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Ken Follett Quotes

Powerful Ken Follett for Daily Growth

About Ken Follett

Kenneth Merrick "Ken" Follett (born June 26, 1949) is an acclaimed British author known for his intricate and meticulously researched historical and political novels that have captivated audiences worldwide. Born in Cardiff, Wales, Follett's early life was heavily influenced by the coal mining community where he grew up – an environment that would later become a backdrop for one of his most famous works, "The Windsor Saga." Follett studied philosophy, political science, and economics at University College London, but it was during his time in France in 1970 that he decided to become a writer. Returning to the UK, he began working as a journalist for The Guardian newspaper while penning his first novel, "Eye of the Needle," which was published in 1978. The espionage thriller became an international bestseller and brought Follett critical acclaim. In 1989, Follett released "The Pillars of the Earth," a sweeping historical epic set during the construction of a cathedral in medieval England. The book spent over 30 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list and has since sold more than 25 million copies globally. This success led to two sequels, "World Without End" (2007) and "A Column of Fire" (2017), which also received widespread acclaim. Ken Follett's literary career spans over four decades and includes numerous other best-selling novels such as "The Key to Rebecca," "Lie Down with Lions," and "Whiteout." He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, has won numerous awards, and continues to be an influential figure in contemporary fiction.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"History is not the past. It is the sense we make of the past now."

Ken Follet's quote emphasizes that history isn't merely a collection of facts or events from the past, but rather how we interpret and understand those occurrences in the present. Essentially, it highlights that our perception and interpretation of historical events is subjective and influenced by our current knowledge, values, and context. This understanding can help us appreciate the dynamic nature of history and encourage a more nuanced examination of the past as we continue to learn and evolve.

"The story is simple, but the telling is complex."

This quote implies that while a narrative's core idea or plot may be straightforward, the artistry and depth in how it is conveyed can be intricate and multifaceted. In other words, a story's essence might seem simple at first glance, but the way it's told through characters, setting, pacing, and other literary devices adds complexity to the overall experience for readers.

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

This quote emphasizes that our destiny or future isn't something we simply wait for to happen, but rather it's an outcome we actively work towards by making conscious choices. It encourages personal responsibility and proactivity in shaping one's life path, suggesting that success is not a matter of luck but of deliberate action and choice.

"Fear is the enemy of mankind."

The quote by Ken Follett, "Fear is the enemy of mankind," suggests that fear holds back human progress and growth. Fear can stifle our ability to take risks, to innovate, to connect with others, and to pursue our dreams. By acknowledging and overcoming our fears, we can foster understanding, empathy, and ultimately, a more compassionate and progressive society.

"The past is a different country: they do things differently there."

This quote by Ken Follett suggests that the past, as opposed to the present, operates under a distinct set of norms, values, and behaviors. It underscores the idea that societies in different historical periods have unique customs, thought patterns, and modes of operation. Essentially, it invites us to recognize and appreciate the disparities between our current understanding of the world and how things were done in times long past.

I am very fond of Edith Wharton. She's quite high brow but also a great storyteller. My favorite is 'The House of Mirth.' I also like 'The Reef.'

- Ken Follett

Like, Storyteller, Very, Mirth

I started writing stories in my spare time.

- Ken Follett

Writing, Started, Stories, Spare Time

I start with the history, and I ask myself, 'What are the great turning points? What are the big dramatic scenes that are essential to telling the story?'

- Ken Follett

Big, Telling, Turning Points, Essential

World War II is the greatest drama in human history, the biggest war ever and a true battle of good and evil. I imagine writers will continue to get stories from it, and readers will continue to love them, for many more years.

- Ken Follett

Love, Good, World War, Human History

There was a very serious communist strain among American intellectuals before the war. America was a more tolerant place in those days, and Communists were not treated as pariahs. That ended with the McCarthy era.

- Ken Follett

Communist, Strain, Very, Communists

Thrillers have been traditionally very masculine books; the women characters often rather decorative.

