It’s a long story

Aah, the final book in Ken Follett’s epic Century Trilogy. The audio version of this one sustained me through several long car and plane rides this summer. In it, Follett continues to follow members of the same five Welsh, English, German, Russian and American families beginning in the turbulent 60s and culminating with the election of President Obama. This is a huge, compelling, global story, covering the rise and fall of communism, women’s rights, civil rights, political upheavals and scandals. If you are American and were a fan of Nixon and Reagan, you may not agree with some of the Welsh author’s views. I found them enlightening. Nonetheless, while I appreciate the scope and arc of this series, I found the length of this final chapter grew tedious with too many detailed descriptions of cars, guns, clothes, music and food. But this is the era that the Follett knows best, having lived through it. I just don’t think it needed the extra padding. I recommend the series to anyone interested in the roots of the social, economic and political issues facing us today.