The Hammer of Eden: A Novel

I've read several Ken Follett novels, and although some of them are powerful (Pillars of the Earth, book 1 of the Century triology), he's also striked out more than once. This is one of them. The premise was semi-interesting, but totally unbelievable. As the reader, you need to decide early on if you're going to go along with that. I could have done that, except he brought in his misogynistic self and just irritated the crap out of me. I think he might have used the words "breast," "see through" and "clingy white tshirt" more than he did "a, an, the." And there were a ton of stereotypical descriptions about and references to the female FBI agent on the case. It gets old and tiresome and just kills it for me. Save yourself the time, the money, whatever. Read something else.

Ken Follett’s The Hammer of Eden is a fairly straightforward story in which the FBI goes up against some unconventional terrorists who are using an unexpected and unlikely threat to try to achieve their goals. I was never quite sure how Priest’s plan was supposed to work, mind you–his idea was that the moment the government project that threatened their land was put on hold they’d be allowed to stay at their winery/commune. Given the rate at which government bureaucracy moves, however, I’d think that getting their eviction from their leased land reversed would take more than that. (They were literally running up against their deadline to leave by the end.) So I have some doubts that there was really any point to his plans in the first place, but oh well.

I found Priest to be a fascinating character. He had lots of depth, and it was easy to get wrapped up in what he was doing, even if you didn’t want him to succeed. That’s really tough for a writer to accomplish. I also found Star, one of his accomplices, to have some nice nuance to her. Unfortunately Follett didn’t accomplish the same with the rest of his characters–most strikingly, his FBI good guys. The good-guy-bad-guys (i.e., the higher-ups at the FBI who inevitably try to screw with Judy, the main ‘good guy’ FBI character) are incredibly one-dimensional, stupid, and nasty; there’s no hint of the abilities or judgment that got them to where they were. Priest was well-drawn enough that other flat characters stand out. As for Judy, well, she was interesting I guess, but she didn’t engage me as much as Priest did. Nor did her pasted-on romantic interest, a rather rude seismologist.

The earthquake plan kept things somewhat fresh and interesting and injected unusual obstacles into the plot. However, all of those twists and turns played out in a very predictable fashion. I never felt much doubt, surprise, or tension as to what might ultimately happen–the thriller didn’t entirely thrill me.

All in all this could be an interesting beach read if it’s the sort of story you’re in the mood for, but it isn’t great.

As a kid growing up in American in the 1950s and 1960s, I had never read a book by an English author until the late 1990s. One evening in the library looking for a novel to read I ran across the 'Hammer of Eden'. I laughed. Then I sat down and gave the book a read out of sheer curiosity. Within fifteen minutes I was hooked on the protagonist, Priest, and his plight. Several years later I read the book again. And I believe it was around 2006 or 2007 that I read the book a third time.

Here at the store I have read many reviews about Mr. Follett's book and found that many people truly didn't understand the meaning of the book. I think it is one of his better works as far as I am concerned. I claim this because I am an author myself. So I do know something about what a good story should consist of and how the plot should be carefully unveiled.

Not making excuses, but I chose the rating I did because the book is a well written work of art. If you read it right you will find yourself so caught up in the story until you won't be able to put it down.

In truth, most fiction novels start off slow. This is because many authors want the reader to get to know the protagonist and how he came to hold the worldview about life in general which he's adopted, so that you the reader can decide if you like the individual upfront or not. I'm not espousing dislike for the Hammer of Eden because it starts off slow, but rather an approval on my behalf because I like to learn about the character's past first; this way, I can try an predict how they will act or behave under pressure when they are faced with each death-defying task as the story moves forward.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like to read a serious novel about a fixed period, albeit fiction, from the past. A period when communes and free love was the order of the day. The sort of stuff that took place during the 1960s, when I was a young man growing up.

The Hammer of Eden is one of Mr. Follett's best fiction novels in my opinion. If you've never read a book by an English author I suggest you try Mr. Follett first before you try anyone else. You won't be sorry. I guarantee it. [...]

I didn't purchase this book, and I don't remember how I obtained it. Perhaps it was a gift from my deceased former wife. I didn't intend to read it. It was simply the only one I could reach on my "to-be-read" bookshelf. And I certainly wasn't interested in the premise - an aging hippy so mad at a threat to his world that he was wanting to make his own threat to the rest of the world. His threat was to produce earthquakes in California on demand (his).

I am still not interested in the premise, or the characters. But, oh my, can that Ken Follett tell a story!

He pulls interest from your conscious being. He does that, at least to me with this book, by explaining a method by which earthquakes might be initiated along the San Andreas Fault, by three-times creating drama around whether or not that method will actually work, by showing (believe it or not) that mass murderers have their "softer side," by showing the stupidity of government administrators refusing to recognize potential tragedy when it's bearing down toward them, by putting his characters in jeopardy and then removing them from it (often by implausible means), and by starting a romance among two of the characters.

Most especially, author Follett enhances the pace of his book by making it about interactions between the characters, only somewhat about introspection by his characters, and barely about descriptions of scenes or situations.

Don't get me wrong, there is no character development, there little emotion shown by the characters (certainly true of the protagonist), and the plot won't confound or surprise you.

