Reviews

it's a long book... and the first of a trilogy. I think there are interesting parts about this story, but.. not interesting enough to read/listen the next two books...

vicer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition

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3.0

pillars of the earth this was not.

jmdaly95's review against another edition

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4.0

Excellent. Looking forward to getting into the second book for Christmas break

aejohnson85's review against another edition

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4.0

I decided to reread this before getting the second in the trilogy to reacquaint myself with the characters. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around!

Follett does a great job of presenting the reasons for the First World War and for drawing all of his characters into the conflict. Sometimes disbelief must be suspended, as it is hard to believe that these characters would be involved in EVERY key development/historical event...however, it does make for an interesting read!

I'm not a fan of the Russian sections of the novel, mostly because I can't stand Lev - he is a horrid character. Grigori is a bit better, but his doormat like behaviour at the beginning of the novel drives me nuts!

I love Ethel and Maud's sections - both were great narrators and it was interesting to see them grow throughout the novel's large timespan!

I've always been a fan of books that follow a family (families) through a period of time, and this is no different. I'm excited to read the second book (hopefully I get it for Christmas)!

adamgifford777's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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