BelEdit Book Reviews
Ken Follett tell a cracking story in Circle of Days, in which we are plunged into the daily lives of people in 2500 BC. We follow their individual and tribal travails as they are faced with a drought that extends over several years. Tribes that previously lived in relative harmony are struggling for resources, leading to power struggles. One tribe is inspired to build a new circle of stones around existing ancient standing stones, on the site that is, presumably, Stonehenge.
The Pillars of the Earth is the classic, truly epic Follett novel that millions of readers have loved since it was first published in 1989. Circle of Days is in many ways a comparable story but it doesn’t hold a candle to his chef d’oeuvre. Nonetheless, if you set your expectations at a more reasonable level, you won’t be disappointed.
An immersive story and rich cast of characters
Like many of Follett’s books, Circle of Days is long, it’s epic. It provides the scope to fully explore the characters and tell plenty of parallel stories. All the better to lose yourself in.
Is it historically accurate? Anthropologists or archaeologists would no doubt quibble with plenty of it, I suppose, but for an ordinary reader it feels fairly right. I did keep thinking that the characters’ inner lives and relationships felt rather too sophisticated and complex, but surely that’s due to the arrogance and cultural brainwashing of assuming a huge gap between ‘civilised’ and ‘uncivilised’ humans. People are people, and, one can assume, basic human qualities and failings don’t change. Besides, it’s fiction, so poetic licence is granted.
The two main characters are Seft, a gifted flint miner, and Joia, a priestess who maintains rituals that help the tribes count seasons and years. In addition, Circle of Days gives us a broad cast of characters, from violent men driven by a love of power, to innovative artisans, to priestesses inspired by nature and the divine, along with countless ordinary individuals living out their daily lives in herder, hunter or farmer tribes.
The characters, themes and plot lines hold together in a smooth and coherent narrative that held my attention throughout. Recommended for Follett fans and anyone who enjoys a good yarn.
My thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
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