It's an easy read, and I suppose that I am glad that I did. Author Follett refreshes the learning that one shouldn't tell a book by its cover - especially when it was written by a proven storyteller.

Three stars for a good fast read, without being literature!

I was kind of surprised, after reading this, to see all the negative reviews here...I gather that most people's biggest complaint about The Hammer of Eden is just that it is not The Pillars of the Earth. I haven't read that yet---in fact, this is my first Follett novel---but I have read quite a few other thrillers of this type, and this one beats most of them hands down (way better than, for instance, Crichton's somewhat similar State of Fear).

True, there are a few questionable plot points, but no worse than most (and not nearly as bad as many) thrillers of this kind. And when I see people complaining about a lack of characterization, I wonder if we read the same book. I found most of the characters quite interesting, and some even compelling, and found myself sympathizing with even some of the villains---which I would say is perhaps the book's biggest flaw, if it is a flaw at all. The climax was a bit messy, the resolution not as satisfying as I would have liked, and the denouement in the final chapter a bit cliched (the obligatory brief statement of the fate of each character), but I enjoyed the ride on the way there. Okay, so it's not a piece of great literature, but on the whole I thought this was a pretty decent thriller.

No one can say this novel is just like the author's medieval stories about cathedrals and such! "Hammer" is about a cult left over from the sixties that turns into terrorists (mostly their leader) when a government project threatens to flood the land where they've been peacefully settled for three decades, successfully making wine to generate what little monetary income they need. The threat is that the group will cause an earthquake - seemingly a far-fetched idea which the author makes so believable that the suspense builds throughout the entire book with little respite. The gist of it is that a massive truck used in oil field exploration - a seismic vibrator - could indeed incite earth tremors if applied near a fault line.

When the government fails to pay any attention to the group's threat, they make good on their claim and cause a quake too little to cause damage but too scary to be a coincidence. After that, it's a race between a determined FBI agent, Judy Maddox, whose career has been thwarted at almost every turn by the "old boy club" surrounding her; and the villain of the cult, "Priest", who is not above murder and mayhem to accomplish his goals. The detective work is outstanding, but on more than one occasion, we almost found ourselves rooting for the cult to survive - they were basically harmless, with an interesting set of mores, until the earthquake scheme threw everything into chaos.

Follett shows off all his terrific writing skills herein; to us, it was a most entertaining, suspenseful thriller that kept us turning pages as rapidly as they would go!

Hammer of Eden is one of only a few contemporary novels written by Ken Follett. He is more well known for his historical/World War 2 novels. The Hammer of Eden has a different feel to it but still maintains some of the classic Follett elements such as strong characterization and quick prose.

Priest, an aging leader of a cult, has to do something to save their commune from being flooded by a dam that is to soon be built. Priest threatens the governor with an earthquake if he doesn't put a stop to the building of all future power plants. Priest can do this because of Melanie, a recent arrival at the commune that hates the world and her ex-husband and was a siesmologist in college. She knows a lot about earthquakes, and so does her ex-husband. She steals some data from him and Priest steals a truck called a seismic vibrator and now they are ready to cause earthquakes if they don't get their way.

Priest is the strongest character in the book. He can be sensitive and sweet then downright ruthless. Trying to stop Priest is Judy Maddox, an FBI agent given the case as a demotion. Furious at the lack of respect she is shown, she throws her all into the case and discovers the earthquake threat is real. She joins forces with Michael Quercus, a seismologist, and Melanie's ex-husband.

While fun to read, the plot twists were handled poorly. We find out early that Melanie and Michael are related and much could be solved if Judy knew more about Melanie and Michael. When she does finally find out, it is kind of anti-climactic.

Still, if you are all Follett fan, then definitely read this book. If you are considering Follett, I suggest you check out some of his other books like Hornet Flight or Dangerous Fortune first.

After reading some of the reviews posted on the store about this piece of drivel, I am shocked and amazed. Booklist has the nerve to call this "skillful writing", and someone from Iceland says that Follett is now "on his way back to respectability". Incredible!! I read this book with mounting horror, wondering just how bad it was going to get. It kept getting worse! What is really insulting is the fact that obviously no one at Crown Publisher's, Inc. read this book. They couldn't have! For example, take the scene on page 371 - this is near the end of the book, but I don't think it will give anything away to someone who has yet to read the book. Judy walks up to Michael, who is holding Dusty by the hand: "How is he?" Melanie asked. Well, obviously this should have read: "How is he?" Judy asked. Melanie isn't even in this scene!! But this is not my biggest gripe, not by a long shot. The writing is insulting!! Incredibly insulting. Instead of showing us the emotions of his characters, Follett decides to just tell us instead: "She hated him," after giving us more than enough clues for the reader to figure that out for himself. It is sad that someone can come up with a book as good as "Eye of the Needle", build a stunning career with others such as "Key to Rebecca" and "Pillars of the Earth", then use his clout and past track record to con the reading public into buying this book.

