5 comments about The Third Twin.

1. I was pretty disappointed in THE THIRD TWIN. This novel could have been very good, and deals with a lot of interesting issues related to genetics and the whole "nature versus nurture" debate. Unfortunately, Follett takes a black-and-white view of most of these issues, and this book taught me very little about them.
   
   The heavy handed political commentary in THE THIRD TWIN was also disappointing. Follett pretty much makes all the villains out to be right-wing Republicans, implying that conservative views on welfare and gun control are somehow evil. I'm certainly not against thoughtful political commentary, but Follett makes no effort to do that here. Instead, he presents all his conservative characters as right-wing caricatures who are hateful, greedy and venal in almost every scene in which they appear.
   
   But even if you're a die-hard liberal, I doubt you'll enjoy this novel. All the twists are fully predictable, and most of the dialog is stilted and expository. The love affair in this novel is completely unbelievable, and the heroine isn't exactly a sympathetic character in many scenes. The plotline involving twins is initially interesting, but eventually devolves into a sensationalistic mess.
   
   Ken Follett is a good writer, but THE THIRD TWIN is not one of his better efforts. My advice is to try some of his earlier work, such as EYE OF THE NEEDLE and PILLARS OF THE EARTH.



2. Maybe somebody will find te first 100-200 pages too slow. Well I think they are a very clever and light-to-bear outline of life in the Middle Ages. Edulcorated: maybe. Used inside a fiction, so impossible to be completely faithful and to span the life of a man from every point of view, yet close enough to grasp the challenges and the habits of life at that time. After that, the plot is mastered as probably only this great writer can do.



3. The basic theme of this book has to do with genetic engineering that was secretly conducted many years ago. What initially appears to be a case of twins born to different mothers, turns out to be something else altogether. Genetic researcher, Dr. Jeannie Ferrami, is conducting a study on twins. This brings her into contact with law student, Steve Logan, who is his parents' only child and surprised to have been asked to participate in this study involving twins.
   
   When a heinous crime occurs at the University where Dr. Ferrami works, Steve finds himself accused of the crime, although he claims that is innocent. When DNA results, rather than exonerate him, confirm that he is, indeed, the culprit, he is shocked. The only answer is that he has a secret twin of whom both he and his parents have been unaware.
   
   As Steve and Dr. Ferrami are thrust into this genetic mystery, they find themselves beleaguered by forces that will stop at nothing to prevent them from discovering the secret that has lain dormant from prying eyes for so many years. It is a secret for which those at the pinnacle of power will kill in order to keep it under wraps.
   
   This is a moderately entertaining novel but not one of this author's better efforts. Thematically provocative, it is a fast-paced, though predictable, plot driven book. It fails, however, in its execution, as the characters are unsympathetic and two dimensional, hampered by stilted dialogue that is sometimes laughable.



4. I was sad to see the negative reviews aimed at this book because of the right-wing politics of the bad guys. The actual aims and accomplishments of the trio go far beyond currently accepted politics. For instance, the bad guys protect and encourage a person given to multiple rapes and assaults, and the presidential candidate supports forced sterilization of welfare recipients.
   
   If you can deal with that then you can enjoy a good Follett thriller. The bad guys are hoping that a takeover of the gene manipulation company that they own will make them $60 million each. For one, that will finance his run for president and for the others, riches far beyond anything they're used to. Unfortunately, the company has a well-hidden secret in its past that could torpedo the deal.
   
   Against the partners there is only Jeannie, who is unaware of the secret and is a junior lecturer studying identical twins raised apart. The announcement of the takeover is due in a week, and one of the bad guys at the beginning of the book wonders if the secret will ever be discovered in time to stop the takeover. Like him, I felt that there simply wasn't time for this to happen - the odds seemed too great.
   
   Add to this that one of the bad guys runs the department that Jeannie works in, and that another important person is wrongly arrested, and things look hopeless.
   
   However, this is where Follett's skill in plotting comes in. I find that his best thrillers (like Jackdaws) work with a short time period, like a week or a day. This book is no different and plot twists affect the book every few pages, it seems.
   
