.
In order for this book to work better on such an oft-explored area of history, it needed to go deeper into Kingsbridge and the characters' lives. The romance needed to be more exciting, more tragic, more like that of Aliena and Jack or Caris and Merthin. Ned and Margery lacked passion. I didn't get a sense that they were fighting to be together, or that they were particularly disheartened when circumstances tore them apart.
This series has always seemed, to me, to be first and foremost about the characters. Their, lives, loves, tragedies and heartbreak. The politics happening in the background offered the stage on which the character drama played out, but it was not what the books were about. Here, it was. And I simply didn't love/hate the characters I was supposed to love/hate as much as I was supposed to love/hate them.
Oh, and for some reason, there was also a strange use of modern terminology in this book that I never noticed in and . I read them both fairly recently so I don't think I'm just forgetting. Things like the use of "creepy" (I checked and this is used roughly 200 years too soon) and Ned uses the very modern phrase "hell yes". There were other examples I didn't note down. Perhaps this book just needed a few more rounds of editing.
| | | |
I think I know why, and I'll get to that in a second, but I'd first like to say that this isn't a bad book. I happily read right through to the end without feeling like it was a chore to finish. Some of Follett's tried and tested formula is present here - namely, a central starcrossed romance and despicable villains - which keeps the pages turning, but I think this book overall is a move away from a style I really enjoyed in the previous books.
This book didn't focus in-depth on the lives of the Kingsbridge citizens. Instead, I felt like it was hardly about Kingsbridge at all, but rather about the entire world at this time, and the wider struggles between Catholics and Protestants. Perhaps it is because, by this time, sea travel and exploration was much more common, but the effect was that I cared less about the individual characters; I felt less pulled into the nitty gritty of their everyday lives.
operates on a bigger scale and with a wider scope than its predecessors. Larger political and religious battles dominate the narrative at the expense of characterisation. More scope, less depth.
At times, it felt almost like an overview of history at this point and it's a history lesson that every British schoolchild learns early. Where and focused on chapters of the Middle Ages that were foreign to me, I can quickly name every single Tudor monarch, every wife of Henry VIII, and tell you about the religious struggles, even details such as what happened to Margaret Clitherow. And the gunpowder plot? We still light bonfires and fireworks and eat toffee apples every fifth of November in remembrance.
In order for this book to work better on such an oft-explored area of history, it needed to go deeper into Kingsbridge and the characters' lives. The romance needed to be more exciting, more tragic, more like that of Aliena and Jack or Caris and Merthin. Ned and Margery lacked passion. I didn't get a sense that they were fighting to be together, or that they were particularly disheartened when circumstances tore them apart.
This series has always seemed, to me, to be first and foremost about the characters. Their, lives, loves, tragedies and heartbreak. The politics happening in the background offered the stage on which the character drama played out, but it was not what the books were about. Here, it was. And I simply didn't love/hate the characters I was supposed to love/hate as much as I was supposed to love/hate them.
Oh, and for some reason, there was also a strange use of modern terminology in this book that I never noticed in and . I read them both fairly recently so I don't think I'm just forgetting. Things like the use of "creepy" (I checked and this is used roughly 200 years too soon) and Ned uses the very modern phrase "hell yes". There were other examples I didn't note down. Perhaps this book just needed a few more rounds of editing.
| | | |
April 11, 2020
I didn鈥檛 want to write this review, I鈥檝e been weighing it up for a few days, but this book is so far removed from the previous two books that a negative review is unavoidable. A Column of Fire is way too short and way too predictable, which is a sort of odd comment to make about a book over 750 pages long with a huge cast of characters. But let me explain.
Ken Follet is at his best when he writes massive historical yarns. He mixes the political and social issues of the age with the lives of some very real people, people who could have existed within the eras in which he writes. And he did that here, at least, in part. The Willards and The Fitzgeralds fortunes rose and fell with the Catholic and Protestant rivalry, which came to a climax when Elizabeth I took England鈥檚 throne. Though I think this book鈥檚 greatest downfall is its sheer lack of depth and sense of crisis throughout.
I just didn鈥檛 care about the citizens of Kingsbridge this time round.
Let鈥檚 rewind and compare it to The Pillars of the Earth. After every major section of the novel, something big happened. The Kingsbridge market was attacked by William Hamleigh (twice) the church roof collapsed, Tom Builder had to abandon his child and Prior Phillip found himself at the King鈥檚 mercy in France. The same sense of crisis was also apparent in The World Without End. With this book there was no real sense of danger for anyone (that I was made to feel for.) So it lacked the drama that made the previous two instalments so damn exciting.
I found myself not caring at all about most of these characters or their lives for that matter. I didn鈥檛 know enough about them and when the story started moving they were never really built upon. Rollo Fitzgerald was awkwardly absent for large parts of the novel after initially being set up as a very important character. There were large transition periods between the characters鈥� lives that we seemed to miss and the story never fully came together as it needed to. Moreover, and most significantly, there was no sense of Kingsbridge community spirit. So that meant when danger did hit Kingsbridge, I yawned.
The romance was weak
Follet鈥檚 books are always driven by romance, and this one was no different. But, again, this was a let-down. In this case the initial few chapters on it were perfectly fine; it was set-up as you鈥檇 expect it to be. However, the aftermath was somewhat tepid. Where was the longing? Where was the heart wrenching emptiness when the lovers were separated? Sure, it was touched upon; though I think much more was needed to cement the mutual feelings. If this was Jack and Aliana or Merthin and Carris, then all parties concerned would have been beside themselves in agony. Ned and Margery seemed to suck it up and get on with their lives all too easily. And their ending was far too predictable at this stage. I needed so much more for this to work.
Do I think A Column of Fire could have been a good novel? Most certainly. It needed more editing. It needed to be padded out and certain sections expanded upon and revised. All in all, what I think A Column of Fire needed most of all was time, time to grow and become the story it ought to have been. I feel like I鈥檝e just read an early draft of a potentially great novel, most dissapointing indeed.
| | |
Ken Follet is at his best when he writes massive historical yarns. He mixes the political and social issues of the age with the lives of some very real people, people who could have existed within the eras in which he writes. And he did that here, at least, in part. The Willards and The Fitzgeralds fortunes rose and fell with the Catholic and Protestant rivalry, which came to a climax when Elizabeth I took England鈥檚 throne. Though I think this book鈥檚 greatest downfall is its sheer lack of depth and sense of crisis throughout.
I just didn鈥檛 care about the citizens of Kingsbridge this time round.
Let鈥檚 rewind and compare it to The Pillars of the Earth. After every major section of the novel, something big happened. The Kingsbridge market was attacked by William Hamleigh (twice) the church roof collapsed, Tom Builder had to abandon his child and Prior Phillip found himself at the King鈥檚 mercy in France. The same sense of crisis was also apparent in The World Without End. With this book there was no real sense of danger for anyone (that I was made to feel for.) So it lacked the drama that made the previous two instalments so damn exciting.
I found myself not caring at all about most of these characters or their lives for that matter. I didn鈥檛 know enough about them and when the story started moving they were never really built upon. Rollo Fitzgerald was awkwardly absent for large parts of the novel after initially being set up as a very important character. There were large transition periods between the characters鈥� lives that we seemed to miss and the story never fully came together as it needed to. Moreover, and most significantly, there was no sense of Kingsbridge community spirit. So that meant when danger did hit Kingsbridge, I yawned.
The romance was weak
Follet鈥檚 books are always driven by romance, and this one was no different. But, again, this was a let-down. In this case the initial few chapters on it were perfectly fine; it was set-up as you鈥檇 expect it to be. However, the aftermath was somewhat tepid. Where was the longing? Where was the heart wrenching emptiness when the lovers were separated? Sure, it was touched upon; though I think much more was needed to cement the mutual feelings. If this was Jack and Aliana or Merthin and Carris, then all parties concerned would have been beside themselves in agony. Ned and Margery seemed to suck it up and get on with their lives all too easily. And their ending was far too predictable at this stage. I needed so much more for this to work.
Do I think A Column of Fire could have been a good novel? Most certainly. It needed more editing. It needed to be padded out and certain sections expanded upon and revised. All in all, what I think A Column of Fire needed most of all was time, time to grow and become the story it ought to have been. I feel like I鈥檝e just read an early draft of a potentially great novel, most dissapointing indeed.
| | |
October 25, 2017
My love affair with Follett goes as far back as 13 years, when I was first enraptured by .
Since then, you've tucked me into bed several nights with your fabulous stories of espionage, romance, historical fiction, and oh so much more.
This series makes me sigh as It wraps around me much like a caterpillar In a cocoon. It is fabulously rich in character and plot development and leaves me longing for the next big book you write -especially during the 16th century.
I loved and . This one is just as magical.
I won't say much about the storyline - just know If you want to be hypnotized and mesmerized by some wicked historical fiction, Follett is the Man. He is a master at crafting a story with all of its elements of characters, love, relationships, politics, religion/heretics and packaging it up in an epic sized story that will light you up like a .
And so my love affair continues as I wipe off my drool from having just kissed this book with a whole lot Of 鉂わ笍
Since then, you've tucked me into bed several nights with your fabulous stories of espionage, romance, historical fiction, and oh so much more.
This series makes me sigh as It wraps around me much like a caterpillar In a cocoon. It is fabulously rich in character and plot development and leaves me longing for the next big book you write -especially during the 16th century.
I loved and . This one is just as magical.
I won't say much about the storyline - just know If you want to be hypnotized and mesmerized by some wicked historical fiction, Follett is the Man. He is a master at crafting a story with all of its elements of characters, love, relationships, politics, religion/heretics and packaging it up in an epic sized story that will light you up like a .