Okay, so it's fluff and yes, there was an overload of profanity, and yes the story that Judy tells young Dusty before he goes to sleep is one of the most ridiculous ones ever, but this book is fun. That's why I liked it. It had me interested all the way through, cheering on feisty Judy Maddox and hunky Michael Quersic, hissing at the nasty villains Priest, Star, and Melanie. The plot is a little far-fetched, but isn't that what good writing is all about; transporting you to an unbelievable environment and making you believe it at least for the length of time it takes to read the novel?
Follett has a particularly graphic and disturbing murder early in the book, that made me hate Priest immediately. Even though Follett tries to make the reader understand where these eco-terrorists are coming from, Priest's way of life is no better than the life he is condemning; he has no conscience or moral code, and he has to have things his way or else. I cannot understand how Star could have stayed with him so long. The book's pace is commendable and Follett has a way with words that keeps everything smooth and interesting.
The climax is powerful and the wrap up of all the characters is a nice way to let us know what happens with all these people. Poetic justice befits Mr. Priest's eventual outcome, but I wish he had gotten a little more of what he deserved.
All in all, though, it's a good read.

I was shocked to see all of the negative reviews on this page, and think this may be the lowest aggregate rating I've seen on the store. Most of them express disappointment in reference to Follett's previous work, but do you really think this is a 1-star effort compared to all of the other dreck that's out there?
I listened to the unabridged book-on-tape and enjoyed every minute of it. This was a highly original premise, with a typically driving plot line, and one of the most intriguing settings (the commune) I've seen in a while. I applaud Follett and this story for the same reason so many others condemn it: it's just amazing that the same author can write effectively about Medieval Europe, WWII espionage, scandals in London banking, and now hippie terrorists. The man can weave an entertaining tale in any setting he chooses. As for plausibility, I have no idea if an induced earthquake is scientifically valid, but he brought in enough detail about seismic pressure points and time windows, and applied them consistently enough, to allow me to suspend disbelief and enjoy the adventure.
My regard for Ken Follett's storytelling prowess continues to grow, and is not at all diminished by this latest offering.

Take a group of communal hippies, held together by a slightly likeable, but desperate, determined and deranged leader, called Priest, then add one smart, relentless female FBI agent. Add a slice of an environmentally insensitive California governor, sprinkle lightly with multiple-partner sex, add good California pot, a vicious back-stabbing at the local FBI office, then throw in a killing or two; shake well with earthquake force, then you will have a gripping Ken Follett novel.
Follett is a master of creating conflicts within conflicts, a crisis within a crisis. In "Hammer of Eden" he draws you into the contrasting worlds of a free-love hippy commune and the regimented FBI. Follett enlightens you with some interesting and informative insights on how the FBI uses linguistic analysis to profile suspects.
However, I did have difficultly accepting Follett's portrait of the FBI. After the gross intelligence failure of September 11th I believe it will be a long time before any author will, as Follett did, portray the FBI as being a technologically omniscient, an agency that is able to out think the common terrorist. That said, this is a engrossing read and highly recommended

Ken Follett's novel "The Hammer of Eden" is a good novel about terrorism, love and suspense. Follett has also written some great stories, his "The Pillars of The Earth", "The Man From St. Petersburg", and "Eye Of The Needle" are all generally regarded as excellent. It could be that this story does not measure up to his earlier works but "The Hammer of Eden" is fun to read and fast paced. It took me 2 days to read the entire story.
The plot is pretty straight forward; members of a commune in California's wine country try to prevent construction of a power plant near their property. Lead by a brilliant but illiterate criminal called Priest they devise a plan to create earthquakes. The FBI is called in to stop the eco-terrorism and story takes-off. Overall the characters are standard fare and they react pretty straight forward to very unusual set of circumstances.
What I enjoyed the most while reading this story is the writing. Follett is a master and the novel is very well written. The action is crisp, situations and descriptions are well illustrated.
If you are looking for a well written fun novel, look no further.

Ken Follett is an amazing author. This however is not what one expects to read when they read a Follett novel. Hammer Of Eden has a goofy plot, which isn't a huge negative. What's bad is the complete ineptitude of almost every character in the book. Chapter after chapter it seems like every situation could be solved......but stupidity trumps everything and the "drama" rolls on. Follett's normal clever dialogue and plotting are nowhere to be found. Seriously, the bad ideas by both pro- and antagonists are amazingly absurd. Overall, just not worth the time.

Take a group of communal hippies, held together by a slightly likeable, but desperate, determined and deranged leader, called Priest, then add one smart, relentless female FBI agent. Add a slice of an environmentally insensitive California governor, sprinkle lightly with multiple-partner sex, add good California pot, a vicious back-stabbing at the local FBI office, then throw in a killing or two; shake well with earthquake force, then you will have a gripping Ken Follett novel.
Follett is a master of creating conflicts within conflicts, a crisis within a crisis. In "Hammer of Eden" he draws you into the contrasting worlds of a free-love hippy commune and the regimented FBI. Follett enlightens you with some interesting and informative insights on how the FBI uses linguistic analysis to profile suspects.
However, I did have difficultly accepting Follett's portrait of the FBI. After the gross intelligence failure of September 11th I believe it will be a long time before any author will, as Follett did, portray the FBI as being a technologically omniscient, an agency that is able to out think the common terrorist. That said, this is a engrossing read and highly recommended

This is a fantastic story about an eco terrorist that has gone too far. Ken Follett came up with a really unique premise and he created a great story around it. This book has great characters and is really well written. It gave me a lot to think about and I really enjoyed it.

