In 1866, tragedy strikes at the exclusive Windfield School. A young student drowns in a mysterious accident involving a small circle of boys. The drowning and its aftermath initiates a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many loves... From the exclusive men's club and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London's upper classes to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world's wealth, Ken Follett conjures up a stunning array of contrasts. This breathtaking novel portrays a family splintered by lust, bound by a shared legacy... men and women swept toward a perilous climax where greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy's death, must be stopped, or not just one man's dreams, but those of a nation, will die...
Review:
Reading a Ken Follett book is like turning a cold iron to the "cotton" setting. It may take a while to heat up, but once it does, you can expect things to get dangerously hot. And by hot, I mean goooood reading!
Ken Follett continues to enthrall me. This is the third book of his that I've read, and I'm captivated! His books are long and have very multi-layered plots. They are not for readers looking for instant gratification, as they are not fast reads. However, they are SO worth the time invested. The plot twists are unparalleled genius.
There's nothing I love more than a book that surprises me, and Follett does that every time. I love how his "bad guys" get justice in the end, just not in the way you would expect. His "good guys" always get what they deserve, but often not for many years. I really enjoy following characters through twenty plus years of their lives.
I find that a Ken Follett book is about the only thing that can capture my attention outside of my paranormal genre binge I'm on right now. If you haven't read Follett before, I suggest you try The Pillars of the Earth or A Dangerous Fortune. As for me, you'll see me in the Beaumont, Texas public library with my arms full of Ken Follett books because I am officially hooked!
Just One Gripe:
Follett needs to take the overt sexuality down a notch. A Dangerous Fortune got downright bawdy several times.
The Best Thing About This Book:
I love Follett's character development. He makes his characters so real.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
No way---too many bedroom scenes. There are also several murders and a sociopathic madman featured in this book.
Score:
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Setting/Imagery: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Total Score: 25/25
PS: I have just discovered on Ken Follet's website, that The Pillars of the Earth was made into a miniseries in 2009! I am putting it at the top of my Netflix list and will be watching it asap!
I'm gonna have to check out some of her writing...
ReplyDeleteNice blog, BTW. ;)
Xoxo
Brent
I have never read Ken Follett but I have heard he is a very popular author. Great review and thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCEP
Ive actually never heard of the book im not sure if its my kind of book but it definitely sounds interested plus it helps that your reviews are always awesome! ):
ReplyDeleteHere from CEP!
ReplyDeleteI agree, nothing is better than a book that surprises you! Fabulous review!
I've never read a single Ken Follet book. Maybe I should remedy this soon? Thanks for the review--Sounds like a great adult read!
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for your comments! I did not start reading Ken Follett until I read The Pillars of the Earth, and now I'm hooked on him. His books are definitely for adults but they are so satisfying---very deep and I love how they follow the characters through their entire lives. They combine mystery, romance, thriller, historical fiction and more.
ReplyDeleteComing from CEP,
ReplyDeleteI've never read a book by him before but you made the book sound so good! I might have to run to my library like you and go pick it up! ;)
Thanks for the review!
I picked this up while Kelli and I were on vacation in Destin and could not stop reading it (which is saying a lot). I'm now going to read Pillars since she liked it so much.
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