   It's pretty much impossible to go on without revealing some of the plot, so I'll stop here and recommend that you read this book. As someone who holds views similar to Ken Follett's (supporting the British Labour Party when I lived there) I had to look up his personal details on his web site to discover what his political views were. They're certainly not obvious from this book, which has a cast of many highly-believable characters, both good and bad.



5. this is a great book. i read it twice. it keeps you guessing at every turn.

5 comments about Eye of the Needle.

1. One word came to mind after finishing this book. WOW! I believe this is the best spy thriller I have ever read. He was cunning and so devious, he kept outsmarting all those who were trying to find him. But in the end he was no match for the adversary Ken Follett put him up against.
   I have read Mr. Follett before and he has never disappointed me. I look forward to reading more of his works.
   If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and you don't want to put it down, you MUST read this one.



2. I won't go into the plot of the book because it seems every other reviewer does.
   
   I found it entertaining to read. It develops and brings together characters nicely.. he paints a nice picture of what is going on in your "minds eye".
   
   Luckily I had never seen the movie to provide me with any input other than my own little brain :-)
   
   I will be reading more of his work.



3. Ken Follet wrote this book and came out of the gates as the leader contender in the World War II Thriller category. Eventually, it was made into a pretty good movie with Donald Sutherland. Why did I think it was such a good book?
   
   (1) He established that Hitler is weighing the need for information on the Allies intentions on the Western front. If Hitler can predict - and foil - the Allies invasion so the theory goes, then he can throw his Western divisions against the Communist onslaught in the East.
   
   (2) Intimate Plotting - the plot revolves around the German spy (codename: "Needle" or Die Nadel), a woman and the investigator. By bringing into a real, intimate forum, the character jump off the page . He uses a neat triangulation of destiny to finally fulfill the suspense and premise of the book.
   
   (3) The "What If" - Suspense at its best, particularly when the stakes are the greatest invasion in HIstory.
   
   (4) Excellent complication - Die Nadel is a particularly adept spy. He doesn't even trust his fellow German spies for fear that they have been compromised (which was true in England's case of subverting all the German spies during this period).
   
   The book is an essential read for the thriller and World War II genre.



4. I was incredulous at the end of the book because all I could think was: When Faber went back to the shepherd's cabin alone to neutralize the shepherd, why didn't he send his radio message to Hitler then??? He was alone with a functioning radio and he could have contacted the U-boat that was there to pick him up and he could have transmitted his critical, war-winning news to the Feurer. Why did he come all the way back to the woman, then go through all the drama that followed trying to get BACK into the shepherd's cabin to send his message?? You can drive a tank through a plot hole that big!



5. Ken Follet wrote this book and came out of the gates as the leader contender in the World War II Thriller category. Eventually, it was made into a pretty good movie with Donald Sutherland. Why did I think it was such a good book?
   
   (1) He established that Hitler is weighing the need for information on the Allies intentions on the Western front. If Hitler can predict - and foil - the Allies invasion so the theory goes, then he can throw his Western divisions against the Communist onslaught in the East.
   
   (2) Intimate Plotting - the plot revolves around the German spy (codename: "Needle" or Die Nadel), a woman and the investigator. By bringing into a real, intimate forum, the character jump off the page . He uses a neat triangulation of destiny to finally fulfill the suspense and premise of the book.
   
   (3) The "What If" - Suspense at its best, particularly when the stakes are the greatest invasion in HIstory.
   
   (4) Excellent complication - Die Nadel is a particularly adept spy. He doesn't even trust his fellow German spies for fear that they have been compromised (which was true in England's case of subverting all the German spies during this period).
   
   The book is an essential read for the thriller and World War II genre.

5 comments about A Place Called Freedom.

1. As always, another one of Ken Follett's books that I loved. This book takes you back to Scotland in the 1700's. Even though the book may have had some predictable parts, it was hard to put this book down. The story begins in the coal mines of Scotland and takes you through a beautifully told story of love, lust, greed and envy. A must read for all of Ken Follett fans.



2. I've never read a lot of Ken Follett's work. His two historical fiction novels, World Without End and Pillars of the Earth picqued my interest and led me to delve a little deeper into his earlier efforts. I must say after reading this novel that I was quite disappointed.
   