It would seem that the dashing, all-intelligent, all-powerful male protagonist might be passe. Ken Follett now shows up with a courageous, smart, female FBI agent who makes her fellow male agents look like self serving, incompetent idiots. Would this have been the character set up in an FBI story of 10 years ago? If J. Edgar Hoover hears about this he will be doing some serious rotating in his grave.
Can the terrorists fulfill their threat to create California earthquakes if their demands are not met? It would seem they could, although Judy Maddox's brainless fellow agents scoff and publicly embarrass her. Well we all know what will happen don't we?
It's a fun ride though, and I enjoyed it. As someone who lived for years in the San Francisco area I had an extra pleasure in seeing if a British writer would make any mistakes describing northern California. He did pretty well, making only a few trifling errors.
Recommended as an OK time passer, although I still think Follett's best books were his first ones.

A cult group is being evicted from the land they rent due to the impending construction of a power plant. In order to save their land, they decide to threaten the governer of California with an earthquake. The FBI is called in to determine if the threat is legitimate and stop the cult from starting earthquakes.

I thought the story was ok, but it was somewhat predictable. I don't know if the characters just weren't fleshed out enough for me or what, but I found I didn't really care about any of them. This was an ok quick read, but it doesn't have me wanting to read more of Follett.

All Ken Follett books are decent reads--even his earliest efforts that he himself deprecates. However, his last two books have been definite let-downs for me after such mesmerizing masterpieces as Night over Water, Dangerous Fortune, Pillars of the Earth, Triple, and Eye of the Needle. The special combination of interesting heroes, strong suspense, passionate romance, and beautifully rendered settings just doesn't work in contemporary American settings. How very much I wish Mr Follett would return to a historical era--World War II, the Victorian Age, the French Revolution, the Renaissance--I don't care (as long as it's not the Wild West). Or, if he must be contemporary, at least I wish he'd try for a more exotic locale--Hong Kong, the Balkans, Pakistan, Chechnya . . . . even his native Wales. But, please, no more Boys from Brazil retreads on American college campuses and tiresome doomsday cults in California. There are enough bad American writers writing this sort of stuff; why should a good British writer waste his time on it?

Fairly good story. A little formulaic, but it was nice to see that Follett making almost all of the characters believable, with even the criminals having quite "rational" (if in some cases sociopathic) reasons for their actions.
One complaint in this regard was the head of the local FBI office, whose antagonism seemed excessive.
The production quality of this on unabridged tape was excellent, which is why I gave it a fourth star. The reader was very good, the breaks at the end of a cassette came at sensible pauses in the story, and the pauses between chapters weren't so long that I fast-forwarded, thinking I'd reached the end of the tape (as has happened to me with some other audiotapes).
The reader did very well with the different voices, without being confusing or sounding foolish. The only difficulty was with the somewhat frequent mental asides that characters had -- it took a moment to realize whether the character had said the thought aloud.
Unabridged, this ran a bit long. I think this is the fault of Follett...

Mr.Follett's older works, Eye of the Needle, etc...were good, but when he ventured into, for him,"unknown" territory with Pillars of the Earth, A Dangerous Fortune, A Place called Freedom, this was absolutely superb. Granted, one can not expected to continually produce those kinds of execptional quality book in and book out, however Hammer of Eden, I feel, was a rushed book. The character development was very good, as always, however, the overall gist was slightly shallow. Getting away from a tight FBI perimeter guard at the end was a little stretch of the imagination.....however....the ending of Mr.Grangers life at the end was classic as it tied ultimately into the overall thrust of Mr.Grangers endeavors. Mr.Follett might have had an overall sub par performance here, but I will bet that his next will be a barnburner!

Follett is never stingy with suspense and plot twists. Here the surprises mount as the main antagonist is a flawed, aging commune guru whose jealousy of his community and its successful vineyard/wines lead him to more and more catastrophic miscalculations of means to stop a damn and reservoir project that will engulf all he has built up. A wild ride of a read.Sghel

The idea, at first blush, is bold and captivating. A fringe, cult-like group is determined to protect their commune, which is located in the backwoods of Northern California, from development. To do so, they need a credible means to force the state government to cease their incessant land-grabs. With the help of a geologist who's joined the commune, the cult leader (Priest) determines there may be a way to trigger earthquakes using a sonic mapping device known as a seismic vibrator.

Follett's talent is prodigious. He's almost capable of making us believe that this preposterous scenario is remotely plausible. But even his immense talent isn't enough to make up for the succession of plot holes big enough to drive a seismic vibrator through.

Example: At one point, Michael seems to be the only one in the state who hasn't seen Priest's picture on television. Because Michael encountered Priest early on in the story, he should have recognized him on TV and the entire FBI dragnet should have ended a lot sooner.