And so my love affair continues as I wipe off my drool from having just kissed this book with a whole lot Of 鉂わ笍
May 1, 2022
A Column of Fire (Kingsbridge #3), Ken Follett
Beginning in 1558, and continuing through 1605, the story chronicles the romance between Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald, as well as the political intrigue of the royal courts of England, France, and Scotland, and the oft-times violent conflict between supporters of the Catholic Church and the rising Protestant movement in the late 16th century.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱2019賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 爻鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 丌鬲卮 (爻鬲賵賳 丌鬲卮)貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 讴賳 賮丕賱鬲貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴21賲
賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 芦讴賳 賮丕賱鬲禄貙 亘丕夭 賴賲 鬲丕乇蹖禺 卮賴乇 芦讴蹖賳诏夭亘乇蹖噩禄 乇丕 倬蹖 賲蹖诏蹖乇賳丿貨 讴鬲丕亘 芦爻鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 丌鬲卮禄 乇賲丕賳蹖 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘賴 賴夭丕乇 氐賮丨賴貙 賵 丿賳亘丕賱賴 丕蹖 亘乇 乇賲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 芦爻鬲賵賳鈥屬囏й� 夭賲蹖賳禄貙 賵 芦噩賴丕賳 亘蹖鈥屬矩й屫з喡� 丕蹖卮丕賳 丕爻鬲貨 爻賵賲蹖賳 丕孬乇 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻賴鈥� 诏丕賳賴 蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 讴賴 亘賴 爻丕賱1558賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 亘丕夭 賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 芦丕賱蹖夭丕亘鬲 鬲賵丿賵乇禄貙 丿乇 诏蹖乇賵丿丕乇 倬卮賲 賵 賴賲趩卮賲蹖 亘蹖賳 倬乇賵鬲爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏ж� 賵 讴丕鬲賵賱蹖讴鈥屬囏ж� 丿乇 芦丕賳诏賱爻鬲丕賳禄 鬲丕噩鈥屭柏ж臂� 讴乇丿賳丿貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 丿乇 賳蹖賲賴 丿賵賲 爻丿賴 蹖 卮丕賳夭丿賴賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 乇禺 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 夭賲丕賳蹖讴賴 芦丕賱蹖夭丕亘鬲禄 鬲丕噩 賵 鬲禺鬲 乇丕 亘賴 丿爻鬲 丌賵乇丿賳丿貨 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲卮賳诏蹖 亘乇丕蹖 乇爻蹖丿賳 亘賴 賯丿乇鬲貙 丿丕賲鈥屬囏� 賵 賮乇蹖亘鈥屬囏ж� 倬蹖賲丕賳 賵 乇丕亘胤賴 賵 鬲賵胤卅賴鈥� 趩蹖賳蹖鈥屬囏й� 亘蹖鈥屫促呚ж� 乇丕貙 丿乇 亘爻鬲乇 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 亘丕夭诏賵 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 芦賮丕賱鬲禄 亘乇丕蹖 賳诏丕乇卮 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇貙 丕夭 趩賳丿蹖賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺鈥屫з嗀� 賵 賲爻鬲賳丿鈥屫池ж藏� 蹖丕乇蹖 诏乇賮鬲賴 丕賳丿貙 賵 禺賵丿 賳蹖夭貙 丕夭 趩賳丿蹖賳 賲讴丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 倬蹖卮 丕夭 賳诏丕乇卮 丕孬乇 禺賵蹖卮貙 亘丕夭丿蹖丿 讴乇丿賴 丕賳丿貨 芦爻鬲賵賳鈥屬囏й� 丌鬲卮禄 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 趩賴丕乇氐丿 爻丕賱 倬蹖卮 丕夭 丕賲乇賵夭 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屭簇й屫� 丕賲丕 賲賵囟賵毓 丌賳貙 賵丕亘爻鬲賴 亘賴 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖 丕賲乇賵夭蹖賳 賳蹖夭 賴爻鬲貨 賲匕賴亘貙 賵 鬲爻丕賲丨 丿乇 亘乇丕亘乇 丕丿蹖丕賳貙 丿賵 趩乇禺賴 蹖 亘賳蹖丕丿蹖賳 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 06/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 10/02/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Beginning in 1558, and continuing through 1605, the story chronicles the romance between Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald, as well as the political intrigue of the royal courts of England, France, and Scotland, and the oft-times violent conflict between supporters of the Catholic Church and the rising Protestant movement in the late 16th century.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 丕讴鬲亘乇 爻丕賱2019賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 爻鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 丌鬲卮 (爻鬲賵賳 丌鬲卮)貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 讴賳 賮丕賱鬲貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴21賲
賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 芦讴賳 賮丕賱鬲禄貙 亘丕夭 賴賲 鬲丕乇蹖禺 卮賴乇 芦讴蹖賳诏夭亘乇蹖噩禄 乇丕 倬蹖 賲蹖诏蹖乇賳丿貨 讴鬲丕亘 芦爻鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 丌鬲卮禄 乇賲丕賳蹖 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘賴 賴夭丕乇 氐賮丨賴貙 賵 丿賳亘丕賱賴 丕蹖 亘乇 乇賲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 芦爻鬲賵賳鈥屬囏й� 夭賲蹖賳禄貙 賵 芦噩賴丕賳 亘蹖鈥屬矩й屫з喡� 丕蹖卮丕賳 丕爻鬲貨 爻賵賲蹖賳 丕孬乇 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻賴鈥� 诏丕賳賴 蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 讴賴 亘賴 爻丕賱1558賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 亘丕夭 賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 芦丕賱蹖夭丕亘鬲 鬲賵丿賵乇禄貙 丿乇 诏蹖乇賵丿丕乇 倬卮賲 賵 賴賲趩卮賲蹖 亘蹖賳 倬乇賵鬲爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏ж� 賵 讴丕鬲賵賱蹖讴鈥屬囏ж� 丿乇 芦丕賳诏賱爻鬲丕賳禄 鬲丕噩鈥屭柏ж臂� 讴乇丿賳丿貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 丿乇 賳蹖賲賴 丿賵賲 爻丿賴 蹖 卮丕賳夭丿賴賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 乇禺 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 夭賲丕賳蹖讴賴 芦丕賱蹖夭丕亘鬲禄 鬲丕噩 賵 鬲禺鬲 乇丕 亘賴 丿爻鬲 丌賵乇丿賳丿貨 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲卮賳诏蹖 亘乇丕蹖 乇爻蹖丿賳 亘賴 賯丿乇鬲貙 丿丕賲鈥屬囏� 賵 賮乇蹖亘鈥屬囏ж� 倬蹖賲丕賳 賵 乇丕亘胤賴 賵 鬲賵胤卅賴鈥� 趩蹖賳蹖鈥屬囏й� 亘蹖鈥屫促呚ж� 乇丕貙 丿乇 亘爻鬲乇 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 亘丕夭诏賵 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 芦賮丕賱鬲禄 亘乇丕蹖 賳诏丕乇卮 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇貙 丕夭 趩賳丿蹖賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺鈥屫з嗀� 賵 賲爻鬲賳丿鈥屫池ж藏� 蹖丕乇蹖 诏乇賮鬲賴 丕賳丿貙 賵 禺賵丿 賳蹖夭貙 丕夭 趩賳丿蹖賳 賲讴丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖貙 倬蹖卮 丕夭 賳诏丕乇卮 丕孬乇 禺賵蹖卮貙 亘丕夭丿蹖丿 讴乇丿賴 丕賳丿貨 芦爻鬲賵賳鈥屬囏й� 丌鬲卮禄 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕蹖 趩賴丕乇氐丿 爻丕賱 倬蹖卮 丕夭 丕賲乇賵夭 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屭簇й屫� 丕賲丕 賲賵囟賵毓 丌賳貙 賵丕亘爻鬲賴 亘賴 乇賵蹖丿丕丿賴丕蹖 丕賲乇賵夭蹖賳 賳蹖夭 賴爻鬲貨 賲匕賴亘貙 賵 鬲爻丕賲丨 丿乇 亘乇丕亘乇 丕丿蹖丕賳貙 丿賵 趩乇禺賴 蹖 亘賳蹖丕丿蹖賳 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 06/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 10/02/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
May 7, 2018
I've reviewed ~575 books in the last few years and don't often give out 5 stars. I can be a bit stingy as I want the book to just completely knock me over. is one of few authors who consistently impress, excite, and satisfy this thirst. came very close. hit the mark and is one of my top 5 all-time favorite books. In the third book in the Kingsbridge series, , I am again thoroughly exhilarated and awarding 5 stars. I do think World Without End is slightly better, but this was superb on so many levels. I'm doubly blessed as I won this book through a 欧宝娱乐 Giveaway and my blog followers selected it as my April 2018 Book Bucket List read. It was also a buddy read with a wonderful friend.
At the outset, this is a book covering the impact on several families and towns throughout Europe during the religious wars in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. From Spain to Europe, Scotland to England, and even parts of Africa and the Caribbean, this book tracks the various changing of the guard under Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, as well as other claimants to the throne, Mary of Scots and James I. Some are Catholic. Some are Protestant. Who will win? History knows, and many readers familiar with these facts know. But it doesn't spoil the beauty of this absolutely stunning series of novels by Follett. He's crafted an amazing set of towns, families, bonds and rivalries over a period of 60 years in this particular third novel where the tides turn every 5 to 10 years, or every 100 to 200 pages (yes, it's nearly 1000 pages long). Your heart breaks. Your eyes bulge. People could be horrible. They could be kind. Persecution in the name of religion truly happened, and while some find this book taking advantage of history to present drama... my response is basically -- Umm... yeah, it's historical fiction and that's the point. If you want a 100% accurate book, go read a non-fiction account.
With a tome of this length, my review could go on forever. I plan to keep it shorter than that. Ned Willard is the protagonist, and the novel follows his life from a teenager to a 70-year-old man through which time he has many lovers, wives, friends, and family. He is one of the most respectable characters I've ever met in a book, and while he certainly does a few things that I'd consider wrong by today's standards, he was a visionary nearly 500 years ago. His treatment of others despite their beliefs, gender, race, or status were fantastic. He acted the act when he needed to but always to achieve a goal to ultimately help people. And he suffered... more than any man should.
If you've never read Follett before, you are truly missing out. If you've not read this 3-book series, you are missing out. It's nearly 3,000 pages in total, but you don't have to read all 3. You can choose just one and read them out of order. They're set about 100 years apart, so you may miss a few details and connections, but nothing to throw you off. I'm going to be in a book daze for weeks. And maybe years since I don't expect him to write another one in the series, but if he does, it will be at least 5 years based on the last few. This makes me sad. But I can always re-read them. And I will. They are that good. Seriously... who chooses to re-read 3000 pages again?
Huge amounts of plot and drama. Sometimes you'll think "that's just too much" but truly.... much of this ACTUALLY happened. It may have been different characters or a slightly different order. But people were cruel back then. They killed for no reason. Religion was a mega prompt for doing bad things. (Hey, wait, that happens today, too...). So in theory, this is such a statement about people and life and the lessons we fail to learn century after century. But for the most part, I look at this as a way to step into a different world, one that fascinates me. I forget any true facts I know about the life of these monarchs and pretend it's all new to me. It makes me smile. I rush to the book each night to devour more pages. And I gush... because this was a buddy read with my friend Noriko in Japan. I can't wait to catch up with her about this again!
I'll end here not because I am out of things to say, but because I have so many more books to read. And I'd rather chat about it than extend my review. So if you've read it, message me. Would love to discuss Follett with ya!
At the outset, this is a book covering the impact on several families and towns throughout Europe during the religious wars in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. From Spain to Europe, Scotland to England, and even parts of Africa and the Caribbean, this book tracks the various changing of the guard under Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, as well as other claimants to the throne, Mary of Scots and James I. Some are Catholic. Some are Protestant. Who will win? History knows, and many readers familiar with these facts know. But it doesn't spoil the beauty of this absolutely stunning series of novels by Follett. He's crafted an amazing set of towns, families, bonds and rivalries over a period of 60 years in this particular third novel where the tides turn every 5 to 10 years, or every 100 to 200 pages (yes, it's nearly 1000 pages long). Your heart breaks. Your eyes bulge. People could be horrible. They could be kind. Persecution in the name of religion truly happened, and while some find this book taking advantage of history to present drama... my response is basically -- Umm... yeah, it's historical fiction and that's the point. If you want a 100% accurate book, go read a non-fiction account.
With a tome of this length, my review could go on forever. I plan to keep it shorter than that. Ned Willard is the protagonist, and the novel follows his life from a teenager to a 70-year-old man through which time he has many lovers, wives, friends, and family. He is one of the most respectable characters I've ever met in a book, and while he certainly does a few things that I'd consider wrong by today's standards, he was a visionary nearly 500 years ago. His treatment of others despite their beliefs, gender, race, or status were fantastic. He acted the act when he needed to but always to achieve a goal to ultimately help people. And he suffered... more than any man should.
If you've never read Follett before, you are truly missing out. If you've not read this 3-book series, you are missing out. It's nearly 3,000 pages in total, but you don't have to read all 3. You can choose just one and read them out of order. They're set about 100 years apart, so you may miss a few details and connections, but nothing to throw you off. I'm going to be in a book daze for weeks. And maybe years since I don't expect him to write another one in the series, but if he does, it will be at least 5 years based on the last few. This makes me sad. But I can always re-read them. And I will. They are that good. Seriously... who chooses to re-read 3000 pages again?
Huge amounts of plot and drama. Sometimes you'll think "that's just too much" but truly.... much of this ACTUALLY happened. It may have been different characters or a slightly different order. But people were cruel back then. They killed for no reason. Religion was a mega prompt for doing bad things. (Hey, wait, that happens today, too...). So in theory, this is such a statement about people and life and the lessons we fail to learn century after century. But for the most part, I look at this as a way to step into a different world, one that fascinates me. I forget any true facts I know about the life of these monarchs and pretend it's all new to me. It makes me smile. I rush to the book each night to devour more pages. And I gush... because this was a buddy read with my friend Noriko in Japan. I can't wait to catch up with her about this again!
I'll end here not because I am out of things to say, but because I have so many more books to read. And I'd rather chat about it than extend my review. So if you've read it, message me. Would love to discuss Follett with ya!
October 14, 2017
Ken Follett again took a lengthy hiatus before penning this third novel in the series, which is reflected in the writing and shall be discussed below. Kingsbridge, with its cathedral and mighty bridge, again proves to be the initial backdrop of this thoroughly researched tome, set in the 16th century. The great community emerges in the opening pages of the novel, where the reader encounters Ned Willard, returning after a period away. As the snow falls, causing the great Cathedral to disappear, the symbolism of quick changes becomes apparent. However, there is more brewing in Kingsbridge and England as a whole, which pushes the narrative into a fiery discussion soon enough. Queen Mary Tudor is on the throne and has turned the country back to its Catholic foundation, which is causing some concerns amongst her subjects. Forced to flee Catholicism under Henry VIII, people took up with the new Church of England and sought to pave the way for Protestantism in the country. Kingsbridge monastery, so important in the first two novels, lost its firmament under the King and the monks were dispersed. However, as Queen Mary appears to be terminally ill, there is talk of the succession. Two camps emerge: those wanting continued Catholicism turn to Mary, Queen of Scots (and France); and those who seek to lessen the constraints of religious conformity turn to Princess Elizabeth Tudor, half-sister to the current queen. The battle lines are drawn and the choice turns the country against itself. Ned finds himself in an odd position as he witnesses this and takes up a post with the Elizabethan camp, only to become one of her most trusted advisors. Plots to kill Elizabeth emerge alongside attempts to get Scottish Mary to return to the land of her birth to claim what some feel will rightfully be hers. When the Queen dies, it is left to Parliament to make the choice, which Follett illustrates as being highly controversial and problematic, but Elizabeth soon ascends reigns as the first of her name. The new Queen riles up everyone by seeking tolerance and acceptance of any form of Christianity in England, choosing not to side with either Protestants or Catholics wholeheartedly. What follows is a collection of stories that emerge throughout Europe, using a handful of characters who illustrate the religious persecution of both Protestants and Catholics, using the Pope and various monarchs to play Christian chess with their subjects as they shed blood to see their branch of the religion succeed. Ned is placed in a position to not only try to win back the love of his life, but to accept fate and try to reinvent himself, while England is being torn apart. Follett illustrates this battle over decades, while the characters evolve but still have time to prove as scandalous as ever (what would a Kingsbridge novel be without some drama?!). By the end, Follett has shown that religious intolerance is by no means a new thing in the world, but that it can be traced back centuries, where 鈥榮oldiers鈥� were blinded to acceptance and sought to outmanoeuvre their labelled enemies. A sensational addition to the Kingsbridge series, though it does not entirely fit with the other two novels. Fans of historical fiction will surely love this tome, alongside the most open-minded and 鈥榯olerant鈥� Kingsbridge series fans. Patience is a must before tackling this novel, so be wary if you seek a quick story and easy to decipher characters.