   A Place Called Freedom is at best quite mediocre. There is virtually nothing to recommend it above hundreds of other similar books. There were flashes of interest concerning mining conditions and southern plantation practices in the mid-18th century, but by and large it was utterly unremarkable.
   
   Hard working, ambitious, intelligent Scottish miner, spends 400 pages being attracted to a young open minded highly sexed heiress both in Scotland and over seas in pre-revolutionary America. I wonder how it ends?



3. The main protagonists are Mack McAsh, a coal miner and Lizzie Hallim, a high-born young woman, who has to marry a rich man to save her family. Their love story develops over the course of the novel, as the story progresses. Mack is a young coal miner, a very strong, stubborn, hot-blooded and intelligent guy. He is a property of Sir George Jamisson, who owns the coal mines in the village called Heugh in Scotland. Mack works extremely hard in in the cruel and dangerous coalfields. However, he does not want to accept his fate. He never loses his passion for freedom. Mack challenges his owner and flees to London, where he works as a coal heaver and quickly becomes a leader of the heavers. Meanwhile, Lizzie gets married to Sir George's son, Captain Jay Jamisson, and they move to live in London. Then Sir George gives them a tobacco plantation in Virginia as a wedding present. In London, Mack accidentally gets involved in a riot and is sentenced to be transported to Virginia. In America, Lizzie and Mack flee together and fight for their freedom in the western wilderness.
   
   The book is too predictable and the plots are simple. There are too many coincidences and the ending is weak. I believe this book is definitely not Mr Follett's best. However, it's a fast read and quite entertaining. It also briefly but interestingly introduces the turbulent politics on 1760s Scotland, England and America.
   
   I would strongly recommend other books by the same author, including "The pillars of the earth" and "World without end". Those books are great!



4. Short book, good story. I'd place Follett in the running with William Martin, Preston Douglas and Lincoln Child. Being of celtic origin myself I enjoy reading about the beginnings of my heritage and Diana Gabaldon has the best series in that respect. Follett's research is excellent and tracing a scotsman from his origin to the american indians and a new life in America is an interesting and fast paced read. You won't regret reading this book - but move quickly into Pillars of the Earth and World Without End - they are beyond excellent.



5. I felt that this book was well-researched and the characters nicely rounded. I learned a few things about coal mining among other things, and I always love it when I pick up a historical novel and learn new facts!

5 comments about The Hammer of Eden.

1. Ken Follett has written many exciting books. This is not one. It doesn't even feel like him - I kept going back to the coverpage to make sure it wasn't written by someone else.



2. Hammer of Eden is one of only a few contemporary novels written by Ken Follett. He is more well known for his historical/World War 2 novels. The Hammer of Eden has a different feel to it but still maintains some of the classic Follett elements such as strong characterization and quick prose.
   
   Priest, an aging leader of a cult, has to do something to save their commune from being flooded by a dam that is to soon be built. Priest threatens the governor with an earthquake if he doesn't put a stop to the building of all future power plants. Priest can do this because of Melanie, a recent arrival at the commune that hates the world and her ex-husband and was a siesmologist in college. She knows a lot about earthquakes, and so does her ex-husband. She steals some data from him and Priest steals a truck called a seismic vibrator and now they are ready to cause earthquakes if they don't get their way.
   
   Priest is the strongest character in the book. He can be sensitive and sweet then downright ruthless. Trying to stop Priest is Judy Maddox, an FBI agent given the case as a demotion. Furious at the lack of respect she is shown, she throws her all into the case and discovers the earthquake threat is real. She joins forces with Michael Quercus, a seismologist, and Melanie's ex-husband.
   
   While fun to read, the plot twists were handled poorly. We find out early that Melanie and Michael are related and much could be solved if Judy knew more about Melanie and Michael. When she does finally find out, it is kind of anti-climactic.
   
   Still, if you are all Follett fan, then definitely read this book. If you are considering Follett, I suggest you check out some of his other books like Hornet Flight or Dangerous Fortune first.



3. This book was a bit of a page turner. The most interesting thing about it other than it was a good read like all Follett's books are is that the villain has so many likable qualities that you get suckered at first just like his victims.