The puzzle pieces are all there, in formulaic fashion: The cute, female FBI agent. The cute, divorced male geologist Michael. The Manson-like cult leader Priest who, though illiterate, is able to evade the FBI repeatedly while driving a giant seismic vibrator that tops out at about 40 mph. I'm sure you can guess what happens.

If you're stuck inside on a rainy day and you happen to have this laying around (and nothing else to do), certainly go ahead and read it. Otherwise, learn macrame or origami. You'll drive yourself crazy second-guessing the characters and the author in this all-too-predictable bore-fest. Mr. Follett is far too talented to be producing works of this caliber.

"The Pillars of the Earth" is one of my all-time favourite books (along with "The Shipping News" by E. Annie Proulx and "Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man" by Fannie Flagg) ... so excited I was when I saw Kenny had written a new one (even after the predictable "The Third Twin" ... I mean, the man gave the plot away in the bloody title!). Anyway, I actually came on-line to see if I was missing something!
What has happened to Follett with his last two books? So commercial, his characters are totally unbelievable ... it's like he is in love with them himself.
I'll borrow his next from the library so I don't waste my money ... you know, just in case he hasn't been reading his reviews and doesn't go back to his "Pillar" days (please God).

I've read about a half dozen of Mr. Folliet's stories. . .

1) I listened to the audio book version of this and afterwards felt like it was the better choice than actually reading the paperback version.

2) The audio book version was well presented and well acted by the reader

3) The story seemed to have the following flaws
a) formulaic plot - I knew what was coming before it happened
b) one dimensional characters...except Priest - leaving a lot to be desired from the rest of the cast
c) had to suspend belief in the whole earthquake theory

I thought it was enjoyable on cassette tape I picked up at the library. Because it was so far fetched and predictable at the same time, I've enjoyed some of his other stories much better.

After the magnificence of Pillars of the Earth, the pretty-goodness of Eye of the Needle, and the not-badness of several of his other novels, this one is clearly at the bottom of the heap. The story and characters are ridiculously implausible. It is the kind of thing that reads as if it were hatched by an author who found himself with a one-week deadline to write a book, and had to do so while on a skiing vacation in Aspen (would that I had such a life). It is formulaic to the point that it feels a bit like stuffing oneself with a stale Big Mac while driving in rush hour traffic (not that I've ever done that). Neither tasty nor satisfying, and certainly not memorable. After a string of Follett novels, this one made me leap for someone new. I'm trying Ethan Canin.

As others have said in their reviews, this is a rather formulaic contribution to the modern thriller genre by author Ken Follett and certainly not in a class with his universally acclaimed "Pillars of the Earth," or any of his WWII historical fiction novels. But compared to the works of many less talented writers in the category, it's compelling enough to spend an afternoon reading, providing you approach it as more of a light foray into science fiction fantasy and not a thoughtful work with any real depth.

The plot, like much of what is commercially produced for the screen these days is rather contrived and hence, unconvincing. It calls to mind Anna Russell's comedic telling of the plot to Wagner's "The Ring" when she pauses to comment "I'm not making this up!" (Laughter and applause from her audience.) The idea that an earthquake of enough amplitude to cause major damage through triggering a slip in a large fault line with a seismic vibrator mounted on a truck is beyond ridiculous, though at the time of Follett's writing this scenario pre 9/11, perhaps it seemed vaguely plausible to the scientists he consulted at the time.

Though Follett is brilliant at writing fictional story lines with wonderfully defined characters that take place in an historical context where the real world future is already known to the reader, his attempt here to write about the present, and include current seismic technology (as of 1998) as a threat to create a "possible" scenario for mayhem isn't as successful. He seems keenly aware of this and by incorporating the unbelievability of it into the opinions of his characters, he cleverly attempts to convince the reader that perhaps these events are actually possible in the real world. I didn't buy it and from reading other reviews, neither did many of his other readers.

Having been a resident of San Francisco for three decades as a member of the hippy generation (though not one myself), and having experienced numerous earthquakes including the 1989 Loma Prieta temblor, I found much of his characterizations somewhat laughable. Such as the panicked exodus of millions from areas near the San Andreas because of a possible seismic/terrorist threat. People living in the California fault zones take pride (perhaps foolishly) in daily living under the threat of seismic disaster. After the 1989 quake, SF residents were out partying in the streets with Champagne, mooning passersby and waving signs trumpeting that they had survived the "Big One." The tragedy of the freeway collapse in Oakland and the shut down of the Bay Bridge was sobering, but it didn't drive the populace away. People still throng to the Bay Area in droves and are only mildly concerned about the threat, real as it may be.

His portrayal of the hippy eco-terrorists themselves also borders on the absurd though he gets some if it right. I can only assume that because Follett is Welsh/English and never actually experienced the California hippy culture of the era, he is creating characters from supposition and literary perception, much as he does in his historical novels. No one today really knows what it was like to live in 11th century Europe, but there are pleny of us still around who know intimately the world of 1970s California. The explanation of Priest, the main antagonist/villain is that he is a criminal sociopath who has been hiding in a commune for 25 years with charismatic power over his followers a la James Jones, and for some reason which adds nothing important to the story is completely illiterate. His sexy 50 year old female companion and mother of his children hates authority so much that she participates in a murderous plan with him that can't possibly succeed, and his new well educated scientist co-conspirator lover is mad at the academic world and her estranged husband for paying more attention to their son than to her, but is willing to kill millions to protect her new home in the commune so her son won't suffer from allergies. I'm not making this up.