When I read the preface to Pillars of the Earth, I learned that Follett was not entirely comfortable with the subject matter when he first wrote that book. He knew little of the religious nuances of the Church, but has shown that age and dedication to research have changed his abilities. While I have some issues with this book, I cannot deny that the research and thoroughly intricate cast of characters make this one a must read for dedicated readers and fans of history. Follett is again forced to use scores of characters to flesh out the story, some pulled from the history books and others completely of his own imagination. As with the previous two books, occupations are varied, as are the social standings of those who grace the pages of this book. However, the characters from history dominate and thereby lead the story, forcing the 鈥榥obody鈥� characters to fall into line. There is still a thread of love, romance, rape, and deception, but it proves to be a garnish in a larger story that speaks of intolerance at a time when religion in Europe was (d)evolving. The dedicated reader will surely find a few characters onto whom they can latch and find some solace, though there are an equal number who can be hated for their actions. The story of this novel is well developed and presented in a methodical way, such that the reader can see not only the issue at the core of the story, but its fermentation over the decades. This leads me to my primary issue with the book, which is that it does not fit nicely into how Pillars and World Without End places Kingsbridge at the centre. There is action in Kingsbridge and the Cathedral does bear mention on occasion, but a great deal of the story takes place elsewhere, which lessens the impact of the community that readers have come to love. For Follett fans, the influence of his recently completed Century series is blunt in this narrative and plot development. Follett develops mini-stories throughout Europe, presenting characters who exemplify the religious issues in Spain and France, as well as in England, the attentive reader will remember such 鈥榖ranch-offs鈥� over the aforementioned trilogy. The reader learns of these struggles and waits to see how the numerous spheres will come together and eventually meld into a single storyline. While I am not a professional author, I might suggest that Kingsbridge have remained the central focus of the story and Follett show how this continental war and numerous assassination attempts on the country鈥檚 monarch affected the locals. Alas, that was lost and Ned Willard, a Kingsbridgean, is the major glue that binds the story to being a part of this other trilogy. With numerous monarchs who flex their muscle throughout to show how Catholicism is the only way, I can easily find justification to have this work for my reading challenge and I can only hope that others will find the thread of my argument and agree. While I found this to be the weakest of the three novels in the series, I still enjoyed it a great deal. I would recommend it to those who have made their way through the others two, in hopes that they will find as much enjoyment in the historical references as I did.
Kudos, Mr. Follett, for such a stellar piece of historical fiction. Some of those threads you left blowing in the wind might make for an interesting fourth novel, though I am not pushing for another round, unless you鈥檙e eager to return to Kingsbridge proper.
This book fulfills Equinox I (A Book for All Seasons) Book Challenge for Topic #3: A Book About Royalty
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
When I read the preface to Pillars of the Earth, I learned that Follett was not entirely comfortable with the subject matter when he first wrote that book. He knew little of the religious nuances of the Church, but has shown that age and dedication to research have changed his abilities. While I have some issues with this book, I cannot deny that the research and thoroughly intricate cast of characters make this one a must read for dedicated readers and fans of history. Follett is again forced to use scores of characters to flesh out the story, some pulled from the history books and others completely of his own imagination. As with the previous two books, occupations are varied, as are the social standings of those who grace the pages of this book. However, the characters from history dominate and thereby lead the story, forcing the 鈥榥obody鈥� characters to fall into line. There is still a thread of love, romance, rape, and deception, but it proves to be a garnish in a larger story that speaks of intolerance at a time when religion in Europe was (d)evolving. The dedicated reader will surely find a few characters onto whom they can latch and find some solace, though there are an equal number who can be hated for their actions. The story of this novel is well developed and presented in a methodical way, such that the reader can see not only the issue at the core of the story, but its fermentation over the decades. This leads me to my primary issue with the book, which is that it does not fit nicely into how Pillars and World Without End places Kingsbridge at the centre. There is action in Kingsbridge and the Cathedral does bear mention on occasion, but a great deal of the story takes place elsewhere, which lessens the impact of the community that readers have come to love. For Follett fans, the influence of his recently completed Century series is blunt in this narrative and plot development. Follett develops mini-stories throughout Europe, presenting characters who exemplify the religious issues in Spain and France, as well as in England, the attentive reader will remember such 鈥榖ranch-offs鈥� over the aforementioned trilogy. The reader learns of these struggles and waits to see how the numerous spheres will come together and eventually meld into a single storyline. While I am not a professional author, I might suggest that Kingsbridge have remained the central focus of the story and Follett show how this continental war and numerous assassination attempts on the country鈥檚 monarch affected the locals. Alas, that was lost and Ned Willard, a Kingsbridgean, is the major glue that binds the story to being a part of this other trilogy. With numerous monarchs who flex their muscle throughout to show how Catholicism is the only way, I can easily find justification to have this work for my reading challenge and I can only hope that others will find the thread of my argument and agree. While I found this to be the weakest of the three novels in the series, I still enjoyed it a great deal. I would recommend it to those who have made their way through the others two, in hopes that they will find as much enjoyment in the historical references as I did.
Kudos, Mr. Follett, for such a stellar piece of historical fiction. Some of those threads you left blowing in the wind might make for an interesting fourth novel, though I am not pushing for another round, unless you鈥檙e eager to return to Kingsbridge proper.
This book fulfills Equinox I (A Book for All Seasons) Book Challenge for Topic #3: A Book About Royalty
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
August 17, 2018
Yet again another masterpiece.....
Ken Follett follows The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End with a tale of espionage, political intrigue and extreme faith during a time of never-ending religious conflict. Full of adventure and suspense, A Column of Fire is an inspiring and thrilling portrait of one of Europe鈥檚 most perilous times in history.
It is a journey not only through place but also through a dazzling number of key historical events. Beginning in 1558 and continuing through to 1606, with a nod to 1620 in the epilogue, the novel includes the death of Mary Tudor and the accession of Elizabeth I, the Bartholomew Day massacre, Mary Queen of Scot鈥檚 execution, the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder plot as well as the personal fortunes of a huge cast of characters, both real and imagined. Follett鈥檚 research is meticulous, as his readers would expect.
Follett is a master of historical fiction, with meticulous research, adept storytelling and an ability to capture the reader鈥檚 interest with colorful, smooth language. As captured in his previous books in the Kingsbridge series, Follett鈥檚 characters are lively, full of emotion and relatable, making the book鈥檚 length of no great concern for old fans or new readers alike.
A Column of Fire is a cold winter鈥檚 night, big pot of tea and bar of chocolate comfort book and there鈥檚 plenty of space in the world for that. Just one health warning: don鈥檛 try and read it when you鈥檙e sleepy. With the paperback review copy weighing in at over a kilo (I couldn鈥檛 resist), this is not a novel for dropping on your nose.
Ken Follett follows The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End with a tale of espionage, political intrigue and extreme faith during a time of never-ending religious conflict. Full of adventure and suspense, A Column of Fire is an inspiring and thrilling portrait of one of Europe鈥檚 most perilous times in history.
It is a journey not only through place but also through a dazzling number of key historical events. Beginning in 1558 and continuing through to 1606, with a nod to 1620 in the epilogue, the novel includes the death of Mary Tudor and the accession of Elizabeth I, the Bartholomew Day massacre, Mary Queen of Scot鈥檚 execution, the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder plot as well as the personal fortunes of a huge cast of characters, both real and imagined. Follett鈥檚 research is meticulous, as his readers would expect.
Follett is a master of historical fiction, with meticulous research, adept storytelling and an ability to capture the reader鈥檚 interest with colorful, smooth language. As captured in his previous books in the Kingsbridge series, Follett鈥檚 characters are lively, full of emotion and relatable, making the book鈥檚 length of no great concern for old fans or new readers alike.
A Column of Fire is a cold winter鈥檚 night, big pot of tea and bar of chocolate comfort book and there鈥檚 plenty of space in the world for that. Just one health warning: don鈥檛 try and read it when you鈥檙e sleepy. With the paperback review copy weighing in at over a kilo (I couldn鈥檛 resist), this is not a novel for dropping on your nose.
July 31, 2019
Phew!! I struggled from the start to finish, and am glad that it is over. I didn't like it. Unlike the first two books which were centered around the characters and their struggles, this was about Catholics and Protestants, two decade long fight between Elizabeth and Mary for the throne.
The first two books were more about the characters and their strife to survive each day. I elated in their small victories, felt sad in their pain, but here I didn't connect with the characters. Reading this felt like I was reading about the battles that took place between England and France in late 1500.
I guess I was expecting something as exciting as the first two books but I was very disappointed in this story.
The first two books were more about the characters and their strife to survive each day. I elated in their small victories, felt sad in their pain, but here I didn't connect with the characters. Reading this felt like I was reading about the battles that took place between England and France in late 1500.
I guess I was expecting something as exciting as the first two books but I was very disappointed in this story.
January 25, 2025
A ver, que voy y me voy a despachar a gusto鈥� (Y si eres fan a ultranza de Follett no sigas leyendo)
Abandonado al 75% tras m谩s de 850 p谩gina le铆das (si se abandona con ese avance es que uno est谩 quemadillo, 驴eh?).
Que les den a los hugonotes, a los protestantes, a los cat贸licos, a la reina Isabel I, a Mar铆a Tudor e incluso a Felipe II.
Y tras acabar con ellos que empiecen con los personajes del libro y sigan con el mismo procedimiento.
(que bien me he 鈥渜uedao鈥�)
Follett nos da un nuevo libro como los dos anteriores de esta trilog铆a y como su otra trilog铆a de 鈥淭he Century鈥�: nos cuenta la 茅poca que venga al caso a trav茅s de las peripecias de unas familias inventadas y mezcladas con personajes reales. El problema es que el m茅todo es ID脡NTICO y si Los pilares de la Tierra fue sorprendente y buen铆simo, los otros cinco tochos de los que hablo son m谩s de lo mismo y con personajes 鈥損ara mi gusto- no muy atractivos.
Aqu铆 no esperas nada, no hay intrigas, s贸lo vas leyendo lo que pasa. Y si fueses de la mano de personajes atrayentes igual ten铆a su perd贸n (o si fuese m谩s corto), pero en este caso son todos arteros, intrigantes o bueeeeeeeenos que no convencen.
No hay inter茅s ni ideas nuevas. Si para colmo el tema de la religi贸n o la pol铆tica pura y dura no te interesa demasiado no veo forma de salvarle m铆nimamente.
Mi 煤nica concesi贸n es que el autor escribe bien y s贸lo con eso ha conseguido que lea ese mogoll贸n de p谩ginas esperando que mejore la cosa鈥ero no lo hace.
Como ya dije en el comentario al 35%, echo infinitamente de menos sus novelas ambientadas en las Guerras Mundiales o en la Guerra Fr铆a.
Abandonado al 75% tras m谩s de 850 p谩gina le铆das (si se abandona con ese avance es que uno est谩 quemadillo, 驴eh?).
Que les den a los hugonotes, a los protestantes, a los cat贸licos, a la reina Isabel I, a Mar铆a Tudor e incluso a Felipe II.
Y tras acabar con ellos que empiecen con los personajes del libro y sigan con el mismo procedimiento.
(que bien me he 鈥渜uedao鈥�)
Follett nos da un nuevo libro como los dos anteriores de esta trilog铆a y como su otra trilog铆a de 鈥淭he Century鈥�: nos cuenta la 茅poca que venga al caso a trav茅s de las peripecias de unas familias inventadas y mezcladas con personajes reales. El problema es que el m茅todo es ID脡NTICO y si Los pilares de la Tierra fue sorprendente y buen铆simo, los otros cinco tochos de los que hablo son m谩s de lo mismo y con personajes 鈥損ara mi gusto- no muy atractivos.
Aqu铆 no esperas nada, no hay intrigas, s贸lo vas leyendo lo que pasa. Y si fueses de la mano de personajes atrayentes igual ten铆a su perd贸n (o si fuese m谩s corto), pero en este caso son todos arteros, intrigantes o bueeeeeeeenos que no convencen.
No hay inter茅s ni ideas nuevas. Si para colmo el tema de la religi贸n o la pol铆tica pura y dura no te interesa demasiado no veo forma de salvarle m铆nimamente.
Mi 煤nica concesi贸n es que el autor escribe bien y s贸lo con eso ha conseguido que lea ese mogoll贸n de p谩ginas esperando que mejore la cosa鈥ero no lo hace.
Como ya dije en el comentario al 35%, echo infinitamente de menos sus novelas ambientadas en las Guerras Mundiales o en la Guerra Fr铆a.
October 26, 2017
It seems the consensus among Kingsbridge fans is that A Column of Fire is their least favourite. I agree.
