Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When Ken Follett's Fall of Giants arrived I was stunned at the size of the book. Nearly a thousand pages were before me. Then I wondered why I was surprised. We're talking Ken Follett here. Regardless of size, Follett's books are imminently readable and Fall of Giants is no different. Perhaps the most amazing fact is that Fall of Giants is simply the first installment of a promised Century trilogy. Amazing, but not surprising. I can't wait. The story revolves around five European families from 1911 to 1925. This period of time encompasses the First World War. The period of late the Victorian Age was a time when society was rigid with "manners". The upper classes new their place and weren't shy about letting everyone else know their place as well. If the code of conduct was firmly set for the upper classes and royalty, so was it set for the lower classes as well! If you were a member of the "working" class you knew who your "betters" were and behaved accordingly. Life was hard and took its toll on the masses. Follett does a masterful job at describing the world as it existed at that time and he spends a good deal of time examining the class struggle which went on in much of Europe during this time. His characters are so numerous that he provides an index of them at the book. In most cases he provides us with clear descriptions of those who inhabit his fictional world. I can only assume that character development will continue in the two additional books we are promised. I thought this was a strong point in Pillars of the Earth. The Fall of Giants is a sweeping novel not because of the time period it covers, only 14 years, but because of the story he is telling and because of the era in which it happens. Of all the authors I have read over the years it is James A. Michener that I remember most fondly. His stories are so complete that after finishing one you really felt as though you had accomplished something. You also learned because of reading them. The Source really gives one the sense of the complexities in the Holy Land. Texas, Poland, and Centennial, and others, not only told a story that entertained, but also taught the reader something. Ken Follett is, in many ways, the same. You will be much richer after reading Fall of Giants. I don't even think the length of the book is a negative. I suspect that a competent editor could have found a way to pare down the size. But some stories just take a while to tell. Cutting is always an option, but only so much "fat" can be cut before you're into the meat, and this book is meaty. Try reading Fall of Giants, I think you'll be glad. If you don't want to buy it, check it out from your library. I don't think you'll be sorry for the effort. I highly recommend. Peace always.