Funk Rating: 7.5 out of 10
I think Follett is one of the best writers out there today. His Pillars of the Earth series was absolutely stellar. Unfortunately, I think he reached beyond his grasp with this opening book in a trilogy on the 20th century. Perhaps he's just tired, or perhaps he got too many "helpful" suggestions from his publishing house on what to cover...
It's not a bad book, but it's clear that in an effort to illustrate the major forces and changes in the 20th century, he felt compelled to compile a broad swath of stereotypical characters. Characters that fail to surprise in every way because they are playing a specific role; characters that have no unique characteristics, because there just isn't time to get to know any of them well; characters that fail to inspire because in order to connect dots across the globe, connections between the characters must be manufactured to the point of silliness.
I wish he'd tried to cover less ground, and built the characters more. On the one hand, it's amazing to see and understand how much the world has changed in less than 100 years. And Follett does do a good job of bringing the early 20th century to life. On the other hand, it's just too ham-fisted to really enjoy.
I'll still read the 2nd one, but I suspect I'll wait for a used hardcover or paperback...
