Boobie Tassels For Buddha

About 15 years ago, my dad told me about this book I should read called Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I'd read some of his work before and hadn't been terribly impressed. Novels filled with international espionage and romance...that kind of stuff. Not my usual cup of tea unless a fellow with the last name of Fleming is writing it.

My dad surprises me sometimes by the fact that he almost knows who I am. He knew I had more than a mild love for the medieval and classic architecture. He let me know that this wasn't a typical Follett novel. It was something special.

So I eventually got around to reading his copy. It takes awhile to build up the strength to tackle an 800+ page novel that was recommended by someone that thinks Tom Clancy is the greatest writer of this generation.

I read it. It became my entire world until I finished it. I read it again almost immediately. It is without question my favorite novel that I have ever read. It's usually the first thing out of my mouth when someone asks for a book recommendation.

When I heard Follett was doing a sequel to Pillars I ran the usual gambit of emotions. Joy at my favorite novel ever being extended, confusion as to how he could actually make a sequel to a novel that was so utterly "complete", fear that he would destroy his beautiful creation, anger toward him for his arrogance, and finally acceptance that I should wait until I've read it to pass judgment.

It's a good thing acceptance came.

While World Without End didn't have the same impact as Pillars, it is an incredible novel that literally pulls you through it to the end. Once I got 30 pages in there was no stopping me from getting to the end. It may sound odd to say that a 1000+ page novel went by almost too quickly, but it did.

Ken Follett creates great characters. Characters that you get emotionally invested in and you have to find out what happens to them. He has the advantage of his already created archetypes from Pillars to work with. Not the same characters, this novel takes place over 200 years after Pillars, but they are the descendants of those characters and feel very similar.

That may be the only flaw this novel has. For anyone that has read Pillars, this is a very familiar journey. It's not that he's ripped himself off in any way, but with such strong characters in such a familiar setting you can't help but feeling a strong sense of déjà vu.

Aside from that, I can't recommend this novel highly enough. It's a wonderful love story at its heart, and a journey through a very important time in pre-renaissance Europe. Follett is a great writer. The word that describes him best is focused. Some might call him simple or sparse but they said the same things about Hemingway. He is to the point and leaves flowery language and epic descriptions to those that do that best. He is a storyteller. Your mind's eye can paint the landscapes in greater detail; his words are better served elsewhere.

Now go read.