Follett has bitten off much in this trilogy, but has shown his ability to keep all his characters under control and following a decisive path. Fans of the Edward Rutherfurd multi-generational sagas will surely fall in love with this book, as will those who loved the nuanced character development of Jeffrey Archer (who is currently penning his own multi-generational series). I felt that once the trilogy was done, I ought to take the time to read all three and see, with no interruptions, how the series grows and its characters develop. This was my second reading of this novel, the first coming soon after its release.

It only adds to the greatness and intricate detail of this novel. Follett captures these threads and spins them inside the larger character development seen throughout the novel. Underlying these political changes, discussion about universal suffrage cannot be ignored or discounted as important both within Europe and North America. Additionally, the snapshot of Russia shows the discontent seen in the streets and the eventual rise of revolutionary sentiment. With the rise of the Great War developing throughout the early part of the novel, the reader is pulled in to view things from all sides. The historical arc of the novel, 1911-1924, covers a great deal and touches on some very important events. Follett lays the early foundations of a very powerful and deeply intertwined novel sure to grow as history progresses, putting families, nationalities, and alliances to the test throughout.

Filling out the cast of characters is Gus Dewar, an American law student who begins new career in Woodrow Wilson’s White House, and two Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, who seek the freedoms that America alone can offer them. Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory, bridging the story into another family, when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a German living in London while tensions mount and the Great War is imminent. His family acts as a wonderful bridge as Billy’s sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step outside her accepted caste. The reader is introduced to Billy Williams early in the novel, as he enters the Welsh mining pits. First and foremost, happy 2015! What a novel to begin a new year reading and absorbing!Īfter being highly impressed with the Pillars series created by Follett, I hoped to find as much depth and development in the Century Trilogy.The premise, following the fates of five interrelated families against a backdrop of world events is brilliant in its imagining and stellar in its delivery.

Ken follett century