Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 170 million copies of his thirty-two books. Follett’s first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989, The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become Follett’s most popular novel. It reached No. 1 on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick. Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold more than forty million copies worldwide. Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife, Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
What more is there to say about the Kingsbridge novels by Ken Follet? They are among the greatest contemporary works of fiction I’ve read, and the latest addition to the series do...
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What more is there to say about the Kingsbridge novels by Ken Follet? They are among the greatest contemporary works of fiction I’ve read, and the latest addition to the series doesn’t disappoint. As he has done in the previous Kingsbridge books, Follet brings us inside a changing world through the eyes of the people caught up in the grand sweep of history in the fictional English city of Kingsbridge: the highborn, common laborers, household staff, tradespeople, and the emerging industrialists who would eventually dominate. The Napoleonic Wars are an interesting backdrop to the story, fleshing out the disparate forces in play as English society began to grapple with the widespread displacement created by the emergence of large-scale industrialization. Just as there is in real life, we find tragedy, heartbreak, cowardice, heroism, vanity, and selflessness on display throughout the novel. The pace of the story is steady, the characters are fully realized, and the reader is kept guessing as the author’s imaginative twists and turns keep us guessing as to what’s next. As always, Follet’s characters are humanized with a deft touch as he scrutinizes the hopes and dreams that motivate their behavior, be it admirable or contemptible. The Armour of Light is an astonishing novel, and a satisfying read in all respects.
Ken Follet Review – Never
Ken Follet is a master of suspense and intrigue, which he proves yet again in his novel Never. As always, the novel is lengthy, with intriguing character...
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Ken Follet Review – Never
Ken Follet is a master of suspense and intrigue, which he proves yet again in his novel Never. As always, the novel is lengthy, with intriguing characters that span the globe and run the gamut of human qualities—strength and frailty; brilliance and stupidity; selflessness and narcissism. The novel is a chilling imagining of how missteps, misunderstanding, and human weakness might lead us to a fate humankind has dreaded for the last several decades. I love how Mr. Follet weaves various subplots together as the story gathers pace until readers are fully engaged in an unpredictable, page-turning ride. One of my favorite authors has hit another home run. Never is an absorbing, intellectually, rewarding read.
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