In less capable and established hands than Follett, this would never have made it to the presses. But with that said, the writing itself is good and it was a fun, if not illuminating read. Better to check it out from the local branch of your public library and save your money for better Follett offerings.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm from CA and have lived in both southern and northern parts of the state which, for me, added a degree of realism that I really enjoyed. It was refreshing to see Ken take a different path, away from epic, historical novels and try something wholly modern. I applaud him for doing that. Sure, it wasn't as tight as "Pillars Of The Earth," but, as always, he did his homework before writing this one, and it was obvious. If you're looking for a fast moving, page turner, and a book that allows you to put your critiquing mind to rest and just relax and go for a ride, then this is your book!

Ken Follet is an incredible author who creates captivating, intriguing and fascinating work. Although this is not my favorite by him, it is still a great book. The characters are well portrayed,and there is a good balance between good and evil. Judy is a great and likeable character, and I rooted for her throughout. Other reviews discredit the book because it is unrealistic -- but that is unfair. The plot is not unrealistic, as there are many cults and sub cultures out there who will do anything to stop a political venture, or to fight government. This is a book any Ken Follett, or suspense reader will enjoy. It is fast paced, and as always, Follett did his homework. Keep the books coming!

None of Ken Follett's books are really boring and all can keep the reader's attention during the reading of them. However, I can still remember clearly a number of scenes from Eye of the Needle more than a decade after reading the book. Only a couple of weeks away from reading The Hammer of Eden I can hardly recall anything significant about either the characters or the plot. The book was marginally interesting - primarily because of the plot set-up, which, however implausible was at least unique - but poor follow thru and limp characters result in a story that doesn't add up to Follett at his best. Too bad, because when he is good he is very, very good. Not here, however.

While there is good character development and an interesting, if totally unrealistic, plot line, "The Hammer of Eden" was a disappointment when compared with so many exceptional works of literature written by Ken Follett. Follett is one of my favorite contemporary authors and his works are usually very well researched. He has an ability to interweave actual happenings into his story lines but, in this book, he completely missed his commonly high level of excellence. I usually give his books the highest score possible but, in this case, it rates only a mid-level score.

The same story written by an unknown author as a first book may have gotten a high rating but having read all of Mr. Follett's writings prior to reading this book I was very disappointed. I cannot believe that Follett himself would choose this book as a representation of his best work.

"The Hammer of Eden" is a domestic terrorist organization that claims it can cause earthquakes. The story itself revolves around this group and spunky FBI agent Judy Maddox, who, in spite of the best efforts of her incompetent, petty, chauvansitic boss, is charged with bringing them down. The action is fast-paced in this story after a slow and confusing start. The weakness of the book is its character development. With the possible exception of Preist, the main protagonist, the characters are one-dimensional--either all bad or all good. I really had a problem with the relationship between Judy and Michael; there was precious little interaction. However, the story itself was a good one. I'd recommend this book to a friend.

I confess... I am a Ken Follett junkie. With his latest effort, Follett returns to his original formula to find success. This is classic Follett. Get to know the good guy, get to know the bad guy, see the good guy catch the bad guy. The bad guy/cult leader (Richard Granger) is one of Follett's more interesting antagonists... much cooler than the clone dude from THE THIRD TWIN. Although this is Follett's best stab at modern drama, I'm still waiting for him to return to his most proficient venue... historical fiction. This is no PILLARS, but it is more than adequate to tide over Follett-addicts such as myself.

THis is a slight departure from Follett's other books. It's not about a particular event in history, it's not a spy novel. To be honest, it reminds me of a James Patterson cat and mouse type of book from his earlier days.
As usual, i won't give away any plot points other than a cop you can't help rooting for and a villain who you hate (but can sympathize with) match whits in a battle of high stakes!
The method of crime employed by the villain is odd at first, but as the chapters go by, the characters and events suck the reader in pretty strongly.
Definetly worth checking out.

The main villian is an illiterate, con-man, barely competent thief and murderer. And Follett managed to make me actually like the guy. The plot is believable when you take into account the great skills of the FBI managing the Chineese atomic spy case current now, or the grand manner in which they investigated the Branch Davidians in Texas.
The complaints in the other reviews can be summarized as "this one is different, not historical, not England." It is contemporary California and that is not all bad. Take this book on its own merits. It is a fun read and you get your money's worth for entertainment.

Having read all of Ken Follett's novels I was very disappointed with this one. This is an entertaining thriller to read while you're on a plane or at the beach but Ken Follett can write so much better.
I actually had the same feeling after finishing "Eden's" predecessor, "The Third Twin", which was that Mr. Follett did a very superficial job on the story. It could have been a good thriller but it's way below his usual standard.
Read "Triple", "Pillars", "Needle" or anything else except Ken Follett's first two and last two novels.

bought the book because as a previous reader of Ken Follets' most notably the Pillars of the Earth thought he would deliver. Yes, what was read out of touch. Ken gave tribute to notables in California, but forgot some things, like it does not take minutes to hang up the phone in the presidio to take a helicopter across the bay. or even drive across the bay in LESS THAN MINUTES. check out page 417, where sloppy writing ensued and i only point this out, because i was livid with the timing aspects in his latest novel. the lingo, well, who says "he got clean away", i cringed when i read that.