4. A very interesting, and quite novel, approach to mystery writing. Ken Follet is one of my favorite authors who never fails to create interesting characters, establish great tension and suspense, and leave you with a few surprises. This was a very interesting read.



5. When a writer is out of ideas, he writes about characters. And when he has no characters, he writes the Hammer of Eden. A briefly intriguing idea is lost through lackluster plotting, flat characters and painfully inadequate dialogue. The idea of a terror group actually causing an earthquake with a seismic measuring truck is just so preposterous that no suspension of belief is possible. Throw in a hippie commune, a female FBI agent and a bunch of forgettable characters, and you actually feel sorry for the trees that were sacrificed for this production. I don't mean to be cruel to KF, but it's very frustrating reading page after page expecting something different to happen, only to be disappointed.

No comments about Jackdaws [Unabridged].

No comments about Triple.

5 comments about Lie Down with Lions.

1. Lie Down With Lions, Ken Follett's final spy thriller before he began the cycle of historical books that occupied him for a decade, takes place mostly in the mountains of Afghanistan in about 1982, during the height of US-funded resistance to the Soviet invasion. Here a CIA agent and decorated Vietnam veteran, a British woman he loves, a French doctor who is a KGB operative posing as an international aid worker (and also the husband of the British woman), and the KGB itself all interact among Afghan resistance fighters (the fathers of today's Taliban) who seek to throw out the Soviets and establish an Islamic nation governed by the Koran. This time out Follett's novel is less about suspense than it is the straightforward telling of a sound story. The violence is held to a minimum and always the plot rests squarely in the gray hues that lie between the black and white morality so common among other authors. Unlike so many other Follett tales, particularly Triple, this book does seem a bit dated with its Cold War Realpolitiks and Islamists as good guys, but as a vehicle for a jaunt back in time to when the world stage was a different place, this is an interesting trip. There is also the matter of its unexpected ending, which was a stroke of genius. All I'll say is that in the last pages when all seemed at its darkest, Follett delivered a deus ex machine-style happening that settled scores magnificently in a satisfying way I didn't see coming. Lie Down With Lions is a perfect example of why a good book can be more fun to read than a great one.



2. This came across as a somewhat new version of his popular "Eye Of The Needle." The complicated setting is Afghanistan. The undercover agent is trying to keep the Afghan tribes from fighting each other & to fight the invaders. The erotic plot that interferes with his mission is a love triangle. A sexy English nurse, her French husband {a KGB agent}, & her former CIA boyfriend. This book has Folletts usual depth of characters, a mildly outdated plot, & a higher dose of eroticism than his other works. Not his best, but always worth reading.



3. Each of Jane's lovers is a spy and a liar; one an American for the CIA and one French for the KGB. A spy has to lie and Jane lies with each in bed.
   This story follows these lovers and spies from France to war torn Afghanistan in the early eighties. Russia has invaded Afghanistan and the Lion Afghan mountain men are fighting for their lives and freedom.
   
   This suspenseful and romantic adventure takes as many twists and turns as the Kantiwar Pass through which it travels. Ken Follett does a good job describing the Afghan Lions, the mountain freedom fighters and their families, as well as the harsh conditions under which they have to live. This story also has a hot love making scene which could melt the snow in the highest Afghan Mountain Pass just with its descriptive verse.
   
   The author truly does a wonderful job of bringing you to Afghanistan in a story full of romance, suspense, and adventure; I really enjoyed my first Ken Follett novel.



4. Follett's masterful story of intrigue and complicated romantic relationships is set during the time of the Russian conflict in Afghanistan. The insight is even more relevant today as we have replaced the Russians. The reader will gain a deeper understanding of the tribal infrastructure and outlook. If you saw the poorly produced TV series, don't hold it against this book. It's the real deal and worth the read.



5. I've read several Follett books now, and this one was just ok. I'm not sorry I read it, but it's not something I'll keep or really recommend.
   
