The Evening and the Morning: The Prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, A Kingsbridge Novel (The Kingsbridge Novels Book 4)

I enjoy Ken Follett's books almost without exception. The plot is well developed and interesting, often rooted in historical facts. The characters are engaging. Good guys are wholesome, villains are unforgivably evil. Always a good read. In fact they are son intricate they are invariably a good re-read.

Fast flowing, unbelievably tense at times but a fantastic read. It establishes Kingsbridge, a base for the rest of Follett's books. Wonderful book.

A good book of not as marvellous as Pillars, still a solid effort. Cheers, Ken. Writing is hard, and it's a big book.

This reviewer is of the view that the difference between a good and a bad historical novel is often the quality of the background research which the writer undertakes. On that score, Ken Follett is amongst the top grade of contemporary novelists who seek to penetrate and present history as a subject for a novel. Having read, been immersed in, and thoroughly enjoyed Follett’s Kingsbridge series (The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and A Column of Fire) it was with great expectations that I began the fourth book in the series, The Evening and the Morning. This book is a prequel to the first three novels in the series.As with the previous three books, the fourth was meticulously researched. The conditions of life for Anglo-Saxon people living in the west of England is described in detail. There are various plot lines in this novel, concerning royalty, landowners, men and women in religious orders, grafters, young women who are subjected to physical abuse, young men who are easily led, corrupt local government and church leaders, and the odd heroic person. Each character type is meticulously described, with their role in the story followed through in detail, their relationships explored, and their personal strengths and weaknesses displayed.Several characters hold the various narrative strands together; these include Edgar, a local man who suffers early personal loss, but who gradually rises in stature and employment to become a reputable builder of boats, bridges, and buildings. Then there is Ragna, the noblewoman from Normandy and the object of Edgar’s adoration, but who is married to Wilwulf, an important district Elderman. Perhaps the leading villain of the entire novel is the despicable, sacrilegious Bishop Wynstan. There are many other persons who fill important roles in the story, including the kindly Monk Alfred who has a life-long wish that his community will become a centre of learning and pilgrimage. All the characters are part of the Kingdom of England that, at the end of the 1st Millenium A.D. was ruled by King Ethelred, a monarch who seeks to protect the western sector of his kingdom from the Welsh and its eastern sector from the marauding Vikings.The stories of the individuals, their interaction with each other, the religious and political intrigues, the cruelty in the actions of one character to another, the prevailing threat of Viking invasion, slavery, the dominating position of the Church and those who are meant to serve it, the poverty of the ordinary person as well as the general cheapness of life, are all ingredients which provide a feast for the appreciative reader.Several of the story lines take time to develop, indeed, it could be said that the same story lines are over-indulged with occasions of cruelty, discrimination, and drawn-out personal histories. Several of themajor characters seem to suffer disproportionately, and the reader is sometimes left to wonder where the misrepresentation and suffering will end, especially where this applies in a gross and obvious manner to the several people least deserving of it. It comes as a comforting relief, however, when the threads of the various major narratives are drawn together, in a relatively short number of pages, to provide the book with a satisfying climax and conclusion to the story - one that paves the way for the first of the Kingsbridge novels, The Pillars of the Earth.Ken Follett’s book, The Evening and the Morning, is a welcome prequel to his Kingsbridge series of three novels. It is about life that is hard and dark at the end of the Dark Ages in southern England. It is, indeed, an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, death and birth, and love and hate. The inclusion of this novel as the fourth published book in the Kingsbridge series makes the aficionado of Ken Follett’s writing eagerly await the release of the fifth book in the series, The Armour of Light.

Good tale, if you like this era. Enjoyed .

I was very hesitant to pick this prequel up having read all the Kingsbridge series but I'm so happy I did. It's sparked an interest to re-read the series again.

Good story

I was only a couple of pages in and already gripped by the stories of the main character. I could not put the book down after that. Finished it in no time at all and feel sad like losing a good friend now the book is done.

Me gusto mucho el libro Evening and the morning. es la historia de antes de pillars of the earth, cuando Kings Bridge era un caserio insignificante, ni siquiera se llamaba Kings Bridge, sino algo como Berns crossing y no habia ningun puente. Muy interesante imaginar la vida de los abuelos de los personages de Pillars of the earth

Bok, hoppas den är lika bra som nästa i serien.

Ottimo libro da parte di un grande autore, l'oggetto in se (copertina rigida) è molto robusto e di pregevole fattura.

Ken Follett est passé maître dans l’art de raconter une énorme saga historique sans jamais lasser ses lecteurs tant ses personnages sont vivants, les émotions intenses, l’amour, la haine, les trahisons, l’espoir et le désespoir. Les nombreux coups de théâtre font aussi partie du plaisir de la lecture.Il est difficile de ne pas sacrifier ses occupations quotidiennes à cette fascinante lecture. C’est vraiment un ouvrage remarquable (évidemment, très bien documenté).

Kent Follet no suele defraudar, y en este caso es un libro entretenido y bien escrito, para pasar un buen rato leyendo.