History Literature / WorldWithoutEnd

** In the books, Caris is viewed as ordinary and Merthin rather odd-looking. In the mini-series, Caris is described as the most beautiful woman of Kingsbridge and Merthin is played by the handsome Tom Weston-Jones.
** Likewise, the book describes Gwenda as unattractive, with rat-like features. In the mini-series, she's played by a woman with a unique but certainly not unpleasant face.

* SneezeOfDoom: And how.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Ralph is the bad guy. Every sex scene with Ralph is rape. Merthin and Caris are the heroes. Merthin and Caris have good and loving sex.

The sequel novel to Ken Follett's ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth'', set 200 years later in Kingsbridge priory and featuring the descendants of the main characters in the previous novel. The catalyst for the tale begins when a group of children sneak away from festivities at Kingsbridge cathedral on Halloween 1327. The children witness a shocking bit of court intrigue. The main character this time is Merthin, the eldest son of a knight and descendant of Jack Builder from the original book. He's passed over by his father for knighthood and forced to become a builder. He quickly proves to be a prodigy at the trade and, like his ancestor, becomes a leading citizen in his efforts to build the small community into something greater. He must overcome many obstacles to realize his ambitions and earn the hand of his true love, Caris, who happens to be a descendant of Tom Builder from the original book. Merthin must deal with his vaguely familiar JerkAss brother, Ralph. Also featured is a peasant girl who is a good friend of Caris, Gwenda.

* AuthorAppeal: Ken Follett must really like sex. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Not that there's anything wrong with that]], but...

** SubvertedTrope. Merthin thinks he impregnated Griselda, so he proposes to her, pressed also by her parents for a ShotgunWedding, but when he finds out that the baby isn't his and everybody but him knows this, he refuses to marry a woman he despises.

** Finally played straight with Philippa and Ralph, although [[spoiler:they're already married. She seduced him by making him believe he's the father, but actually the father is his ''brother'']].

* BlindIdiotTranslation: During their trip in France, Mair and Caris happen to walk along ''corn'' fields. As [[WordOfGod precised by the author]], "corn" here stands for "[[https://ken-follett.com/errata/ any grain crop including wheat, barley and rye]]". It was nonetheless translated into French as "maïs" (maize), a cereal which originated in Mexico, that would be totally unknown in 14th century Europe.

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:Mair]] dies of the plague, as does [[spoiler:Thomas's]] implied lover. Of course, since it was the Black Death, they were hardly the only ones killed off. [[SubvertedTrope Countered]], somewhat, by [[spoiler:Bishop Henri]], who, by the end of the book, is noted as all but married to his male lover.
* ButchLesbian: [[spoiler:Mair]] is as much of one as any woman could be in Medieval times.

* DespairEventHorizon: When it seems to Caris that she lost everything, she starts to fall into apathy. This is when people realize how badly they need her, leading her to [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn her happy ending]] after all, subverting this trope.

* TheDungAges: Oddly enough, given that the earlier period in ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth'' was presented as [[WorldHalfFull grimy but ultimately livable,]] this trope is in full force here. [[CorruptChurch The church]] uses medical practices taken from ancient Greek scholars that include [[WorstAid putting dung on open wounds]], and refuse not only to consider that they might be wrong, but even that they might be in any way incomplete or possible to improve upon. Much is made of how [[MedievalMorons dirty and ignorant]] everyone is. Any woman who doesn't conform to society's expectations risks being [[BurnTheWitch executed as a witch.]] [[AristocratsAreEvil Nobles are oppressive tyrants]], while at the same time, the countryside is full of murderous bandits. [[FromBadToWorse And then the Black Death rolls around...]]

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Queen Isabel, the She-Wolf of France; although she's only mentioned, she's a bright example and her actions have a significant impact on the plot. Oh, and have we mentioned this trope is TruthInTelevision?

* {{Hypocrite}}: Caris freely admits, at least to herself, that she is this and that she sees nothing wrong with it — in her view, some people turn into degenerates without [[TheFettered strict rules holding them at bay,]] whereas [[{{Ubermensch}} other people]] (like herself, needless to say) not only don't need them, but are held back by them from expressing their [[TheUnfettered true free-thinking greatness.]] Unfortunately, the latter need to at least ''pretend'' to follow the rules, or else the former will see them as this trope and consequently refuse to do as they are told.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Averted with the town of Kingsbridge as a whole, but Caris's views on... well, pretty much ''anything'' would be standard for a twenty first century agnostic liberal.

This page is for the book by Ken Follett. Not to be confused with the classic 1950s sci-fi film of the same name.

* VillainousCrush: Ralph Fitzgerald has been obsessed since his teens with Lady Philippa, the Countess of Shiring and older than him, a poor squire. He [[spoiler:murders his first wife]] as soon as she's widowed and forces her to marry him. But RealityEnsues as Ralph has now to live with a woman who's not so young anymore and who utterly despises him. The crush lasts as long as you'd expect.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: In the books, Caris is viewed as ordinary and Merthin rather odd-looking. In the mini-series, Caris is described as the most beautiful woman of Kingsbridge and Merthin is played by the handsome Tom Weston-Jones.

* AmoralAttorney: Gregory Longfellow, Goldwyn's trusted lawyer is totally amoral and bends the rules to do his client's bidding, no matter how questionable his actions are.

* TheBabyTrap: SubvertedTrope. Merthin thinks he impregnated Griselda, so he proposes to her, pressed also by her parents for a ShotgunWedding, but when he finds out that the baby isn't his and everybody but him knows this, he refuses to marry a woman he despises.

* ButchLesbian: [[spoiler:Mair]] is as much of one as any woman could be in Medieval times.