   The Russian/Afghan conflict is an interesting one, and the CIA vs. KGB element is historically interesting. The spy story stuff and technology and hierarchy/strategy makes the story worth it. But the love story is not really convincing -- he doesn't really spend enough time developing the relationships involved for any of them to really pull at your heartstrings. The sex scenes, like in all Follett, are just awful! I really wish he's leave them out of his stories -- he so clearly likes writing them, but he's really bad at it!
   
   Overall, I wouldn't rush out to get this one, but if you run across it, it's worth reading. Solid 3 stars....

5 comments about On Wings of Eagles.

1. Follett's descriptions of people in his other books--Code, St. Petersburg, Needle--differ in many ways from the descriptions given in his name here. An example is the (second) introduction of Glenn Jackson, a computer programmer and operator, on pg. 226 of the 1983 paperback edition. The speaker talks about the man as if he's familiar, referring to him by his nickname "Rocket Man", without quotes. Adulation by the narrator for this person isn't necessary for the story. But the narrator isn't introduced as a participant in the story. Given that this familiarity and this adulation is frequent, and annoying, in descriptions of people who worked with Ross Perot, it must be Perot dictated parts of the book to Follett. Perot wanted to praise the people who worked for him, and it's his praise we see in the text.
   
   So, just staying with this typical passage, the person is described as "a combination of a first-class mathematical brain and the ability to stay calm under stress". This is the business vernacular of Ross Perot. Follett would never independently add the articles, which is typical Texan and western U.S. talk. His narrator would never subjectively classify someone as "first-class", which is crude and strictly businessman talk, nor refer to a character by his "brain", which is immature or adolescent jive. Nor does Follett ever get wrong "duress" for "stress", which the narrator does here--staying calm necessarily precludes being stressed, nor can one be "under" stress.
   
   This late passage is selected, not because the narrator gave way later to Perot's influence, but because the narrator has never seemed to let up, despite reader hopes, in his subjection to that influence. The narrative is just brimming in many other ways with irrelevant accounting. It keeps accounting for circumstances that have little bearing on the central story, whereas in Follett's own books, elements revolve around the central plot or he excludes them as purposeless.
   
   One of the least interesting passages is the several pages (100-103) in which the narrator slowly introduces each one of the ten men who form the first rescue group. We are not interested in them until they do something. They are just a bunch of guys sitting around discussing a rescue that is far in the future. For instance, the narrator says that the second man in his list, Boulware, is a full five inches taller than Poche, the first man he has described. It isn't as though Boulware is using his height in the room or will be definitely using it in a rescue--or that we could possibly remember this trivia hundreds of pages later when an actual rescue takes place. And this section is just chock full of trivia like this.
   
   I lost interest in the rescue of these men from a Tehran jail. I wanted to know, instead, how Ken Follett felt when he was liberated to write his own books after this one.



2. When some of the employees of the large company that made Perot lots of money get into serious trouble he doesn't get much joy from official channels.
   
   Therefore, he decides to put together his own official rescue insertion and retrieval operation to get his people out.
   
   An interesting tale, indeed, alongside Follet' other fictional works.
   
   
   3.5 out of 5



3. I absolutely loved this book. Full of brilliance, persistence, determination, loyalty, adventure, inspiration... it was a really entertaining and uplifting to read and I couldn't believe it was a true story!



4. I was on the edge of my seat from the first 10 pages. This story was unbelievable and knowing that it was a true story made it even better.



5. After reading _The Pillars of the Earth_ and its sequel, I was doing a little Web research (Wikipedia) on the Perot rescue and found out that Ken Follett had written a book about it: "What luck!" I thought.
   
   I thought wrong. The format of this book is so dry and dull it was almost unreadable. I forced myself about half-way through just to get the information, and by that time, I couldn't give up on it, even as a loathed every page.
   
   The plain fact of the matter is that this story is just NOT that interesting. It's a big tease. Nothing ever happens. In the end, the same result would have come to pass even if Perot hadn't sent the rescue team. And also, so much for Perot being a big capitalist hero: He was in Iran setting up a socialist welfare state for Iran, much like he helped establish here in the U.S.
   
   The story of Perot's "rescue" of his socialism-enabling employees is worth of an extended magazine article, but not a full-length book. And no matter the length or format, Follett's approach to "non-fiction" novel writing (which he says this isn't) is mind-numbingly boring.
   