Forgive my corniness, but A Column of Fire just didn't have the flame the previous two books in the series had.
Ken Follett, one of the best-selling authors in history, has never been considered as a spectacular writer. This holds true again in this latest novel. Follett writes quick-paced scenes. His sentences remain as stilted as ever. His words are rigid, and perhaps this evens gives a certain flavour to the historical novels. But for me, it makes it a bit of a tough slog to get through some 1000 pages or so. Of the three Kingsbridge novels, I had the hardest time getting through this one; as you may notice, I took me nearly a month and a half to complete it.
Why? There are two main reasons this book didn't hold up to the previous two novels.
1. Kingsbridge itself. The city, made famous by its cathedral, is largely absent in this book. One of the things that made the previous two books spectacular was the way Follett weaved his knowledge on cathedral building into the books. In this book, the cathedral itself is only really mentioned a couple of times. To Follett's credit, he does effortlessly weave historical knowledge into this book, but it has more to with the power dynamics of the world at the time.
2. Character. Unlike the previous books, I really didn't care that much about these characters. In particular, the Ned-Margery arch didn't really work for me. I didn't feel that these two people cared enough to be together; I also didn't feel that they cared enough when they couldn't be with one another. Further, I didn't despise some of the "bad guys" like I did in the other novels. Perhaps the main antagonist in the novel is Pierre, but I just didn't loathe him like I wanted to. One of the things that made Pillars and Without End work were the dramatic conflicts between the good and bad. Column struggled with that.
I found myself wanting to see more of the Barney and Rollo story-lines, but found they were lacking. I think the book could have drawn more on those story-lines to increase the tension and conflict throughout the narrative. But, since we didn't see a lot of Barney and Rollo, their two story-lines felt almost arbitrary and random. Part of me thinks we only saw Barney go to the "New World" because it is setting us up for a book or series where Follett takes us to the New World with a whole new cast. Column of Fire might have needed another thousand pages to do it justice.
Column jumped too quickly in spots. There would be chapters upon chapters where the narration is well-paced. Then, all of a sudden, we jump ahead a year (or in some places ten years) and certain characters are dead and married to new people. I found it hard to get on board with accepting the rationale of this at times. Also, people fall in love just too damn fast in this novel (ie Ned and Sylvie). It's a bit unrealistic.
Largely, this major fault of the book was its scope. It was too expansive, too spread out over a large geographical area, for the reader to really get involved in the characters. It ventured too far outside of Kingsbridge, which is where the heart of this series is.
Perhaps it's time to retire Kingsbridge. Perhaps it's time to sail across the ocean to the New World.
See this review, and others on my blog. You can also read my short stories there.
Forgive my corniness, but A Column of Fire just didn't have the flame the previous two books in the series had.
Ken Follett, one of the best-selling authors in history, has never been considered as a spectacular writer. This holds true again in this latest novel. Follett writes quick-paced scenes. His sentences remain as stilted as ever. His words are rigid, and perhaps this evens gives a certain flavour to the historical novels. But for me, it makes it a bit of a tough slog to get through some 1000 pages or so. Of the three Kingsbridge novels, I had the hardest time getting through this one; as you may notice, I took me nearly a month and a half to complete it.
Why? There are two main reasons this book didn't hold up to the previous two novels.
1. Kingsbridge itself. The city, made famous by its cathedral, is largely absent in this book. One of the things that made the previous two books spectacular was the way Follett weaved his knowledge on cathedral building into the books. In this book, the cathedral itself is only really mentioned a couple of times. To Follett's credit, he does effortlessly weave historical knowledge into this book, but it has more to with the power dynamics of the world at the time.
2. Character. Unlike the previous books, I really didn't care that much about these characters. In particular, the Ned-Margery arch didn't really work for me. I didn't feel that these two people cared enough to be together; I also didn't feel that they cared enough when they couldn't be with one another. Further, I didn't despise some of the "bad guys" like I did in the other novels. Perhaps the main antagonist in the novel is Pierre, but I just didn't loathe him like I wanted to. One of the things that made Pillars and Without End work were the dramatic conflicts between the good and bad. Column struggled with that.
I found myself wanting to see more of the Barney and Rollo story-lines, but found they were lacking. I think the book could have drawn more on those story-lines to increase the tension and conflict throughout the narrative. But, since we didn't see a lot of Barney and Rollo, their two story-lines felt almost arbitrary and random. Part of me thinks we only saw Barney go to the "New World" because it is setting us up for a book or series where Follett takes us to the New World with a whole new cast. Column of Fire might have needed another thousand pages to do it justice.
Column jumped too quickly in spots. There would be chapters upon chapters where the narration is well-paced. Then, all of a sudden, we jump ahead a year (or in some places ten years) and certain characters are dead and married to new people. I found it hard to get on board with accepting the rationale of this at times. Also, people fall in love just too damn fast in this novel (ie Ned and Sylvie). It's a bit unrealistic.
Largely, this major fault of the book was its scope. It was too expansive, too spread out over a large geographical area, for the reader to really get involved in the characters. It ventured too far outside of Kingsbridge, which is where the heart of this series is.
Perhaps it's time to retire Kingsbridge. Perhaps it's time to sail across the ocean to the New World.
See this review, and others on my blog. You can also read my short stories there.
December 31, 2021
This book was a real struggle for me to get through. I so wanted to like it, especially since I loved the first two books in this trilogy, and , but this story fell flat.
True, Follett has his usual cast of good vs. despicable characters, but I was annoyed that all the "good" were Protestant, and all the "evil" were Catholic. On top of that, I didn't feel any affinity for the "good guys", except for a tiny bit near the end (2 pages) about Margery. The protagonist, Ned Willard, really irked me as a "know-it-all". I read in disbelief how Follett's fictional characters, especially Ned, were so instrumental in creating history during the reign of Elizabeth I and shortly after (e.g. the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the capture and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Spanish Armada invasion, the plot to assassinate King James VI). Also, I questioned some historical events. Am I wrong, but wasn't Catherine d'Medici more politically conniving than portrayed in this book?
I so wanted to go back to Kingsbridge, interact with the characters, and root for the good guys! Instead, I felt this story to be a boring, and at times, inaccurate history lesson. Mr. Follett should have stopped at Book 2.
True, Follett has his usual cast of good vs. despicable characters, but I was annoyed that all the "good" were Protestant, and all the "evil" were Catholic. On top of that, I didn't feel any affinity for the "good guys", except for a tiny bit near the end (2 pages) about Margery. The protagonist, Ned Willard, really irked me as a "know-it-all". I read in disbelief how Follett's fictional characters, especially Ned, were so instrumental in creating history during the reign of Elizabeth I and shortly after (e.g. the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the capture and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Spanish Armada invasion, the plot to assassinate King James VI). Also, I questioned some historical events. Am I wrong, but wasn't Catherine d'Medici more politically conniving than portrayed in this book?
I so wanted to go back to Kingsbridge, interact with the characters, and root for the good guys! Instead, I felt this story to be a boring, and at times, inaccurate history lesson. Mr. Follett should have stopped at Book 2.
July 17, 2023
I was encouraged to continue with The Pillars since a new book is out soon. I can't say I loved A Column of Fire but I did like it. There are too many characters that remain at the end of the book precisely at the point where they were when it began. There are too many historic figures to my liking and not enough Kingsbridge itself. The listening marathon went smoothly thanks to Mr Lee's narration and I am happy I am ready for September.
OverDrive, thank you!
OverDrive, thank you!
August 2, 2019
"Religious hypocrisy" may be a better title for this long, tortuous, brutal, murdering and warring legions under the guise of Catholics and Protestants. While I admire Ken Follett as an author, I despise this story. 1 of 10 stars!
April 11, 2021
Se Isto 茅 Religi茫o?!
Esta obra recordou-me (e j谩 v茫o entender porqu锚) um excerto duma cantiga de Chico Buarque que soa mais ou menos assim:
"...mesmo quando minhas m茫os est茫o empenhadas em torturar, trucidar, matar...meu cora莽茫o fecha os olhos e, sinceramente, chora!..."
Ser谩 religi茫o queimar em fogueiras, torturar e massacrar?!...
Aonde 茅 que est茫o a paz e o amor pelo pr贸ximo que toda a religi茫o apregoa?!...
Foram m煤ltiplas as guerras a que os caciques religiosos se entregaram. Esses anjos negros fardados de cl茅rigos violentaram a religi茫o, desventraram-na e espezinharam-lhe o cora莽茫o. Mumificaram-na, reduzindo-a a uma farsa hip贸crita!
Mais uma grande obra dum mestre do romance hist贸rico.
脡 sempre um prazer aprender hist贸ria com Ken Follet 馃挅馃専馃専馃専馃専馃専馃挅
Esta obra recordou-me (e j谩 v茫o entender porqu锚) um excerto duma cantiga de Chico Buarque que soa mais ou menos assim:
"...mesmo quando minhas m茫os est茫o empenhadas em torturar, trucidar, matar...meu cora莽茫o fecha os olhos e, sinceramente, chora!..."
Ser谩 religi茫o queimar em fogueiras, torturar e massacrar?!...
Aonde 茅 que est茫o a paz e o amor pelo pr贸ximo que toda a religi茫o apregoa?!...
Foram m煤ltiplas as guerras a que os caciques religiosos se entregaram. Esses anjos negros fardados de cl茅rigos violentaram a religi茫o, desventraram-na e espezinharam-lhe o cora莽茫o. Mumificaram-na, reduzindo-a a uma farsa hip贸crita!
Mais uma grande obra dum mestre do romance hist贸rico.
脡 sempre um prazer aprender hist贸ria com Ken Follet 馃挅馃専馃専馃専馃専馃専馃挅
October 23, 2017
I did it, or should I say Ken Follett did it? He managed to in nine hundred and six pages, to continue the story he started two books ago with and . Amazing to me is that Mr Follett not only wrote this many pages, but also so aptly filled those pages with a story that was hard to put down. If you loved the first two books in this series, you are going to be in love once again.
In this novel, the year is 1558 and religious strife is tearing the country, its people, and its ruler apart. The antagonism between Catholics and Protestants is at a fevered pitch as Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary, tortures and kills those who want to take Christianity in a different direction that of being less ostentatious, less mercurial, and more dedicated to the simplicity of worshiping God. Elimination of priests, bishops, and clergy living off the poor, of statues, of the richness of the trappings within the Catholic Church is the goal of this new faith.
A new queen is about to assume control. Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Vlll and Anne Boleyn is to become queen. She is a Protestant who will try to balance the faiths that seems to pit neighbor against neighbor, family against family, and encourages so many secrets, lies, and deaths. The ultra Catholics despise Elizabeth and will try over her years of reign to do away with her and reestablish the Catholic faith as the faith of England with an overwhelming desire to place a Catholic monarch on the throne.
Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald are two of the main characters who love one another and wish to marry. However, their opposing views on faith splits them apart. Ned decides to work for Princess Elizabeth and when she ascends the throne, Ned takes on the role as her protector and does so as a kind of agent tracking down plots, assassins, and those who wish Elizabeth harm and death. Ned and Margery drift apart and even though they are desperately in love, that love is doomed. Ned becomes more embroiled in the plots against Elizabeth while Margery marries another forced to give up Ned. As the times and the story continue many characters both real and imagined by Mr Follett create a wonderful telling of the Elizabethan Age. He interweaves the happenings of the times into the story line and makes this novel a true work of fiction seem quite real.
Along the way in this sprawling novel, we meet many characters both good and evil who want to impose their beliefs on all and who do not believe in the word tolerance. They will have their way no matter how many lives are lost not caring about the cost and toll their intolerance will bring upon the people. It was a turbulent time and the fact that it was caused by religion seems unimaginable. Yet, does it really judging even today by the intolerance we oftentimes see by religious fanatics who, just like in these Elizabethan times, murder, plunder, and kill in the name of their God.
This is Ken Follett at his best tying all the characters together both those that were historically real with those of his imagination. I was super excited to read this book in the Kingsbridge series and so very happy to say that I was not disappointed at all.
In this novel, the year is 1558 and religious strife is tearing the country, its people, and its ruler apart. The antagonism between Catholics and Protestants is at a fevered pitch as Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary, tortures and kills those who want to take Christianity in a different direction that of being less ostentatious, less mercurial, and more dedicated to the simplicity of worshiping God. Elimination of priests, bishops, and clergy living off the poor, of statues, of the richness of the trappings within the Catholic Church is the goal of this new faith.
A new queen is about to assume control. Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Vlll and Anne Boleyn is to become queen. She is a Protestant who will try to balance the faiths that seems to pit neighbor against neighbor, family against family, and encourages so many secrets, lies, and deaths. The ultra Catholics despise Elizabeth and will try over her years of reign to do away with her and reestablish the Catholic faith as the faith of England with an overwhelming desire to place a Catholic monarch on the throne.
Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald are two of the main characters who love one another and wish to marry. However, their opposing views on faith splits them apart. Ned decides to work for Princess Elizabeth and when she ascends the throne, Ned takes on the role as her protector and does so as a kind of agent tracking down plots, assassins, and those who wish Elizabeth harm and death. Ned and Margery drift apart and even though they are desperately in love, that love is doomed. Ned becomes more embroiled in the plots against Elizabeth while Margery marries another forced to give up Ned. As the times and the story continue many characters both real and imagined by Mr Follett create a wonderful telling of the Elizabethan Age. He interweaves the happenings of the times into the story line and makes this novel a true work of fiction seem quite real.
Along the way in this sprawling novel, we meet many characters both good and evil who want to impose their beliefs on all and who do not believe in the word tolerance. They will have their way no matter how many lives are lost not caring about the cost and toll their intolerance will bring upon the people. It was a turbulent time and the fact that it was caused by religion seems unimaginable. Yet, does it really judging even today by the intolerance we oftentimes see by religious fanatics who, just like in these Elizabethan times, murder, plunder, and kill in the name of their God.
This is Ken Follett at his best tying all the characters together both those that were historically real with those of his imagination. I was super excited to read this book in the Kingsbridge series and so very happy to say that I was not disappointed at all.
September 17, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. After only two chapters of this book I am hugely disappointed. It is difficult to believe that Ken Follet wrote this book. The language is juvenile and the vernacular is very modern and western. I'll continue reading and hope for some improvement.
January 23, 2018
I was very familiar with this time period, the religious wars in France and England, the Spanish Inquisition. So much bloodshed, killing in the name of the Lord. A huge cast of characters, no character list provided, took quite a while to remember who was who, this is a very lengthy tome. A fantastic portraying of the history of this time period. Yet, for me frustrating as well. In his effort to cover so much ground, in different areas, he sacrificed character development, and made the various threads difficult to smoothly follow. I would get involved in one story, and then switched away to another. By the time we return to the other thread, it was hard to once again engage
Yes, he can write. Some graphic scenes of the violence and horror of this time.. So many schemed for power, conspiracies, spies, it all here. So read it for the history, and though I always had a few favored characters, they were not really fully fleshed, it was hard to actually get z handle on their personalities. In the end, for me, it was just okay.
Yes, he can write. Some graphic scenes of the violence and horror of this time.. So many schemed for power, conspiracies, spies, it all here. So read it for the history, and though I always had a few favored characters, they were not really fully fleshed, it was hard to actually get z handle on their personalities. In the end, for me, it was just okay.
May 19, 2017
I was asked to review this by Nudge and was thrilled 28 years ago I read the first book - Pillars of the Earth on holiday and was blown away. 18 years later saw the author then bring out the long awaited World without End and 10 years later I am sitting here with the third instalment. The book although a long time coming is worth the wait. I was given one of a limited edition numbered book proof of 1240.
This is a spy story with Elizabeth the first reigning in the sixteenth century. As ever Ken Follett's attention to detail in his writing and historical research is second to none. This author is meticulous and this adds to the readers enjoyment of another epic novel.
In this period we are still in Kingsbridge and moved on from the black death and the hundred years war, the descendants are still living dramatic and harrowing lives. This time in the Elizabethan age religion, espionage and love on differing sides. We get entangled with the characters Ned and Margery love and being on differing sides of religion. Readers who know their history will know as the story progresses Mary Queen of Scots with her supporters trying ti rid Elizabeth from her throne and ultimately the demise of Mary. What Ken Follett does effortlessly is weave a wonderful story in and around with fact and fiction. This is the author's gift.
The story is as brutal as it is historical with characters the reader will recognise and some they will not, facts they will know and others they will not.
The book is divided into four parts which breaks this into manageable sections - it is a huge read of over 750 pages, but certainly worth the wait.
As the book ends the reader wonders whether there could be another book, on two continents.
I thank the author and Macmillan publishing for allowing me to review this book.
This is a spy story with Elizabeth the first reigning in the sixteenth century. As ever Ken Follett's attention to detail in his writing and historical research is second to none. This author is meticulous and this adds to the readers enjoyment of another epic novel.
In this period we are still in Kingsbridge and moved on from the black death and the hundred years war, the descendants are still living dramatic and harrowing lives. This time in the Elizabethan age religion, espionage and love on differing sides. We get entangled with the characters Ned and Margery love and being on differing sides of religion. Readers who know their history will know as the story progresses Mary Queen of Scots with her supporters trying ti rid Elizabeth from her throne and ultimately the demise of Mary. What Ken Follett does effortlessly is weave a wonderful story in and around with fact and fiction. This is the author's gift.
The story is as brutal as it is historical with characters the reader will recognise and some they will not, facts they will know and others they will not.
The book is divided into four parts which breaks this into manageable sections - it is a huge read of over 750 pages, but certainly worth the wait.
As the book ends the reader wonders whether there could be another book, on two continents.
I thank the author and Macmillan publishing for allowing me to review this book.
October 10, 2021
How ambitious! How exciting!
How compelling! What a masterpiece!
As Bill Sheehan of The Washington Post said, Follett uses the tools of popular fiction to great effect, illuminating a nation鈥檚 gradual progress toward modernity.
I know that this one was not everyone鈥檚 favourite of The Kingsbridge Tetralogy.
Some of my friends were a bit disappointed, and that鈥檚 why it took me so long to start this book, which was sitting on my shelves since its release, but I absolutely loved it!
The Pillars of the Earth remains one of my top ten favourite books of all time.
World Without End is my second favourite book of these series.
The prequel, The Morning and the Evening, also impressed me immensely.
With this one I had the pleasure of reading and at the same time listening to the audiobook narrated by Jon Lee. I can鈥檛 express how satisfied and pleased I was with the combination. It was an amazing and joyful experience, hence my five stars.
Ken Follett is, without any doubt, a magnificent storyteller and a superb writer.
His books may be massive, but thanks to his writing style, every book has a perfect flow and every page is full of fascinating (and evil) characters, details and surprises.
You can find anything within the pages: romance, murder, rivalries, betrayals, politics, mystery, religion, sex, just to name a few, and plenty of drama.
With this book he covers the years from 1558 and 1620, considered one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history.
The storyline is simply terrific and so well developed.
It鈥檚 structure may not please everyone, as within the same chapter the location changes from England to France to Belgium to Caribbean and so on.
The fictional characters (I would have loved more depth for each one) are skilfully presented and perfectly inserted within the historical characters.
Religion is in my opinion the biggest evil here.
What a conflict between tolerance and fanaticism!
The atrocities committed in the name of the church were unbelievable. So much hate between Catholics and Protestants. To be burned alive just for being Protestant!
People of today complain about lack of freedom, but they really have no idea how it was back then. As for myself, I鈥檓 glad that I鈥檓 living in the 21st century.
Anyways鈥� I just can鈥檛 praise this book enough.
I鈥檓 not a history buff, so I cannot comment if any of the events were accurate, but I have never picked a fiction book with the intention of learning anything, so If you are looking for accuracy this may not be the right one, but if you are just looking for a form of entertainment, then you are in it for a fascinating trip.
Although I still need to finish the Century Trilogy, I鈥檓 anxiously waiting for his next book, 鈥淣ever鈥�, a mystery thriller and historical fiction, being released next month.
PS.:
There is a scene in chapter 24 that I did not think was necessary. A kind of public entertaining that involves 6 dogs, a horse and a monkey. Short as it is, it is a cruel one.
At the end of the book there is a list of all real characters, but none for the fictional ones.
If you are one of those readers who needs a list, check Wikipedia:
How compelling! What a masterpiece!
As Bill Sheehan of The Washington Post said, Follett uses the tools of popular fiction to great effect, illuminating a nation鈥檚 gradual progress toward modernity.
I know that this one was not everyone鈥檚 favourite of The Kingsbridge Tetralogy.
Some of my friends were a bit disappointed, and that鈥檚 why it took me so long to start this book, which was sitting on my shelves since its release, but I absolutely loved it!
The Pillars of the Earth remains one of my top ten favourite books of all time.
World Without End is my second favourite book of these series.
The prequel, The Morning and the Evening, also impressed me immensely.
With this one I had the pleasure of reading and at the same time listening to the audiobook narrated by Jon Lee. I can鈥檛 express how satisfied and pleased I was with the combination. It was an amazing and joyful experience, hence my five stars.
Ken Follett is, without any doubt, a magnificent storyteller and a superb writer.
His books may be massive, but thanks to his writing style, every book has a perfect flow and every page is full of fascinating (and evil) characters, details and surprises.
You can find anything within the pages: romance, murder, rivalries, betrayals, politics, mystery, religion, sex, just to name a few, and plenty of drama.
With this book he covers the years from 1558 and 1620, considered one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history.
The storyline is simply terrific and so well developed.
It鈥檚 structure may not please everyone, as within the same chapter the location changes from England to France to Belgium to Caribbean and so on.
The fictional characters (I would have loved more depth for each one) are skilfully presented and perfectly inserted within the historical characters.
Religion is in my opinion the biggest evil here.
What a conflict between tolerance and fanaticism!
The atrocities committed in the name of the church were unbelievable. So much hate between Catholics and Protestants. To be burned alive just for being Protestant!
People of today complain about lack of freedom, but they really have no idea how it was back then. As for myself, I鈥檓 glad that I鈥檓 living in the 21st century.
Anyways鈥� I just can鈥檛 praise this book enough.
I鈥檓 not a history buff, so I cannot comment if any of the events were accurate, but I have never picked a fiction book with the intention of learning anything, so If you are looking for accuracy this may not be the right one, but if you are just looking for a form of entertainment, then you are in it for a fascinating trip.
Although I still need to finish the Century Trilogy, I鈥檓 anxiously waiting for his next book, 鈥淣ever鈥�, a mystery thriller and historical fiction, being released next month.
PS.:
There is a scene in chapter 24 that I did not think was necessary. A kind of public entertaining that involves 6 dogs, a horse and a monkey. Short as it is, it is a cruel one.
At the end of the book there is a list of all real characters, but none for the fictional ones.
If you are one of those readers who needs a list, check Wikipedia:
March 17, 2022
"His memory formed the library of the house. He could pick out any volume and instantly be transported to another place and time."
猸愨瓙猸愨瓙3/4
Initial Thoughts
Column of Fire is the third installment in the magnificent Ken Follet's epic Kingsbridge series. The first two were absolutely amazing and although they're huge, each of them a one thousand page beast, they're so worthwhile. A real soap opera in the middle ages that really become your life. Two of the best books I've ever read.
Ken Follet is an absolute master at blending spellbinding fiction with actual history. In each book he packs about fifty years of history into one thousand pages. It gives you the chance to learn something while having immense fun. A bit like having an illicit affair with your hot history teacher at school. Only better! Hopefully more of the same with this one.
The Story
While Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were centred around ambitious building projects, Column of Fire gave me a look at the battle for religious freedom taking place in western Europe during the late 1500s. We have a completely new set of characters to get to know, with a few being related to previous characters.
"鈥楴othing is permanent, except change."
It's Christmas 1558 and the main protagonist, Ned Willard, returns to Kingsbridge after a trip to Calais at a time of extreme upheaval. The Protestant killing queen Mary Tudor has popped her clogs and a new queen is set to take the throne. Cue Queen Elizabeth I with notable competition from Mary Stuart.
Religious tension is fueling a conflagration of hatred and Follett uses this to really branch out far beyond Kingsbridge and add aspects of a spy thriller to the narrative. When Elizabeth finally is crowned queen and quickly becomes public enemy number one with all the other countries in Europe (no spoilers here we all know our history) she sets about building the first secret service by installing a network of spies to protect her royal ass. Of course amongst all this drama and political intrigue we have a pair of extremely unlucky lovers that look like they're just not meant to be. It wouldn't be a Kingsbridge story without that.
The Writing
Ive said before, Fallett's style is basic and at times tends towards telling, as oppose to showing, particularly when it comes to the emotions his characters are feeling. The language is simplistic, particularly when you've just finished reading Cormac McCarthy. I always feel like he could demand a little more from me when taking on his prose.
"We hanged him in front of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It is the usual place for executions. After all, if you can鈥檛 kill a man in front of God鈥檚 face you probably shouldn鈥檛 kill him at all."
However, his strengths lie in his research and attention to detail and being able to frame a rivetting story within it. I've read a number of interviews with the author and he spends at least a year researching a book before he even writes the first word. That's not just reading history but making field trips to museums and places of interest. He also employs historical scholars to fact check his work. So you know your reading the real deal with Follett. You're not just getting a fantastic story but a real slice of history.
Ken Follett on set
Follett also talks about how he gets ideas for plot points when he visits historical locations and walks about them. The research itself gives him ideas for scenes and he does not put finger to typewriter before knowing exactly where his story is going. It really shows as despite being huge his stories are constantly moving. Indeed a rule he works by is that the story must turn every four to six pages to keep the reader interested. That's a lot of twists and turns in a thousand page doorstop.
The Characters
Follett is a firm believer in having the story prepared before developing his characters and he moves these briskly along through fifty eventful years. In this time we see births, deaths, marriages, murders and all types of backstabbing.
Ned Willard is the central character and is somewhat of a sixteenth century James Bond as he heads Queen Elizabeth's network of spies. His relationship with Margery FitzGerald provides a slower paced version of Romeo and Juliet as they battle away on opposite sides giving the reader a central narrative that flows from start to finish
As with all of these Kingsbridge books, there's lots of character arcs to follow but all keep moving in a realistic way and his villains, notably the intriguing but extremely devious Pierre Aumande, are well devised.
