I possibly avoid getting thoroughly engrossed in books because my job does not afford me the luxury of staying up all night. Since I lack the discipline to simply put down the book, I read until my body forces me to stop, read to the point I’m nodding off. More than once I’ve been awaken by a book being dropped on my face. It’s not pleasant. Making this even worse lately is my seeming inability to hold back from buying book after book regardless of the need. To slow down my literary binge I forbade myself from buying any more until finishing those in my shelves. That did not work even remotely (bought more shelves instead), but I am pleased to say I finished at least one, World Without End by Ken Follet.
His bestselling novel, Pillars of the Earth, interested me in Follet and was the catalyst bringing me to read its sequel taking place 200 years later (World Without End). I was introduced to his writing while riding to school with a close friend. Our high school English teacher allowed her to borrow the audio book since my friend preferred that to actually reading. That tape held me in suspense while listening to whether or not the lord would throw the child to his/her death or whatever other situation was being relayed in the 20 minute commute to school. It always seemed class was about to begin at the moment resolution for the looming situation narrated over the radio was about to be described. My unassuaged curiosity for all things in life, especially literary suspense, forced me to go to our teacher and ask if I could borrow a copy to read in my spare time. While my friend and I had the same teacher, Pillars was not part of my class curriculum despite being included in hers. I read it, enjoyed it, and was thoroughly a fan until reading a review of the book quite recently. Maybe my taste in books has changed drastically in the past 8 years, but the reviewer described it as simplistic garbage that owes its renewed popularity to Oprah’s Book Club. I am not sure if I would go that far, though I equate its decline in my eyes it to the same urges leading me to Cosmopolitan. Both are fun with no substantial revelations, only entertainment and an escape. On the upside, it is a very fast read despite being densely packed with over 1,000 pages.
I suppose my disappointment comes not from the entertainment factor, because it does entertain at least superficially, but from the fact that Follet follows the same type of formula he did in Pillars. The title of this post is kind of a play on the formula and the whole “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” glamorization with a twist revelant to the novel.
There is plenty of sex and violence to go around. Bishops, nuns, monks, just about everyone, is having sex and often times it is mixed in with brutal violence. A particularly graphic example is when a captive woman lures an outlaw to sleep with her as the only means of escape and stabs him as they are having sex.
Did I mention the nuns? Nuns and monks are every where, which is dictated by the setting of the novel, but still I wanted a different focus than religion as a power player. As in the previous novel, World Without End also revolves around the Kingbridge priory power struggles due to the varying interests of the town and the church. Insert lots of architecture along with frustration from pivotal characters wanting to build the greatest something-or-other and you almost have Pillars all over again. Lots of drama in the priory is sure to ensue.
Pocks was the only thing that vaguely rhymed with “rock”, but there are no pocks, only buboes. During the middle of the book Kingsbridge is struck by the plague and the aftereffects of the disease dictate several fortunes and losses going into the last segment of the novel. Disease sucks, but the survivors go on and so does Kingsbridge.
Tolls, money, elevated status, and greed heavily, if not totally, influence the motivations of the characters as they did in Pillars. Efficiency and profits in running the town and priories perhaps create the center of the novel and the characters merely a second stage that force the reader to go the long way in finding out whether or not Kingsbridge will thrive. I made it through the journey of all 1,000 pages, but the destination might not be worth the trip it took to get there.
If you enjoyed Pillars, even if it was 8 years ago, might as well check out the sequel. The read may be painful at times, but it’ll be over with quickly.
