Indian Readers discussion

I am reading the much-loved "The Pillars of the Earth" by Follett. Plan to start with the equally loved sequel "World without End" set in 14th century Europe of "Black Death" - a plague that wiped out 1/3rd of its population and also the Hundred Years War.
Plan to start around 15th Oct. Do join in.

I will join for World without end.

how far have you reached in PoF?

Me too for book 2 as book 1already read (and forgotten :-P)

@Manju, just done with d prologue yesterday. Will plunge in from tomorrow.
@Em Frankly, to me the setting of World without end is better !

Was thinking of trolling Ken Follett to write book #3 in the series set during English Reformation of 16th century. Read on wiki today that it is his ongoing project :)

Arvind, this one is book 2, right? I got so confused by the titles. If so, I am joining in. Have you made great inroads? Or just at the beginning?

Are you at book one or two already?

Book 1 read a long ago.. perhaps 4 years ago.
Anyway the blurb says it is 200 years after book 1 , so I needn't break my head over the characters.. :P

Oh ok so you all are reading two. I thought Arvind is starting with book one..

Am yet to start with this series... :(

World without end is book 2. I m on book 1 page 40 and finding it interesting.
@Jaya U can join me for book 1 which I m reading now - "the pillars of the earth"

Arvind wrote: "World without end is book 2. I m on book 1 page 40 and finding it interesting.
@Jaya U can join me for book 1 which I m reading now - "the pillars of the earth""

ohh ok ok. So will you be reading silk roads as well in parallel with this? I will only be able to join for one not both :((

Arvind wrote: "World without end is book 2. I m on book 1 page 40 and finding it interesting.
@Jaya U can join me for book 1 which I m reading now - "the pillars of the earth""

Please let me know when you start book 2. Immensely interested. :)

Jaya wrote: "Arvind wrote: "World without end is book 2. I m on book 1 page 40 and finding it interesting.
@Jaya U can join me for book 1 which I m reading now - "the pillars of the earth""

ohh ok ok. So will ..."
Silk Roads :)

Update : Am at 44% in "Pillars of the Earth". So should be good for starting World Without End on 15th.
As "Pillars of the Earth" doesnt have any major events as background, I am so tempted to pick up "World Without End" now itself. Reading about the Black Death Plague in a non-fiction history now. And "World Without End" is an alltime bestseller in its own right - 11 million copies as I read recently !

Arvind.. waiting for the World to begin :)

@Arvind: did you finish PoF? liked it?

Will finish it in 3-4 days. At 62%. Loving it!

U and Em can start if u want. I will catch up.

Arvind wrote: "U and Em can start if u want. I will catch up."

we'll start with you only. that way we'll get more time to finish our current reads.;)

I second Manju.

Arvind wrote: "Will finish it in 3-4 days. At 62%. Loving it!"

what's happening now?

William set fire to the market, sheep fair and perhaps the entire town as well.
Took a break of a couple of days here. Will restart today.

Shall we start from tomorrow ? Can wait for a couple of days too.

You finished PoF? How was it?

I can start it from Monday but will go slow with this one..

4/5. 70 pages to go. Wondering if it can end in 70 pages though ? William is still alive and the sheriff, the cunning Bishop Waleran too, and will the cathedral be built ? ;)

Yes it will. :)

I'd love to join you for this reading :) especially since I've read PoF with some of you. I am grabbing another book next for my buddy read, but I will try to catch up with you :)

Karolina, please do so. Eager for you to join in too. :)

So I have started this (finally!). in chapter 2 and first was took me Kingsbridge priory, a place i loved when I visited it last time. New and young characters, lets see how it goes this time.

@Arvind: Are you still reading it or have you finished?

Just done with chapter 1 - 65 pages. Will continue from Sunday.

Oh,, a bad time for me. Don't want to read another historical along with Name of the Rose. You two carry on, and do ping Karolina to see whether she's interested too.