The thing about Ken Follett's books is you can pick one up without knowing what it's about and be certain you'll enjoy the experience. This was the only book of his that I've put off reading, because the plot didn't seem that appealing to me.

Once again, however, Follett came through with flying colors. Whatever this book lacks in story it makes up for with characters.

Simply put, no one fleshes out characters like Ken Follett. Invariably, I always feel like his characters are real people whom I have gotten to know intimately.

Don't miss this one (and try not to fall in love with Melanie...)

When I read, I like to spend time with people who are smarter, funnier, and more talented than average, plus a few I can love to hate. The "hero" of this book is none of the above. A couple chapters in there were still only narcissists, murderers,sluts,losers and shlemiels. Pass.

This is the least inspiring offering by Follett since "The Big Needle" in 1978. It is poorly conceived and poorly written. It contains the earmark characters that appear in most Follett adventures, now in the guise of aging American hippies. It is obvious the author knows little about American culture, despite claiming a great deal of research. The writing sounds like an English secondary student musing about whay life must be like in America. It is difficult and exasperating to read. I would avoid it and I am usually a fan of the author's work.

I have found that there are very few authors whose new works I await with great anticipation. Ken Follett has always been one of those authors. From the impassioned Eye of the Needle to the epic Pillars of the Earth, he has shown he can immerse a reader completely in the time and locale of his stories. Somewhere along the way, however, he decided to change his direction. . . Upon beginning Hammer of Eden, I was, once again, disappointed to find a present day story line. Follett's historical fiction works have been, in my opinion, his greatest works. But with the publication of The Third Twin and The Hammer of Eden, I feel as though he is just cranking out books with shallow and non-plausible story lines. The actions of both the protagonist and the antagonist (who we are initially set up to be compassionate toward) are baffoonish almost to the point of being comical. The book is laid out like an outline for a screen play. (Let's see, James Earl Jones as Mr. Honeymoon, perhaps?)In the movie adaptation, I could see Bruce Willis trudging across the California countryside as he practised his 'Svengali-like' routine on the inferior women of his commune. PLEASE, Mr. Follett, spend the time to dive into the research for another epic, heart warming, passionate novel about the lives and struggles of people who have changed the path of history. That is by far your strongest genre. Can I put my hard cover copy up for sale on the auction block?

I liked many of Ken Follett's earlier novels very much, which makes _The Hammer of Eden_ even more disappointing. It's hard to believe that this book was written by the author who wrote such gems as _Eye of the Needle_ and _Pillars of the Earth_. The plot of this book is derivative, predictable, and incredible (in the literal sense). The characters are cardboard, the dialog is wooden, and the action appears to be written with movie special effects in mind. The book is, at least, mercifully short. Don't waste your money on it.

Having read many Ken Follett books, this is certainly one of my favorites. This is far from his many historical fiction, war-based novels and bodes well for his ability to write and hold the reader's interest in a vastly different setting. I loved his development of his characters and getting to see how they think and are motivated. Great plot, great story, highly recommended!

Interesting idea of how old hippies are living in obscurity and how they would react to government forcing change on their environment--or how these "peace-loving" people might be so desperate that they would do harm to others. Good character development and scientific explanations.
It held my interest right through to the end.

I listened to this book on CD several years ago. I thought the plot was fascinating, and that the mechanics of causing an earthquake was genius (even though unlikely). I thought the title was perfect. I decided to look it up and see what others thought about it. Wowsers!!! More 1-star reviews than 5-star reviews. How can this be? I've seen some really poor reads get far better reviews. Oh, well.

I've been a follower of KF's work since "Eye of the Needle" and have read nearly all his paperbacks. My favorite by far must be "Pillars of the Earth."
As many of these readers have pointed out, there are major problems with this novel. The most glaring of which is the plotline.
In the journalism industry, we are taught one basic rule about writing a story: do you understand your assignment to the extent that you could chat with your neighbor "over the fence" about it and have it make sense? If not, go back and do your research.
Okay, it breaks down like this: a bunch of forgotten hippies from the 1960's cause a series of earthquakes with oil-drilling equipment to stop the State of California from taking their commune, and a beautiful FBI agent must stop them to win fame, career advancement and love(!). That about right?
I'm from Northern California, and the area has a flavor all its own. KF captures some of it. (I especially liked the segment where the N. Cali residents justify staying in California with the imminent threat of another earthquake looming.)
But KF's strongest area is historical fiction focused on England and/or Europe. His war dramas also ring true with most readers.
This experiment with modern American culture tended to fall short, as did his previous work in this area, "The Third Twin."
Folks, if you need your KF historical thriller fix, pick up a copy of "London" - it's bland in places, but it will keep you going until KF decides to write again about his homeland.