- Ken Follett

Very, Masculine, Characters, Decorative

The research is the easiest. The outline is the most fun. The first draft is the hardest, because every word of the outline has to be fleshed out. The rewrite is very satisfying.

- Ken Follett

Research, Very, Rewrite, Satisfying

An awful lot of thriller writers write women rather badly. So just doing it OK gets a lot of credit.

- Ken Follett

Doing, Badly, Awful Lot, OK

I like to create imaginary characters and events around a real historical situation. I want readers to feel: OK, this probably didn't happen, but it might have.

- Ken Follett

Happen, Like, Might, OK

I read mostly fiction, a lot of 19th-century novels.

- Ken Follett

Lot, Mostly, Read, Novels

People are much more complicated in real life, but my characters are as subtle and nuanced as I can make them. But if you say my characters are too black and white, you've missed the point. Villains are meant to be black-hearted in popular novels. If you say I have a grey-hearted villain, then I've failed.

- Ken Follett

Life, Villain, Villains, Novels

We all now tell stories by cutting from one dramatic scene to the next, whereas Victorian novelists felt free to write long passages of undramatic summary.

- Ken Follett

Next, Stories, Summary, Whereas

James Bond is quite serious about his drinks and clothing and cigarettes and food and all that sort of thing. There is nothing wry or amused about James Bond.

- Ken Follett

Nothing, Drinks, James, Cigarettes

In my books, women often solve the problem. Even if the woman is not the hero, she's a strong character. She does change the plot. She'll often rescue the male character from some situation.

- Ken Follett

Strong, Woman, Some, Rescue

I went and looked at one of these great cathedrals one day, and I was blown away by it. From there I became interested in how cathedrals were built, and from there I became interested in the society that built the medieval cathedral. It occurred to me at some point that the story of the building of a cathedral could be a great popular novel.

- Ken Follett

Some, Away, Became, Blown Away

For success, the author must make the reader care about the destiny of the principals, and sustain this anxiety, or suspense, for about 100,000 words.

- Ken Follett

Destiny, Author, Reader, Principals

After a certain point, most people, including editors, will tell you everything you do is great.

- Ken Follett

Including, Certain Point, Editors

I like reading history, and actually most authors enjoy the research part because it is, after all, easier than writing.

- Ken Follett

Reading, Like, Part, Authors

I aim to be translucent, so you don't notice the words, just their meaning. I haven't much insight into people's motivations.

- Ken Follett

Words, People, Aim, Motivations

The thriller is the most popular literary genre of the 20th century.

- Ken Follett

Most, Century, Literary, 20th Century

I don't think there's any great mystery to writing female characters, so long as you talk to them. If you lived in a monastery and never met any women, maybe it would be difficult.

- Ken Follett

Long, Maybe, Characters, Monastery

The CIA's research program is described in a book called The Search for the Manchurian Candidate.

- Ken Follett

Book, Search, Candidate, CIA

Listen, I wrote 10 unsuccessful books before I broke through, so I'm looking all the time to keep my books fascinating. I want to write what people want to read, not push any message.

- Ken Follett

Through, Broke, Read, Push

With hindsight, we see that the Soviet Union never had a chance of world domination, but we didn't know that then.

- Ken Follett

Chance, Soviet Union, World Domination

There is no point in asking a man a question until you have established whether he has any reason to lie to you.

- Ken Follett

Reason, Asking, Established, No Point

Well, for people who want to write best sellers, the best advice I can give is to say that the novel has to engage the reader emotionally.

- Ken Follett

Advice, Give, Reader, Engage

A very good editor is almost a collaborator.

- Ken Follett

Very, Editor, Almost, Collaborator

Be a perfectionist.

- Ken Follett

Perfectionist

My favorite period is World War II, and I'm in the middle of writing my fourth novel set in that era.

- Ken Follett

Middle, Set, Period, Fourth

With the World War II era, there's so much written material to draw on. When you go back to the 14th century, you have to imagine more.

- Ken Follett

Go, More, Imagine, World War II

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