Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2) in Around the World in 80 Books

Aug 25, 2014 Sera rated it it was ok

Shelves: series, own, kindle, historical-fiction

Has Follett's writing always been this bad, or is it a more recent phenomena? Or, am I just aware of what constitutes good writing?

This book is the second of a trilogy and takes place during WWII. Follett's research is spot on, and he doesn't take any liberties with the facts (there's a lesson here for you, Phillipa Gregory). The storylines involving many different characters is also very interesting. However, the writing is so incredibly awful at different points that it detracted from the over Has Follett's writing always been this bad, or is it a more recent phenomena? Or, am I just aware of what constitutes good writing?

This book is the second of a trilogy and takes place during WWII. Follett's research is spot on, and he doesn't take any liberties with the facts (there's a lesson here for you, Phillipa Gregory). The storylines involving many different characters is also very interesting. However, the writing is so incredibly awful at different points that it detracted from the overall story.

For example, one of the characters has hidden certain items in a bag that she had placed in a chair when she came home. She doesn't know there is a SS officer at home with her mother, and she is nervous that the SS officer will look in the bag, finding the contraband. Now, any person with half a brain knows that the mother doesn't know what is in the bag, but Follett writes a few sentences to point that out. This approach is unnecessary and seriously insulting to the reader. I mean does the author think that the mother has X-Ray vision or can read her daughter's mind?

Here's another example. Boy is infatuated with girl. She is his lost first love from when he was a teen. He hires a private investigator to find out where she is. He learns where she lives and where she works. A couple of years later, he takes a date to the restaurant where his long, lost first love works. As he walks in, he ponders why the name of the restaurant seems familiar. When he sits down to order, a server comes to his table, and (SHOCKER) it's his first love. Then, the character thinks: "I was thinking about why I was familiar with the name of this restaurant, but I couldn't recall why, but now I know." Ugh, are you as bored as I am?

What a shame, because there is some really good stuff happening in this book, but it overshadowed by the poor writing. I'll likely finish the series, because I am compulsive like that, but I don't think that I would recommend the series to readers who are more "literary" fiction than "mass market" fiction. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2018 Andy Plonka rated it really liked it

I like that the author has included the cast of characters as I read this one in pieces instead of straight through so the list helped refresh my memory when getting back to it after a break. The various families in different countries provides a different perspective on World War II. Because the author continued the narrative after the war ended added a bit more than novels about this war usually give.

Like · see review

May 28, 2020 Patrick rated it it was amazing

Easy 5 stars. Ken Follett pulled me into Historical Fictions with his Pillars of the Earth masterpiece and The Century Trilogy continues to impress after the amazing 'Fall of Giants'. These are easily among my favorite books by any author. Winter of the World covers so many characters from all over the world during all the years throughout WWII. Even with such large books Ken Follett is able to pull me in right from the first chapter. Hard to put these down and will no question read the last of ...more

Like · see review