Final Thoughts
Column of Fire is a big book whichever way you look at it鈥� and a massive commitment if you're planning on reading the whole series. A massive mountain of drama that is jam packed with history and epic conflict with some of the biggest personalities of the time. It really is the next best thing from getting in a time machine and going back in time. But a hell of a lot less dangerous. Follett's passion shines through every page and it is an absolute joy to read.
"The city had been ready to explode with hatred, waiting only for someone to ignite the gunpowder. Pierre had merely struck the match."
The ending is worth noting as it's very bittersweet. It finishes by leaving a very interesting avenue open if Follett chooses to take it. I for one would love to see that happen as I'm certainly not through with this series yet. Now I've finished it, it's easily one of the best I've read and it will always have a place in my heart...if I had one!
Although I've not given this one full top marks, as you can tell I enjoyed it hugely and it definitely holds its own in this amazing series. It was just not quite as gripping as those first two books in the series. So I had to have something there to demonstrate that so 4.75 猸�'s it is. Thanks for reading. Cheers!
猸愨瓙猸愨瓙3/4
Initial Thoughts
Column of Fire is the third installment in the magnificent Ken Follet's epic Kingsbridge series. The first two were absolutely amazing and although they're huge, each of them a one thousand page beast, they're so worthwhile. A real soap opera in the middle ages that really become your life. Two of the best books I've ever read.
Ken Follet is an absolute master at blending spellbinding fiction with actual history. In each book he packs about fifty years of history into one thousand pages. It gives you the chance to learn something while having immense fun. A bit like having an illicit affair with your hot history teacher at school. Only better! Hopefully more of the same with this one.
The Story
While Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were centred around ambitious building projects, Column of Fire gave me a look at the battle for religious freedom taking place in western Europe during the late 1500s. We have a completely new set of characters to get to know, with a few being related to previous characters.
"鈥楴othing is permanent, except change."
It's Christmas 1558 and the main protagonist, Ned Willard, returns to Kingsbridge after a trip to Calais at a time of extreme upheaval. The Protestant killing queen Mary Tudor has popped her clogs and a new queen is set to take the throne. Cue Queen Elizabeth I with notable competition from Mary Stuart.
Religious tension is fueling a conflagration of hatred and Follett uses this to really branch out far beyond Kingsbridge and add aspects of a spy thriller to the narrative. When Elizabeth finally is crowned queen and quickly becomes public enemy number one with all the other countries in Europe (no spoilers here we all know our history) she sets about building the first secret service by installing a network of spies to protect her royal ass. Of course amongst all this drama and political intrigue we have a pair of extremely unlucky lovers that look like they're just not meant to be. It wouldn't be a Kingsbridge story without that.
The Writing
Ive said before, Fallett's style is basic and at times tends towards telling, as oppose to showing, particularly when it comes to the emotions his characters are feeling. The language is simplistic, particularly when you've just finished reading Cormac McCarthy. I always feel like he could demand a little more from me when taking on his prose.
"We hanged him in front of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It is the usual place for executions. After all, if you can鈥檛 kill a man in front of God鈥檚 face you probably shouldn鈥檛 kill him at all."
However, his strengths lie in his research and attention to detail and being able to frame a rivetting story within it. I've read a number of interviews with the author and he spends at least a year researching a book before he even writes the first word. That's not just reading history but making field trips to museums and places of interest. He also employs historical scholars to fact check his work. So you know your reading the real deal with Follett. You're not just getting a fantastic story but a real slice of history.
Ken Follett on set
Follett also talks about how he gets ideas for plot points when he visits historical locations and walks about them. The research itself gives him ideas for scenes and he does not put finger to typewriter before knowing exactly where his story is going. It really shows as despite being huge his stories are constantly moving. Indeed a rule he works by is that the story must turn every four to six pages to keep the reader interested. That's a lot of twists and turns in a thousand page doorstop.
The Characters
Follett is a firm believer in having the story prepared before developing his characters and he moves these briskly along through fifty eventful years. In this time we see births, deaths, marriages, murders and all types of backstabbing.
Ned Willard is the central character and is somewhat of a sixteenth century James Bond as he heads Queen Elizabeth's network of spies. His relationship with Margery FitzGerald provides a slower paced version of Romeo and Juliet as they battle away on opposite sides giving the reader a central narrative that flows from start to finish
As with all of these Kingsbridge books, there's lots of character arcs to follow but all keep moving in a realistic way and his villains, notably the intriguing but extremely devious Pierre Aumande, are well devised.
Final Thoughts
Column of Fire is a big book whichever way you look at it鈥� and a massive commitment if you're planning on reading the whole series. A massive mountain of drama that is jam packed with history and epic conflict with some of the biggest personalities of the time. It really is the next best thing from getting in a time machine and going back in time. But a hell of a lot less dangerous. Follett's passion shines through every page and it is an absolute joy to read.
"The city had been ready to explode with hatred, waiting only for someone to ignite the gunpowder. Pierre had merely struck the match."
The ending is worth noting as it's very bittersweet. It finishes by leaving a very interesting avenue open if Follett chooses to take it. I for one would love to see that happen as I'm certainly not through with this series yet. Now I've finished it, it's easily one of the best I've read and it will always have a place in my heart...if I had one!
Although I've not given this one full top marks, as you can tell I enjoyed it hugely and it definitely holds its own in this amazing series. It was just not quite as gripping as those first two books in the series. So I had to have something there to demonstrate that so 4.75 猸�'s it is. Thanks for reading. Cheers!
September 27, 2022
鈥淲e hanged him in front of Kingsbridge Cathedral鈥�
Whether or not Ken Follett鈥檚 decision to present his history of the Reformation in a light that presented Queen Elizabeth I as a marginally tolerant monarch who believed that nobody should be executed on the basis of their religious beliefs is correct is an open question. In any event, A COLUMN OF FIRE, Follett鈥檚 fictionalized version of the growth of Protestantism in Europe out of the interpretation of Martin Luther鈥檚 Ninety-Five Theses in 1507, is at once entertaining, gripping and educational. High school history was never like this!
While Follett may have treated Queen Elizabeth鈥檚 conduct with unwarranted kid gloves, his view of organized religion as violent, self-serving and utterly despicable is entirely obvious. Witness the following (and these are FAR from the only examples):
鈥淲hen a man is certain that he knows God鈥檚 will, and is resolved to do it regardless of the cost, he is the most dangerous person in the world鈥�. Today鈥檚 evangelical Christianity movement in the USA, the heir apparent to 16th century Puritans who evolved from early Protestantism, demonstrate the obvious truth of such an aphorism. How about this one?
鈥淭he simple idea that people should be allowed to worship as they wished caused more suffering than the ten plagues of Egypt.鈥� Not because they shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to do so, of course. The violence arose out of those previously mentioned zealots who claimed that knowledge of God鈥檚 will and were determined to ensure that everyone worshipped in THEIR way.
And what the devil is this all about?
鈥溾€� then, to make it worse, the Pope had sent a letter of congratulation to the king of France.鈥� In an eerie foreshadowing of Kristallnacht, the Nazi introduction of the Final Solution and their attempt to exterminate Jews and Judaism, French Roman Catholics attacked and killed an estimated 30,000 Protestant Huguenots during a slaughter that is now called the St Bartholomew鈥檚 Day Massacre. And, far from decrying such untoward violence, Pope Gregory XIII sent a letter to King Charles IX of France praising the killing and pronouncing it to be God鈥檚 will. It is to simply make one weep.
By any standards, A COLUMN OF FIRE, logging in at 909 pages, must be called a doorstopper. But there鈥檚 tons of grade A meat to chew on 鈥� the Reformation; the politics of the imprisonment and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots; 16th and 17th century spycraft and international diplomacy; England鈥檚 war with Spain and the defeat of the Spanish Armada; Guy Fawkes鈥� attempted destruction of England鈥檚 House of Parliament and failed assassination of King James I; the persecution of the Huguenots in France and the mirroring intolerance of Roman Catholics in England; the growth of the hardcore Puritan movement and their decision to take their beliefs to the New World 鈥� and it鈥檚 all juicy, tender and flavorful and presented with a story-telling panache that only an author of Ken Follett's skill could have managed.
An exciting and worthy follow up to the book that laid the corner stone to Kingsbridge Cathedral, PILLARS OF THE EARTH. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Whether or not Ken Follett鈥檚 decision to present his history of the Reformation in a light that presented Queen Elizabeth I as a marginally tolerant monarch who believed that nobody should be executed on the basis of their religious beliefs is correct is an open question. In any event, A COLUMN OF FIRE, Follett鈥檚 fictionalized version of the growth of Protestantism in Europe out of the interpretation of Martin Luther鈥檚 Ninety-Five Theses in 1507, is at once entertaining, gripping and educational. High school history was never like this!
While Follett may have treated Queen Elizabeth鈥檚 conduct with unwarranted kid gloves, his view of organized religion as violent, self-serving and utterly despicable is entirely obvious. Witness the following (and these are FAR from the only examples):
鈥淲hen a man is certain that he knows God鈥檚 will, and is resolved to do it regardless of the cost, he is the most dangerous person in the world鈥�. Today鈥檚 evangelical Christianity movement in the USA, the heir apparent to 16th century Puritans who evolved from early Protestantism, demonstrate the obvious truth of such an aphorism. How about this one?
鈥淭he simple idea that people should be allowed to worship as they wished caused more suffering than the ten plagues of Egypt.鈥� Not because they shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to do so, of course. The violence arose out of those previously mentioned zealots who claimed that knowledge of God鈥檚 will and were determined to ensure that everyone worshipped in THEIR way.
And what the devil is this all about?
鈥溾€� then, to make it worse, the Pope had sent a letter of congratulation to the king of France.鈥� In an eerie foreshadowing of Kristallnacht, the Nazi introduction of the Final Solution and their attempt to exterminate Jews and Judaism, French Roman Catholics attacked and killed an estimated 30,000 Protestant Huguenots during a slaughter that is now called the St Bartholomew鈥檚 Day Massacre. And, far from decrying such untoward violence, Pope Gregory XIII sent a letter to King Charles IX of France praising the killing and pronouncing it to be God鈥檚 will. It is to simply make one weep.
By any standards, A COLUMN OF FIRE, logging in at 909 pages, must be called a doorstopper. But there鈥檚 tons of grade A meat to chew on 鈥� the Reformation; the politics of the imprisonment and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots; 16th and 17th century spycraft and international diplomacy; England鈥檚 war with Spain and the defeat of the Spanish Armada; Guy Fawkes鈥� attempted destruction of England鈥檚 House of Parliament and failed assassination of King James I; the persecution of the Huguenots in France and the mirroring intolerance of Roman Catholics in England; the growth of the hardcore Puritan movement and their decision to take their beliefs to the New World 鈥� and it鈥檚 all juicy, tender and flavorful and presented with a story-telling panache that only an author of Ken Follett's skill could have managed.
An exciting and worthy follow up to the book that laid the corner stone to Kingsbridge Cathedral, PILLARS OF THE EARTH. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
October 30, 2017
4.5
鈥淪ometimes Ned felt he lived in a rotten world.鈥�
I haven't read yet, but according what I've gathered from the reviews I've seen and my experience with the wonderful , A Column of Fire seems to be significantly different from both its predecessors. The most heard complaints are, as far as I know, the weakness of the romance and the lack of depth when it comes to the characters, most likely due to A Column of Fire having a much wider scope than the first installments in the Kingsbridge series.
I believe both complaints to be incontrovertibly well-grounded. I challenge anyone to say Ned and Margery's story is as epic as Aliena and Jack's, or as dreamy, or as beautiful... or as unrealistic.
I'm not completely cold-hearted: I have cheered for Jack and Aliena them just like you all did. I even like them more than I like Ned and Margery, but only because I didn't connect with Margery as a character; if I must consider the romance alone, then I loved them both equally. Because Aliena and Jack make you dream, but Margery and Ned represent what would most likely happen, which means that they make it even easier for the reader to empathize with them. So I don't believe that in A Column of Fire the romance is actually weaker: I believe it is simply shaped on a different vision of love. And different doesn't necessarily means worse. Whether readers will be able to like it as much depends on what they're looking for and what they expect from a Follett book. I'm just saying it shouldn't be considered as an objective flaw just on principle.
As regards the wider scope, again, I completely agree, and again, it really depends on what you want from the book. The world depicted in A Column of Fire is much, much wider than the one of the first two books, more complex, more dangerous, and obviously, the focus must shift to accommodate this. In coming to terms with this change, I believe I was helped by my indestructible love for the other Follett historical series, The Century Trilogy, which I still like better than anything else I have read by him. The XX century is a terribly complex, composite period, and only true genius could make sense of it in such a fluid, gripping way of such a variety of people, countries, ideas, movements, conquests and atrocities; but Follett did it.