* BreakTheHaughty: Annet, an arrogant young woman who loves seeing men fighting for her and dumps a good man just because he becomes poor, [[spoiler:gets brutally raped by Ralph]]; she even becomes TheWoobie, despite her dickish behaviour [[spoiler: as her family is wiped out by the plague and regrets refusing a man who really loved her]].
* CareerVersusMan: An unusual example with Caris and Merthin. When they reunite as adults, Merthin wishes she could leave the monastery, marry him and raise his daughter. Caris isn't impressed with his proposal since as a nun [[spoiler: and then prioress]] she enjoys a lifestyle that she wouldn't enjoy as a married woman (i.e. managing an hospital, keeping the accounts of the abbey) [[spoiler: and also as the prioress she is pretty much the ruler of Kingsbridge]]. [[spoiler: She decides to leave the abbey when the power struggle with the monks leave her unable to do her job, and when Merthin helps her open a secular hospital.]]

* TheDungAges: Oddly enough, given that the earlier period in ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth'' was presented as [[WorldHalfFull grimy but ultimately liveable,]] this trope is in full force here. [[CorruptChurch The church]] uses medical practises taken from ancient Greek scholars that include [[WorstAid putting dung on open wounds]], and refuse not only to consider that they might be wrong, but even that they might be in any way incomplete or possible to improve upon. Much is made of how [[MedievalMorons dirty and ignorant]] everyone is. Any woman who doesn't conform to society's expectations risks being [[BurnTheWitch executed as a witch.]] [[AristocratsAreEvil Nobles are oppressive tyrants]], while at the same time, the countryside is full of murderous bandits. [[FromBadToWorse And then the Black Death rolls around...]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: After decades of troubles, the war and The plague, everyone gets richer or gets married, or both.]]

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Queen Isabel, the She-Wolf of France; although she's only mentioned, she's a bright example and her actions have a significant impact on the plot. Oh, and have I mentioned this trope is TruthInTelevision?

* TheImmune: It is stated several times that those who catch the plague and recover never catch it again. Examples include Merthin, Brother Thomas and Merthin's daughter Lolla. Then there are some people who seem to be naturally immune, such as Caris and Madge Webber, who is sadly survives her husband and children.
* KickedUpstairs: [[spoiler:Philemon is kicked out of Kingsbridge on the pretense of being embassador to Avignone.]]

* LoveDodecahedron: It gets neven messier than ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth''.

* MoralityChain: Merthin is a downplayed version of this to Ralph. Ralph only feels shame when he thinks of how his brother would disapprove of his behaviour, but this never actually stops him from committing any evil acts.

* NunTooHoly: Caris is essentially an agnostic, and not good at following her oaths of chastity and obedience.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Averted with the town of Kingsbridge as a whole, but Caris's views on... well, pretty much ''anything'' would be standard for a twenty-first century, agnostic liberal.

* WomanScorned: Elizabeth Clerk, one of Merthin's ''many'' RomanticFalseLead, actively supported Godwyn in destroying Caris, Methin's OneTrueLove.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Caris freely admits, at least to herself, that she is this and that she sees nothing wrong with it — in her view, some people turn into degenerates without [[TheFettered strict rules holding them at bay,]] whereas [[{{Ubermensch}} other people]] (like herself, needless to say) not only don't need them, but are held back by them from expressing their [[TheUnfettered true free-thinking greatness.]] Unfortunately, the latter need to at least ''pretend'' to follow the rules, or else the former will see them as this trope and consequently refuse to do as they are told. The narrative seems to agree with her, making it a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop.

* NurtureOverNature

* AuthorAppeal: Ken Follett must really like sex. [[TropesAreNotBad Not that there's anything wrong with that]], but...

* TheImmune: It is stated several times that those who catch the plague and recover never catch it again. Examples include Merthin and Brother Thomas. Then there are some people who seem to be naturally immune, such as Caris and Merthin's daughter Lolla.
* KickedUpstairs: [[spoiler:Philemon]], at the end of the book.

* LoveDodechaedron: It gets neven messier than ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth''.

* LukeYouAreMyFather: [[spoiler:Gwenda tells Ralph that Sam is his son to avoid him being hanged.]]

* RetiredBadass: Brother Thomas was a ''knight''. [[spoiler:He had good reasons for becoming a monk.]]

* AllMenArePerverts: Ralph, Alan, Bishop Richard, and Merthin. Godwyn is an inverse example, being completely asexual and having a lust for power.

* AllMenArePerverts: Ralph, Alan, Bishop Richard, and Merthin. Philemon is an inverse example, being completely asexual and having a lust for power.

* BreakTheHaughty: Annete, an arrogant young woman who loves seeing men fighting for her and dumps a good man just because he becomes poor, [[spoiler:gets brutally raped by Ralph]]; she even becomes TheWoobie, despite her dickish behaviour.

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Gwenda's plan to make Wulfric love her? Drug him so he's horny, then have sex with him. He resists this, but then she seduces him when he's half-asleep and crazy with grief. Aside from a comment from Caris pondering the morality of these actions, it's treated as perfectly fine, and Gwenda isn't given nearly the bad treatment that Ralph gets for behaving similarly towards her.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Everyone and anyone.

* FeudalOverlord: Ralph.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex

* HolierThanThou: Godwyn.
* HospitalHottie: Caris is definitely this.
* HotterAndSexier: Pretty much, compared to ''Literature/ThePillarsOfTheEarth''.

* MissingMom: Caris' mother died in the early chapters.

* ParentalSubstitute: Aunt Petranilla tried to be this to Caris, but she failed.

* RapeAsDrama: C'mon, Ralph.

* SinisterMinister: Godwyn is not a positive influence on Kingsbridge.