   Avoid this volume at all costs.

5 comments about The Pillars of the Earth.

1. I really enjoy listening to audio books to and from work and was really looking forward to this one. I had asked for it at Christmas because there were so many rave reviews, it was a longer book and this would keep me involved for some time. There were so many times I almost gave up on the book and listening to the last CD, I realized how relieved I was to be done with it. Although there was finally some positive experiences for the characters towards the last remaining quarter of the book, the reader is in for a long haul of poorly developed characters that had no depth and the brutalization of them throughout their history. I couldnt fall in love with any of the them, couldnt feel nor sympathize with any of their passions or pursuits, basically had a hard time caring. It is really hard to know about a character who answers a question with "Yes", but it is described as saying Yes in an elaborate way... If I were playing a drinking game like "High Bob" that we played many years ago in college, I would have ample opportunities for a swig if we took a gulp every time a charater thought to themselves "and he/she realized she was about to die". GEEEEZZZZ! I was absolutely put off by the very brutal and violant acts that were played out in such detail... unfortunately, this is the only place where details seemed to be so graphic. Maybe this is unfair. There is some detail with building the church. But I was left thinking...so who cares? Unless you can already visualize what it takes to build a church, the dragged out details are lost on you.



2. I'm only part way into reading this book - but it's one of those that I can't put down. Not only is it well written, but it is also a fascinating study of the period and a well developed cast of characters. I'm thoroughly enjoying Pillars of the Earth.



3. 
   
   When I finally came to the conclusion that I was to read the Pillars of the Earth for my summer reading, I was rather skeptical that a near thousand page book, dealing with the construction of a cathedral could keep me inspired enough to read it. I was ineffably mistaken.
   
   Ken Follet introduces the book in a scene that feels abruptly tossed at us, but is nevertheless a phenomenal foundation to the plot. Follet chooses to write the chapters, deviating from character to character. By the time you finish the first chapter, your enticed by one of the main characters, Tom. You simply cannot wait to know what follows the end of chapter, so naturally you'll eagerly begin to read the subsequent chapter and notice that the perspective has changed to another character. "What's this?" I couldn't help thinking angrily. I continued turning the pages, impatiently waiting for mention of the character that I just formed a bond with, and to my surprise, I quickly realized the current character is just as eloquent written and genuinely admirable as the previous. Follet uses this tactic throughout the novel that you ultimately come to understand and appreciate all the characters on some deep level, from Tom to Prior Phillip, William of Hamley, Aliena, Jack, Richard, Ellen, and Waleran Bigod.
   
   The plot also becomes as gratifying in its authenticity as it's characters. The beautifully vivid world of 12th Century England becomes as genuine as today's society is to us. After reading a copious number of pages, it takes some effort to snap back to our 21th century society. Follet balances, although some may argue, the unfortunate events and the elations of the novel perfectly. It's the sorrows that characters experience that give us such powerful, jovial feeling when something finally goes right. Although it stands as the basis of the novel, the Cathedral of Kingsbridge stands for so much more. It's what continuously caused admiration and despair, till Jack's motivational ardor constructed the most magnificent cathedral in all of England.
   
   The only negative thing that I can bring up about the novel is the incessant malevolent acts Bishop Waleran commits. His never ending plots to destroy Prior Phillip, although understandable to some level, become tiring by the last 20 pages of the book. I understand it as his personality, but it's terribly infuriating when the man simply won't quit. All the better I suppose, for the satisfaction of the conclusion.
   
   Far from the trite novel that I was expecting, The Pillars of the Earth has actually given me insight on certain inscrutable things about life. I will inevitably, I'd think, always admire the characters and words descended me within another world. This truly is epic.



4. I couldn't believe how uncreative this story was. After hearing gushing praise from you know who I expected something better...much better. I found this story boring and predictable. I'm offended when an author can't create drama in a female story line other than repeatedly raping her. It doesn't pass as depth, drama or creative...and it doesn't get a free pass from this reader. Don't bother waiting for it to get better.



5. I guess with all the hype, I expected more. At times it was a very boring read.

No comments about Pillars of the Earth, Unabridged audio Book.