Fall of Giants by Ken FollettMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a massive achievement, no question. "Epic" certainly describes the scope of this novel that manages to narrative the lives of five different families, in multiple places, across the span of several years, beginning in 1911 and stretching into the aftermath of WWI. Follett creates characters who are flawed, and remarkably human in those flaws, against a backdrop that changes all the rules (war). I really appreciated the multiple perspectives from different players as they grapple with or uphold the various party lines. That politics is messy is no revelation, but Follett manages to remind us that while the history books recount war as a hegemonic chess game, there are thousands of lives down on "ground level" that are impacted in myriad ways. I labored to get through some sections about war strategy and the battlefield scenes, but found myself roped back in as the stories of love and loss emerged. I'd say I found the book too long, but admittedly I can't tell you what parts I'd cut (objectively). I'm not sure I love historical fiction or ~1000 page books enough to read the others in the trilogy, but for those who enjoy sagas that strike a good balance between characterization and historical narrative, I'd definitely recommend this.
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