This is why I believe much of the experience of the writing of that trilogy went into the writing of A Column of Fire as well, and I also think this broader approach came into play in the Kingsbridge series just at the right time, as it probably (and very effectively, in my opinion) reflects the change that must have occurred in people's world view with the rediscovery and colonization of the Americas. It is true that in that trilogy, Follett generally does a better work with his characters than in A Column of Fire, but ultimately not so much as to annoy me; in fact, personally, I have no complaints at all.
Moreover, A Column of Fire roughly spans the year of the Europeans wars of religion, by which I am deeply and equally fascinated and repulsed. So it was kind of an easy win with me.
Long story short, you must be aware that you won't get from A Column of Fire what you got from The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, because a lot of things happened in the years between the end of the latter and the beginning of A Column of Fire, and Ken Follett, according to my interpretation of the whole thing, chose to represent these changes with a narrative strategy he deemed fit. I am more than happy with his choice, which I find clever, thought-provoking and careful. The only thing I can suggest is, be unprejudiced and go for it.
鈥淪ometimes Ned felt he lived in a rotten world.鈥�
I haven't read yet, but according what I've gathered from the reviews I've seen and my experience with the wonderful , A Column of Fire seems to be significantly different from both its predecessors. The most heard complaints are, as far as I know, the weakness of the romance and the lack of depth when it comes to the characters, most likely due to A Column of Fire having a much wider scope than the first installments in the Kingsbridge series.
I believe both complaints to be incontrovertibly well-grounded. I challenge anyone to say Ned and Margery's story is as epic as Aliena and Jack's, or as dreamy, or as beautiful... or as unrealistic.
I'm not completely cold-hearted: I have cheered for Jack and Aliena them just like you all did. I even like them more than I like Ned and Margery, but only because I didn't connect with Margery as a character; if I must consider the romance alone, then I loved them both equally. Because Aliena and Jack make you dream, but Margery and Ned represent what would most likely happen, which means that they make it even easier for the reader to empathize with them. So I don't believe that in A Column of Fire the romance is actually weaker: I believe it is simply shaped on a different vision of love. And different doesn't necessarily means worse. Whether readers will be able to like it as much depends on what they're looking for and what they expect from a Follett book. I'm just saying it shouldn't be considered as an objective flaw just on principle.
As regards the wider scope, again, I completely agree, and again, it really depends on what you want from the book. The world depicted in A Column of Fire is much, much wider than the one of the first two books, more complex, more dangerous, and obviously, the focus must shift to accommodate this. In coming to terms with this change, I believe I was helped by my indestructible love for the other Follett historical series, The Century Trilogy, which I still like better than anything else I have read by him. The XX century is a terribly complex, composite period, and only true genius could make sense of it in such a fluid, gripping way of such a variety of people, countries, ideas, movements, conquests and atrocities; but Follett did it.
This is why I believe much of the experience of the writing of that trilogy went into the writing of A Column of Fire as well, and I also think this broader approach came into play in the Kingsbridge series just at the right time, as it probably (and very effectively, in my opinion) reflects the change that must have occurred in people's world view with the rediscovery and colonization of the Americas. It is true that in that trilogy, Follett generally does a better work with his characters than in A Column of Fire, but ultimately not so much as to annoy me; in fact, personally, I have no complaints at all.
Moreover, A Column of Fire roughly spans the year of the Europeans wars of religion, by which I am deeply and equally fascinated and repulsed. So it was kind of an easy win with me.
Long story short, you must be aware that you won't get from A Column of Fire what you got from The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, because a lot of things happened in the years between the end of the latter and the beginning of A Column of Fire, and Ken Follett, according to my interpretation of the whole thing, chose to represent these changes with a narrative strategy he deemed fit. I am more than happy with his choice, which I find clever, thought-provoking and careful. The only thing I can suggest is, be unprejudiced and go for it.
March 19, 2023
The Reformation was a time when religion was front and center in national, social and personal identity. It was so important that it was common practice to kill those who held incorrect beliefs. The concept of tolerance was generally an abhorrent thought because it suggested that correct religious belief wasn't absolutely important and true. This book is a historical novel about a time when toleration of religious diversity was beginning to take hold during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. But true toleration was still a ways off in the future. In my opinion it was not a good time to be alive.
The story moves through 50 eventful years of Reformation history beginning in 1558 during the reign of Bloody Mary of England and finally ending with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. An epilogue carries the story forward to 1620. History has provided Follett with some spectacular dramatic moments during these years, and he takes full advantage by recreating them with a historian鈥檚 eye for detail and a novelist鈥檚 gift for narrative suspense. Follett makes sure his fictional characters are present at and playing key roles in all the significant historical events of the second half of the sixteenth century.
Among the more dramatic interludes are the , in which Parisian Catholics murdered thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants); the execution of , an act that sent shock waves throughout Europe; and the miraculous defeat of the by a much smaller force.
Some other lesser know historical events described in this book include the following listed items (not complete):
1. and its secular use to end business completion
2. Marriage of Mary Stuart (aka Queen of Scots) to Francis, , and the official witnessing of its consummation
3. The accidental death of
4. The
5. The assassination of
6. Riot in Antwerp that stopped the burning at the stake of a 14 year old girl who refused to recant from being Protestant. (not sure this is historical)
7. Mary Queen of Scots escape from Scottish imprisonment and fleeing to England (and eventual doom)
8. issued by Pope Pius V declaring Queen Elizabeth to be a heretic and releasing all her subjects from any allegiance to her
9. The assassination of
Any readers who are prejudice in favor of Catholicism will not find much comfort in these pages. Most of the villains in this story are Catholic. The Puritans represent the extreme of the Protestant side, but within this time period they were not politically powerful.
Follett uses the tools of popular fiction to great effect, illuminating a nation鈥檚 gradual progress toward modernity. The central theme of the book is the ongoing conflict between tolerance and fanaticism. In Follett鈥檚 hands, that story becomes a fascinating narrative.
The story moves through 50 eventful years of Reformation history beginning in 1558 during the reign of Bloody Mary of England and finally ending with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. An epilogue carries the story forward to 1620. History has provided Follett with some spectacular dramatic moments during these years, and he takes full advantage by recreating them with a historian鈥檚 eye for detail and a novelist鈥檚 gift for narrative suspense. Follett makes sure his fictional characters are present at and playing key roles in all the significant historical events of the second half of the sixteenth century.
Among the more dramatic interludes are the , in which Parisian Catholics murdered thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants); the execution of , an act that sent shock waves throughout Europe; and the miraculous defeat of the by a much smaller force.
Some other lesser know historical events described in this book include the following listed items (not complete):
1. and its secular use to end business completion
2. Marriage of Mary Stuart (aka Queen of Scots) to Francis, , and the official witnessing of its consummation
3. The accidental death of
4. The
5. The assassination of
6. Riot in Antwerp that stopped the burning at the stake of a 14 year old girl who refused to recant from being Protestant. (not sure this is historical)
7. Mary Queen of Scots escape from Scottish imprisonment and fleeing to England (and eventual doom)
8. issued by Pope Pius V declaring Queen Elizabeth to be a heretic and releasing all her subjects from any allegiance to her
9. The assassination of
Any readers who are prejudice in favor of Catholicism will not find much comfort in these pages. Most of the villains in this story are Catholic. The Puritans represent the extreme of the Protestant side, but within this time period they were not politically powerful.
Follett uses the tools of popular fiction to great effect, illuminating a nation鈥檚 gradual progress toward modernity. The central theme of the book is the ongoing conflict between tolerance and fanaticism. In Follett鈥檚 hands, that story becomes a fascinating narrative.
July 15, 2023
Would have been better had it concentrated on the people of Kingsbridge. For me it turned into 鈥榡ust another鈥� book about Elizabeth and Mary. I enjoyed the first half but got bogged down in the second. It was a long book, but I needed more about the main characters and less about the wider world. In the early part of the book certain people were set up to be the main characters and then were hardly heard of again. I can鈥檛 help feeling that within the bones of this book, is a better one about Kingsbridge.
October 14, 2017
'A Column of Fire' by Ken Follett. I loved 'Pillars of the Earth' and 'World Without End' so I had high hopes for this book but I think I was put off by the fact that I had read a lot of historical books about this period so it was rather boring to me. I did engage with a couple of the characters and found parts of the book interesting.
February 10, 2018
螒蟻魏蔚蟿维 蠅蟻伪委慰 伪位位维 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽伪谓 蟿伪 未蠉慰 蟺蟻慰畏纬慰蠉渭蔚谓伪. 螤蟻慰蟽蟺维胃畏蟽蔚 蟺慰位蠉 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 谓伪 蟿慰蠀 尾纬伪委谓蔚喂 伪尾委伪蟽蟿伪...
March 27, 2018
*** 4 ***
Ken Follett is not the best writer. What Ken Follett is, is a good observer of the human condition and a very good historical researcher. If you love history and particularly the 16th Century Western European politics and religious wars, this series, and particularly this book is a very good addition to the usual historical fiction variety. For the fans of the Kingsbridge series, this book comes back to the town with the big Cathedral and some familial descendants to the first Tom Builder from the middle ages. It is sad to see how the changes in laws and rulers affected the Cathedral and the population of the town at large. This volume covers the time of the tumultuous rain of Queen Elizabeth and the battle of the Catholic and Protestant religions for the souls of the citizens of the West.
"... "In the eyes of the church, the Bible was the most dangerous of all banned books鈥攅specially translated into French or English, with marginal notes explaining how certain passages proved the correctness of Protestant teaching. Priests said that ordinary people were unable to rightly interpret God鈥檚 word, and needed guidance. Protestants said the Bible opened men鈥檚 eyes to the errors of the priesthood. Both sides saw reading the Bible as the central issue of the religious conflict that had swept Europe.鈥�..."
It is brutal. As in the years preceding every change of religion throughout the historical timeline, the established philosophies and the ones challenging them go through a dance of give and take, of debate and bloodshed, and of obsession and disillusionment. Mr. Follett brings the reality of the time in a very realistic and relatable manner, although he puts us more in the observer's role, thus letting us have the emotional separation needed to be able to get through a hefty and merciless read like this one. The history has never been a bone of contention with me, nor is the way he is able to show so many sides of the conflict and numerous ways people perceived and dealt with them. It is the writing. I still have an problem with the way he is able to cover such breath of complex issues, while he is more than shallow when it comes to characters and their interactions. As readers we are affected by the horrors of the reality, but we are not truly allowed to be involved with any of the characters, be them "good" or "bad" guys. We react to the actions, but the characters are a bit flat, the villains being supper evil and the good guys being mostly good and with clear and justifiable motives. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I really believe that a bit of a personal touch to their characters while interacting would go a very long way and be worthy of the scope of the work he already does so well.
"... 鈥淲e hanged him in front of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It is the usual place for executions. After all, if you can鈥檛 kill a man in front of God鈥檚 face you probably shouldn鈥檛 kill him at all.鈥�..."
Ned Willard is the main protagonist and a protestant who works for the Queen. We see a span of at least 50 years through his eyes and I have to say, I enjoyed him, but I was not "in love" with him. Honestly, as much as I feel separated from him, he is still the one I could understand and cheer for most out of all the male characters up to now in the series. Out of Margery and Sylvie I preferred Sylvie, the Paris Huguenot, but I understood Margery as well. Overall, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end and am glad I got to read it. For those who love Follett, he delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him. If you want to read this book, but have not read the previous ones, I think it is completely fine to be read as a standalone. It is full of religion, politics and action, so it does have a lot to offer.
"... 鈥淧erhaps we鈥檝e done enough.鈥� Sylvie was shocked. Her mother had never talked this way. Isabelle noticed her reaction and said defensively: 鈥淓ven God rested on the seventh day, after he made the world.鈥� 鈥淥ur work isn鈥檛 finished.鈥� 鈥淧erhaps it never will be, until the Last Trump.鈥�..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
Ken Follett is not the best writer. What Ken Follett is, is a good observer of the human condition and a very good historical researcher. If you love history and particularly the 16th Century Western European politics and religious wars, this series, and particularly this book is a very good addition to the usual historical fiction variety. For the fans of the Kingsbridge series, this book comes back to the town with the big Cathedral and some familial descendants to the first Tom Builder from the middle ages. It is sad to see how the changes in laws and rulers affected the Cathedral and the population of the town at large. This volume covers the time of the tumultuous rain of Queen Elizabeth and the battle of the Catholic and Protestant religions for the souls of the citizens of the West.
"... "In the eyes of the church, the Bible was the most dangerous of all banned books鈥攅specially translated into French or English, with marginal notes explaining how certain passages proved the correctness of Protestant teaching. Priests said that ordinary people were unable to rightly interpret God鈥檚 word, and needed guidance. Protestants said the Bible opened men鈥檚 eyes to the errors of the priesthood. Both sides saw reading the Bible as the central issue of the religious conflict that had swept Europe.鈥�..."