Officially started, and on page 31 (2 chapters in). It seems like Ralph (Rolph) grows up to be the William of this story already! (view spoiler)[ I hate what he did to Gwenda's dog (hide spoiler)].

Otherwise - strong start, really enjoy it :)

am in second part.

yup, a very strong start. and Ralph is a PIG. I am liking his brother. so far its really good and i think women will play a vital part in this.

Yes, we can already see interesting characters forming. I like how Caris and Gwenda are again strong female characters but so different from the women we followed in the Pillars.

Around 17% and so far, so good.

true, women here are just so clever be it Caris, Gwenda or Petranilla. they are very strong and big time manipulators. in male leads am liking Merthin and Godwyn. where Merthin is simple, honest and a truthful lad, Godwyn is exact opposite full of deceit and ambitious.

Dont make me want to read it.. please.. !!!!!!

But it's good!!!! And the reference to Pillars is really delicate - this novel takes place 200 years later

Aaahhh.............. joining in soon. If current schedule can be arranged.

around 18% and loving it so far.

(view spoiler)[If previous book was about building a Cathedral, this one I think will revolve around the construction of a new bridge, but the blurb says it is about plague, so it will interesting to see how these two things will influence each other.

And I politics was as nasty in those times as it is today but then we are talking about Churches, monks and nuns, so I feel very astonished after reading these things in previous book and here too.

Godwyn's lust for power is insatiable. Phillip thought about the good of people when he was the prior but Godwyn wants all that for himself. Using different tricks to be the new prior, and pretending that he is not interested in being a prior, very clever of him.

Also, Ralph's behavior was astounding. Being in service to a rich noble gave him rights to behave in whatever way he likes, even if it was insulting the girl (even if the girl wanted that)? Then Gwenda's father sold her for a cow. I was dumbstruck and I really admired Gwenda for how she escaped from her owner.

Loving the story so far. its really amazing how Follet has used so many characters and their individual stories are also impressive. (hide spoiler)]

I am in chapter 27, around 30% and I totally agree with Manju.

This story is once again entertaining, baffling and gripping. The struggle for power between the church and nobility does not cease to amaze me (that along with little thought given to the lives of common folk).

In a sense this novel has the same skeleton as the Pillars... - people thinking ahead of their time, people striving for power, builder with dreams and challenging project, larger politics and a secret in thebackground, but it does not diminish the grandeur of the novel in any way. It's a great read!

@Manju (view spoiler)[ I think the plague references is to the Black Plague. It was one of the worst epidemic disasters in Europe in 14th century, the timing aligns with that of the book. (hide spoiler)]

Around 70%.

@Karolina: Did you finish?

Am at 7% - a small quake in the cathedral.

reminds me of Jake starting a fire in Cathedral. :)

@Manju, I took some time off from this one as I felt like rushing ahead of everyone else :) I'm going back to this book today, currently at around 66% (chapter 60).

okay. and how are you liking it?

Am liking it but not as much as I liked PoE. this story is going on same lines as its predecessor and its easy to see bad people will keep doing evil things with no one to question them. :/

I see your point, I have similar issue with World Without End. You have the builder, the strong villain, the good monk, the evil monk, the good nobility and the evil one.

However it does not stop me from still enjoying the story. Recent events keep me at the edge of my seat and I just turn page after page to learn what happens. The characters are compelling enough. I'd say it's more like a period drama than historical fiction (reminded me of the TV show I loved - Downton Abbey, not really historically accurate but the characters and plot were just too compelling).

I am enjoying it and it is a page turner, no doubt about there. :)

I get fooled by even ordinary authors all the time happily, but here I can second-guess a little of what was going to happen :)
At 12% and I think Em and I can read in parallel. Yes, its a page-turner.

Am at 20% now.. loving it. And am happy that I have very very hazy memories of Book 1, as if Pichle Janam ki yaad...

15% Follett didnt need to hint that the bridge is going to collapse. But he has me hooked to the end now!