The Evening and the Morning: The Prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, A Kingsbridge Novel

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Or to put it another way, the central character of the Kingsbridge series is Kingsbridge, Follett’s fictional English town. Plot twists and historical goings-on fuel a stellar story that seeks to lay the foundational groundwork for what is to come, a sensational trilogy about a cathedral and the town that develops around it. Follett does play with similar tropes many times over, but these characters are still themselves, not carbon copies, and they respond to their world in different ways than do Jack, Aliena, Waleran, Philip, Merthin, Caris, and the rest. We meet soldiers, servants, slaves, thieves, ordinary workers and tradesmen, guards, a nasty alehouse keeper, and vicious villains.

There is something to be said for this, while also penning massive tomes to get as much information shared as possible. When this novel begins, Kingsbridge does not exist; we have no bridge, no priory, no market, no guildhouses, no thriving point of commerce.The sexual violence against young girls and women made for uncomfortable reading and I think he could have toned it down a little and still would have got his point across without being so coarse. The characters, many who are filled with greed and ambition, were so well-developed I felt I knew them.

The length was somewhat prohibitive for me as I am a slow reader, but I chose a time when I could give it the hours it required, and I’m not sorry I did. A lowly monk, Aldred, has hopes to make the impoverished, humble abbey the centre of scholarship and education throughout Europe. While she assumes that she will be able to rule alongside her husband, nothing could be further from the truth.Their fierce occupants were all holding giant fire sticks and, for a moment, Edgar could do nothing but trembling with the terrifying vision! The conversations at times felt oddly too modern, but there’s no doubt that Follett excels at making history so accessible through his captivating characters and story telling. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone but I loved escaping back to the dark ages with this one every evening after work. despre ea că va atinge teme precum trădarea, poligamia, homosexualitatea, dar toate au fost așa de frumos îmbrăcate, încât nu mi-a venit să cred ce repede dădeam paginile. The power of men vs men, men vs the church, men vs their king, men vs women, slavery, the have and the have nots, deceit, violence, brutal punishments, lies, love, lust, religion, revenge, strong and weak characters - phew !

While the world is slowly developing, there is much going on and societies are emerging with their own unique perspectives. But the particulars can be so very different, and in 'The Evening and the Morning', Follett excavates a period of history even lesser-known than the Anarchy which formed the backdrop of 'Pillars of the Earth': that of pre-Norman England. Second, because I keep hearing about Pillars of the Earth and The Century trilogies and keep meaning to read them, but haven't yet. Another masterful work of historical fiction by Ken Follett, and an improvement, I think, on 'Column of Fire'. Ken Follet is a true talent, and The Evening and the Morning was an addictive, engrossing, epic experience, that I have no hesitation in recommending.This time we are looking at the Prequel to his Kingsbridge Cathedral Series, and while it ends about 125 years before Pillars of the Earth begins, he tells a story of how Kingsbridge developed. Lives IntertwinedA Norman noblewoman follows her husband to a new land only to find her life there shockingly different; and a capable monk at Shiring Abbey has a vision of transforming his humble home into a centre of learning admired throughout Europe. Much of the plot revolves around the personal lives of the main players – their loves, losses, dreams, scandals, betrayals, marriage and children.