It is brutal. As in the years preceding every change of religion throughout the historical timeline, the established philosophies and the ones challenging them go through a dance of give and take, of debate and bloodshed, and of obsession and disillusionment. Mr. Follett brings the reality of the time in a very realistic and relatable manner, although he puts us more in the observer's role, thus letting us have the emotional separation needed to be able to get through a hefty and merciless read like this one. The history has never been a bone of contention with me, nor is the way he is able to show so many sides of the conflict and numerous ways people perceived and dealt with them. It is the writing. I still have an problem with the way he is able to cover such breath of complex issues, while he is more than shallow when it comes to characters and their interactions. As readers we are affected by the horrors of the reality, but we are not truly allowed to be involved with any of the characters, be them "good" or "bad" guys. We react to the actions, but the characters are a bit flat, the villains being supper evil and the good guys being mostly good and with clear and justifiable motives. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I really believe that a bit of a personal touch to their characters while interacting would go a very long way and be worthy of the scope of the work he already does so well.
"... 鈥淲e hanged him in front of Kingsbridge Cathedral. It is the usual place for executions. After all, if you can鈥檛 kill a man in front of God鈥檚 face you probably shouldn鈥檛 kill him at all.鈥�..."
Ned Willard is the main protagonist and a protestant who works for the Queen. We see a span of at least 50 years through his eyes and I have to say, I enjoyed him, but I was not "in love" with him. Honestly, as much as I feel separated from him, he is still the one I could understand and cheer for most out of all the male characters up to now in the series. Out of Margery and Sylvie I preferred Sylvie, the Paris Huguenot, but I understood Margery as well. Overall, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end and am glad I got to read it. For those who love Follett, he delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him. If you want to read this book, but have not read the previous ones, I think it is completely fine to be read as a standalone. It is full of religion, politics and action, so it does have a lot to offer.
"... 鈥淧erhaps we鈥檝e done enough.鈥� Sylvie was shocked. Her mother had never talked this way. Isabelle noticed her reaction and said defensively: 鈥淓ven God rested on the seventh day, after he made the world.鈥� 鈥淥ur work isn鈥檛 finished.鈥� 鈥淧erhaps it never will be, until the Last Trump.鈥�..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
September 16, 2017
I'm giving this four stars because in comparison to many other historical fiction books, it certainly deserves that many stars at least. In comparison to Follett's other Kingsbridge novels, sadly, I'd only give it three stars.
There is something magical about and . In those novels Follett weaves together the lives of ordinary people and makes what might otherwise seem mundane, engrossing. They tell the tales of good vs. evil, the many obstacles on the path to righteousness, the triumphs of either side, and the eventual justice received by all. I love these books. They are the kind of books that stay with you over time and beg to be reread.
A Column of Fire, unfortunately, just doesn't live up to the enormous standard set by the previous two books. The primary problem is that this is not the tale of that triumphant fictional town of Kingsbridge. This is a novel that spans many settings, languages and countries. It takes a look at the beginning of religious freedom in Europe. It did not have the tight-knit feel of small town drama. The enemies were still evil, but they were vast and many and always seemed so distant.
In past books, I was always glued to the page knowing the characters were often going head to head, watching one plan come together and seeing the other characters unravel it piece by piece. There was scheming here, but it often felt impersonal. It happened on a much grander scale and somehow didn't hold my attention as tightly as the smaller, more personal battles of Kingsbridge.
However, there are other things to love about this novel. Sylvie is a strong female character that you can't help but root for. I think her character arc was the strongest and perhaps the most interesting. Whenever the plot switched to her viewpoint, I was thrilled to see what she would do next. She competes with the men on a level reminiscent of Aliena in The Pillars of the Earth. I also loved Ned Willard's storyline. Minor His story was told well and didn't cross lines of implausibility (which I think might have been an easy trap to fall into given the historical setting).
The historical accuracy, to my knowledge, was fantastic and well told. We see the opulent wealth of the Catholic church and French monarchy and aristocracy, religious persecution, naval battles, plays, and traveling acrobatic troupes, and bearbaiting. Follett's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth was fascinating and has me yearning to learn more about her as a historical figure rather than a (semi) fictional character.
I would recommend this to anyone who reads historical fiction and is interested in the 16th century. However, if you have read the previous Kingsbridge novels, I would advise that you do not go into this expecting a third. It's fine as it is on its own, but to liken it with its predecessors will bring, in my opinion, disappointment.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Viking for providing an eARC to review.
There is something magical about and . In those novels Follett weaves together the lives of ordinary people and makes what might otherwise seem mundane, engrossing. They tell the tales of good vs. evil, the many obstacles on the path to righteousness, the triumphs of either side, and the eventual justice received by all. I love these books. They are the kind of books that stay with you over time and beg to be reread.
A Column of Fire, unfortunately, just doesn't live up to the enormous standard set by the previous two books. The primary problem is that this is not the tale of that triumphant fictional town of Kingsbridge. This is a novel that spans many settings, languages and countries. It takes a look at the beginning of religious freedom in Europe. It did not have the tight-knit feel of small town drama. The enemies were still evil, but they were vast and many and always seemed so distant.
In past books, I was always glued to the page knowing the characters were often going head to head, watching one plan come together and seeing the other characters unravel it piece by piece. There was scheming here, but it often felt impersonal. It happened on a much grander scale and somehow didn't hold my attention as tightly as the smaller, more personal battles of Kingsbridge.
However, there are other things to love about this novel. Sylvie is a strong female character that you can't help but root for. I think her character arc was the strongest and perhaps the most interesting. Whenever the plot switched to her viewpoint, I was thrilled to see what she would do next. She competes with the men on a level reminiscent of Aliena in The Pillars of the Earth. I also loved Ned Willard's storyline. Minor His story was told well and didn't cross lines of implausibility (which I think might have been an easy trap to fall into given the historical setting).
The historical accuracy, to my knowledge, was fantastic and well told. We see the opulent wealth of the Catholic church and French monarchy and aristocracy, religious persecution, naval battles, plays, and traveling acrobatic troupes, and bearbaiting. Follett's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth was fascinating and has me yearning to learn more about her as a historical figure rather than a (semi) fictional character.
I would recommend this to anyone who reads historical fiction and is interested in the 16th century. However, if you have read the previous Kingsbridge novels, I would advise that you do not go into this expecting a third. It's fine as it is on its own, but to liken it with its predecessors will bring, in my opinion, disappointment.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Viking for providing an eARC to review.
August 2, 2019
A Column of Fire caps off a perfect ending to an immaculate and masterful series.
The Kingsbridge series has been nothing but a masterpiece in storytelling, and historical enlightenment! In this latest entry, Follett focus his attention in diverging European religious and political ideology in a devilish entertaining way. At the height of European transition from medieval period into 16th century 鈥榤odern鈥� time, we see some of the most tumultuous conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Follett explores this religious tension to the maximum, with a story that is laced with unforgettable characters and exceeding moments of love and conflict while maintaining historical accuracy.
鈥淲hen a man is certain that he knows God鈥檚 will, and is resolved to do it regardless of the cost, he is the most dangerous person in the world.鈥�
鈥� Ken Follett, A Column of Fire
Follett covers a widely unstable time in European politics after 1558, all seen through the eyes two lovers Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald. During that time, the throne of England inherited by the more progressive Elizabeth of Tudor, who unlike her older predecessor sister Mary Tudor, did not believe of burning 鈥榟eretics鈥� for prescribing to a certain faith. Unlike Mary, Queen Elizabeth believed in religious tolerance and acceptance, despite being a Protestant herself.
鈥淢ight there come a time when people of different faiths did not kill one another?鈥�
鈥� Ken Follett, A Column of Fire
At the heart of A Column of Fire, lies the tale of two lovers Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald. Follett is brilliant at telling historical events through vivid and unique characters- making the story that much more appealing! The main protagonist 鈥楴ed鈥� is a balanced Protestant, and becomes one of the main advisors for Queen Elizabeth. Yet his love interest, 鈥楳argaret鈥� is a stout Catholic, thus setting up a constant dissonance and tension between both lovers, despite their passion for one another.
Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald
Follett narrates the events of the religious time so perfectly! He takes the reader on a whirlwind of historical events, but writes it in such a captivating and engaging manner, that I was left speechless in some moments of the book! The breadth of information and meticulous details are a testament to his historical acumen and preparation for this series. From the Bartholomew Day massacre to Mary Queen of Scotts execution, the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder plot as well as the personal fortunes of a huge cast of characters, both real and imagined. The results are quite astounding, especially as Follett is able to organically blend it all together in the end!
English fleet vs Spanish Armada
Ultimately Follett dazzles the reader with his God-given talent as a storyteller. I know I鈥檝e praised him plenty in previous books ( Pillars, Eye of Needle, etc.),but his narrative ability to is so engaging, and that is reflective throughout multiple moments in A Column of Fire.
Follett has the uncanny ability to convert a topic that is generally dull and rather thick into something magical, and indescribably entertaining. The ability to infuse passion, tension and emotion into historical events is quite demonstrative of his skills as a writer.
Kingbridge Series is his Follett鈥檚 magnum opus, with 鈥楶illars of the Earth at the helm. This latest entry blew me away with the breadth of historical accuracy, and written in a such a persuasive and entertaining manner that left me speechless at times! My favorite historical fiction series of all times :)
5 Stars
The Kingsbridge series has been nothing but a masterpiece in storytelling, and historical enlightenment! In this latest entry, Follett focus his attention in diverging European religious and political ideology in a devilish entertaining way. At the height of European transition from medieval period into 16th century 鈥榤odern鈥� time, we see some of the most tumultuous conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Follett explores this religious tension to the maximum, with a story that is laced with unforgettable characters and exceeding moments of love and conflict while maintaining historical accuracy.
鈥淲hen a man is certain that he knows God鈥檚 will, and is resolved to do it regardless of the cost, he is the most dangerous person in the world.鈥�
鈥� Ken Follett, A Column of Fire
Follett covers a widely unstable time in European politics after 1558, all seen through the eyes two lovers Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald. During that time, the throne of England inherited by the more progressive Elizabeth of Tudor, who unlike her older predecessor sister Mary Tudor, did not believe of burning 鈥榟eretics鈥� for prescribing to a certain faith. Unlike Mary, Queen Elizabeth believed in religious tolerance and acceptance, despite being a Protestant herself.
鈥淢ight there come a time when people of different faiths did not kill one another?鈥�
鈥� Ken Follett, A Column of Fire
At the heart of A Column of Fire, lies the tale of two lovers Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald. Follett is brilliant at telling historical events through vivid and unique characters- making the story that much more appealing! The main protagonist 鈥楴ed鈥� is a balanced Protestant, and becomes one of the main advisors for Queen Elizabeth. Yet his love interest, 鈥楳argaret鈥� is a stout Catholic, thus setting up a constant dissonance and tension between both lovers, despite their passion for one another.
Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald
Follett narrates the events of the religious time so perfectly! He takes the reader on a whirlwind of historical events, but writes it in such a captivating and engaging manner, that I was left speechless in some moments of the book! The breadth of information and meticulous details are a testament to his historical acumen and preparation for this series. From the Bartholomew Day massacre to Mary Queen of Scotts execution, the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder plot as well as the personal fortunes of a huge cast of characters, both real and imagined. The results are quite astounding, especially as Follett is able to organically blend it all together in the end!
English fleet vs Spanish Armada
Ultimately Follett dazzles the reader with his God-given talent as a storyteller. I know I鈥檝e praised him plenty in previous books ( Pillars, Eye of Needle, etc.),but his narrative ability to is so engaging, and that is reflective throughout multiple moments in A Column of Fire.
Follett has the uncanny ability to convert a topic that is generally dull and rather thick into something magical, and indescribably entertaining. The ability to infuse passion, tension and emotion into historical events is quite demonstrative of his skills as a writer.
Kingbridge Series is his Follett鈥檚 magnum opus, with 鈥楶illars of the Earth at the helm. This latest entry blew me away with the breadth of historical accuracy, and written in a such a persuasive and entertaining manner that left me speechless at times! My favorite historical fiction series of all times :)
5 Stars
October 3, 2017
Ich muss ehrlich sagen, dass ich mich mehr darauf gefreut habe, als es mich letztlich 眉berzeugt hat. Ja, die Geschichte war toll, aber eigentlich hatte es so gar nichts mehr mit Die S盲ulen der Erde zu tun. Weder inhaltlich oder zeitlich, noch vom Gef眉hl beim Lesen.
Es ist interessant, einen so gro脽en 脺berblick 眉ber den Konflikt zwischen Katholiken und Protestanten zu bekommen, aber es war mir einfach irgendwann zu viel. Zu viele Zahlen, zu viele Personen, zu viele Beziehungen, zu viele Zeitspr眉nge, zu viele L盲ngen im Buch. Oft musste ich mich motivieren, 眉berhaupt weiterzumachen, weil es sehr sehr z盲h wurde.
Leider nur 3 Sterne.
Es ist interessant, einen so gro脽en 脺berblick 眉ber den Konflikt zwischen Katholiken und Protestanten zu bekommen, aber es war mir einfach irgendwann zu viel. Zu viele Zahlen, zu viele Personen, zu viele Beziehungen, zu viele Zeitspr眉nge, zu viele L盲ngen im Buch. Oft musste ich mich motivieren, 眉berhaupt weiterzumachen, weil es sehr sehr z盲h wurde.
Leider nur 3 Sterne.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,819 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.