The Evening and The Morning by Ken Follet is a story predominantly centered around a smart, visionary, and an upright young boy named Edgar from a seafront called Combe in 997 CE. He lived during the time when vikings raided towns mainly the ones along the coast and up rivers to steal anything they could carry including young men and women to be captured as slaves(p.13). His place was not an exception that he and his family faced adversity which eventually lead them to a place called “Dreng’s Ferry” where he met with many other characters that soon drives the narrative of The Evening and The Morning. This is a tale of love, of power, and the slices of life with its complexity.

Intermezzo

Before I dive into the story and my review, it has been a while since I actually wrote a book review. I find it really hard not to over analyze a fiction and in the process, I keep wanting perfection as if I were writing for my essays. And as you see, that thinking leads me to procrastination which eventually results in nothing being done. For all I know, I certainly do not want to write awfully for something I am thoroughly passionate about. I am aware though, I can be guilty of being lazy in some of my past reviews. Only later to realize, I have lost my own voice just by being lazy. Back in the day, I read somewhere that there were people who found reviews on “here” that felt like homework/assignments. Perhaps. I know that some of these felt like it was a long essay filled with dispensable words. But I learned from an admirable hiver Hive account@liveofdalla _{(sorry for the name drop)} that long comments and/ carefully picked words and expressive details were sometimes needed to communicate a message. So eventually, I can’t help to ponder this question, “ Who am I writing it for?” Certainly I want this review to be read, commented, and received genuine engagement but at the same time, I do not want to lose my voice in the process. It was not easy to simply write this but I certainly prefer this style over my usual blogging-style when it comes to a book review. In any case, that’s about it for my intermezzo and now let’s dive into the story.

The Evening and The Morning by Ken Follet

I didn’t know what I was thinking when I got this book. All I remember was a friend of mine read a story from Ken’s Follet and I liked it. Later in that week, I got myself a copy or two, which I completely didn’t recall. At first, judging by the thickness of the book and the cover, I was discouraged. I judged the book instantly as “possibly long -winded”. At the time, I quit reading fiction; reading fiction was like entering a haunted house that I wanted to escape as quickly as possible. So, I was mostly reading self-help, biography, and more practical books rather than fiction. Only about two days ago, I found myself picking up this book. I was mostly curious about this book that seemed to be calling me to open its pages. With the little courage and enthusiasm I have, I flipped the first page. As soon as I finished reading the second page, I was hooked.

I was suddenly transported into a seafront town seeing a young boy named Edgar. He was a promising protagonist with a humble life and a dream to be a boat builder just like his father. Somehow, I already sensed that he would meet misadventures. As I flipped more pages, I was right. His dream of becoming a boat builder vanished. He had to lose the love of his life and later became entangled in impossible love. It is important to note that Edgar’s romance wasn’t the only captivating tale in this book. The book includes diverse characters with its own stories, motives, and challenges that they must face.

Another notable character in the book is called Lady Ragnhild or called “ Ragna”. She is a noblewoman from Normandy who sailed far to the west of England in the name of love. Her story of adjusting to a new culture, new language, and a new environment was inspiring. Despite receiving disapproval from her parents, she persisted and moved to a place that his father count of Hubert of Cherbourg, called “cold and wet”. In the book, we were also given hints that something was about to brew into a challenging adversity. As the conversation between her parents below, closing chapter 7 was soon to be the start of Ragna’s adventure in the foreign land.

“ Love triumphs in the end”, “ Just like in those old stories you love.”
“ Quite” “ expect that the stories usually ends in tragedy (p. 159)

For someone like me who vaguely understands the 10th century, I find the local government system intriguing. It took me a while to understand but I eventually found a succinct background of the Anglo-Saxon local government system which I think is important to know before reading the story. However, reading the story will eventually spark your curiosity of these terms. As I see it, Follet really does thorough research into this book, as he presented a complex system of the local government in an enjoyable piece.

Another interesting aspect of the book was how easily this book could have been analyzed using a feminist criticism. Although his book was written by a male author, the female characters in the book were an important drive of the story.The author showed what they were capable of surrounded by powerful men and their sly tactics in order to achieve power. The author portrayed the female characters in the book as determined and strong instead meekly and hopeless women without the will to better their lives. The women had a voice and bravery facing some of the insufferable male characters in the story. For anyone reading this book, these strong women could be an inspiration too just as much as Edgar with his visions and problem-solving attitude. I could go on and on about this analysis but I suppose, it was only one of the ways to analyze this book.

After reaching the last page, I felt like I was witnessing life and death simultaneously. The ending of the book was not something I expected from where it started. At the same time, I did not want this story to end. I wanted to see more tales with Edgar as the Thane of lordsborough. Last but not least, I clearly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction or wanting to be transported into the past.If you are simply looking for a fresh genre change, this can be a mini challenge for you. In the end, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 for its riveting narrative, absorbing conflicts, and exceptional diction.