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World Without End
- The Kingsbridge Novels (abridged), Book 2
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
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World Without End
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Summary
Abridged edition, read by Richard E Grant (Withnail and I, Persuasion)
The historical saga that has enthralled millions of fans, Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series continues with World Without End.
On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius and a girl who wants to be a doctor. In the forest they see two men killed.
As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war. One boy will travel the world but come home in the end; the other will be a powerful, corrupt nobleman. One girl will defy the might of the medieval church; the other will pursue an impossible love. And always they will live under the long shadow of the unexplained killing they witnessed on that fateful childhood day.
Ken Follett’s masterful epic The Pillars of the Earth enchanted millions of readers with its compelling drama of war, passion and family conflict set around the building of a cathedral. World Without End takes readers to medieval Kingsbridge two centuries later, as the men, women and children of the city once again grapple with the devastating sweep of historical change.
World Without End is followed by the third of Ken Follett's Kingsbridge novels, A Column of Fire.
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Critic reviews
"Fans of Follett's previous medieval epic will be well rewarded." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about World Without End
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Sylvia
- 05-03-08
History to Life
I believe that although this was a very exciting read, it did more for me as regards history than anything else. Yes obviously fiction, but the detail of both the building methods employed, and the solutions when things failed, and the development of medical knowledge as the plague struck (the successful methods being developed by women not going unnoticed!); also the corrupt life led by the priory and the kings men etc etc. Not much changes - oops!
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. T. SWAIN
- 11-03-22
Gripping
Really good and compulsive reading. A stunning insight into monastery life, religious politics, treachery, lust, betrayal, ambition, violence, sex, ,,,and the development of the guilds and the late medieval town on top
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Dr
- 02-04-08
A good listen
Really good story and kept me entertained on long car journeys. well read and worth a listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Thomas Hutchinson
- 22-09-17
Monotonous
It feels as if ken used scraps from his last book and escalated them into a different storyline, the first few chapters were very monotonous, the story doesn't really engage until halfway through the book, it feels as if he was writing automatically and had no real care for the characters until he got into the swing of the storyline, worth a read but not as enthralling as its predecessor
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Orla
- 25-06-18
beautifully written, beautifully read
I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to the Pillars of the Earth. It stands alone as well so you don't have to read the first book to enjoy this (although I'd definitely recommend it).
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr. Martin TN Knight
- 15-09-19
The saga deepens
This series is a real must taking one through several dynasties with accuracy . History and strategies laid out. It really is a trilogy to consume . KF you have given me hours of pleasure. Wow the labour and creativity that has gone into these books. Thank you for transporting me to the middle ages
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- C. S. Covil
- 09-07-08
Dull and boring
This was a real plod yes fine if you like your fiction to be about bridge building but the characters were shallow and the motive for reading well hidden in a tedious waffle where it is hard to identify a real story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-01-23
very well produced and read, but far too abridged.
very well produced and read, but far too abridged. many key aspects left out and this us a bug bare of mine.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- marta rosiak
- 12-11-23
A great follow up
Again, a fantastic read and the continuation of the first book. It’s such a pleasure to immerse yourself into the past and history. Wholeheartedly recommend.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Rogayah
- 24-08-08
Faith versus Reason
This is the second Follet book about Kingsbridge. Set in the mid 14th century it shows life of the town and church during this period. Life for the ordinary people was dominated by the church and the aristocracy who controlled their lives through religion, fuedalism and the law.
This is the time of change when more ideas were being circulated and exsisting premises were being questioned or challenged; exciting times with the growth of trade, especially the English wool market, but the spread of the plague from the East westwards around 1348 or a little earlier saw a decimation of the population and a reduced population struggle to feed itself afterwards.
Ken Follet explains various aspects of the period and takes the listener into the lives of the characters. This period and the struggle for minds and souls of the people of Kinsbridge and the surrounding area are brought to life by the excellent reading of Richard E. Grant.
This is not a dry tale but a story centred on Murfin and Charis and their love and struggle to be together; their fight for the town and townspeople against the Abbey and Abbots of Kingsbridge who does not seen that its wealth is linked to the prosperity of the town.
If you enjoyed 'The Pillars of the Earth', part 1 of this saga, you will like this too.
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6 people found this helpful