This story is good, but certainly not up to Mr. Follett's usual tales of suspense and intrigue. There was too much emphasis on the romantic interest in the story which bogged the plot line. The environmental terrorist concept was chilling and could have been better developed.
It is difficult to believe that a seasoned FBI agent would let her personal feelings intefere with a serious investigation.
Mr. Follett usually writes great stories but this was not one of them.

I see this book has gotten quite a few negative reviews on this forum, but I really liked it. This, along with Jackdaws, I think are my two favorites of Follett's. I can't comment on either the realism of the earthquake scenario or the realism of the FBI office, but only experts will nitpick at that anyway. This was an exciting page turner with interesting characters & especially a villain you love to hate -- the evil psychopathic old hippie, Ricky aka Priest. If you are a Follett fan, definitely give this one a chance.

I had truly hoped this book would be better than the awful "The 3RD Twin", but I was wrong. This book was definitely written for a movie of the week. If you want to read Follet at his finest, try "A Dangerous Fortune", "Lie Down With Lions", "Pillars of the Earth" or anything before "The 3rd Twin". Let's hope Follet gets off his duff and starts exhibiting the brillance of his earliers works!

The first Follett book I read was The Pillars of the Earth, probably seven or eight years ago. I don't really remember too much of that book, but for years, the sentiment has been with me that it is the best book I have ever read. Now, after a long hiatus from Follett, I came back to The Hammer of Eden. It's not a bad book -- and I think a lot of the reviews here are overly critical -- but I just don't have the same awestruck feeling following this book that I did after Pillars. It should be said that Follett at his worst is better than most authors at his best. This really is a decent book to read, and is quite entertaining -- but it must be disappointing for readers already used to Follett's other majestic works. So, I guess if you haven't read anything else by KF, go ahead and read this; you'll like it. But the Follett connisseurs out there who have been spoiled by his astounding works like Pillars may be disappointed.

I enjoyed this Follett book, and read it in a single sitting, as I always do his page-turners. However, ever since he started moving the settings of his novels to the United States, his authenticity has suffered. Most noticably in The Hammer of Eden. As an American, familiar with the culture, geography and language covered in his book, it was obvious that the work was written by an outsider looking in. The flaws were just distracting enough to remind me that the work was fiction, thus breaking me out of my escape into the world of Follett's storytelling. I miss being transported to unfamiliar worlds with absolute trust, as in Pillars of the Earth, and even his earlier, less noteworthy work. That said, I still think The Hammer of Eden is well worth reading, and I would recommend it without reservation. I will continue to read anything Ken Follett writes. I just wish he would take me back to England, or at least Europe, next time.

I agree with many of the comments stated thus far; this was not one of Follett's better novels. The storyline is interesting, but he focuses too much on unnecessary subplots (eg the sexual deprivation of a main character). It reads very much like a script from the latest (insert Big-Name-Actor here) action movie, which is not bad in-and-of-itself but I expected more after reading some of his other novels. If this is the first Follett novel you've experienced do yourself a favor and read The Pillars of the Earth...I guarantee that you will not be disappointed as it is fantastic.

I read very little fiction but this book caught my interest. I grew up in California - "earthquake country" and that is why I chose this book to read. This book is fairly fast paced and gives good descriptions of the places, and especially the characters. A good book for those looking for "brain candy" to kick back with and something thought provoking. What if this were possible? A very fresh idea and viewpoint on domestic terrorists. A great summertime read. Enjoy!

I was really intrigued by the good story of 'The Third Twin' which was my 'first' Follett, so I had to try one more! The Hammer of Eden holds the same level of suspense, and was hard to put away. I liked the way the story of the FBI hunt for the peaceloving-commune-who-turned-terrorists took many unexpected turns. This could really happen one day in this crazy world! The book is written very graphically and would make a great motion picture, perhaps one day........ The story is all about a very anonymous commune running a wineyard. The wineyard and their quiet life in a remote valley far away from all civilisation is their paradise. Then along come plans for a Power Plant which will need to flood the whole valley, and the leader of the commune lets his immagination have free room to come up with creative solutions to save the commune and the wineyard. How about threatening the Governor with an ultimatum where an earthquake will be created unless he bans all new Power Plant projects? Impossible? Well, read the book and see for yourself.

When a writer is out of ideas, he writes about characters. And when he has no characters, he writes the Hammer of Eden. A briefly intriguing idea is lost through lackluster plotting, flat characters and painfully inadequate dialogue. The idea of a terror group actually causing an earthquake with a seismic measuring truck is just so preposterous that no suspension of belief is possible. Throw in a hippie commune, a female FBI agent and a bunch of forgettable characters, and you actually feel sorry for the trees that were sacrificed for this production. I don't mean to be cruel to KF, but it's very frustrating reading page after page expecting something different to happen, only to be disappointed.

Having read a few of Ken Follett's books, including Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth and a Place Called Freedom, I have to admit to already being a fan of this author. I was not disappointed with this latest read, a book which I found difficult to put down from the very beginning. The idea, although completely fictional became quite plausible as the storyline unravelled. (It also helped to have been in San Francisco last year)
When I read a book by a new author and thoroughly enjoy it, I try a few others and often find the storyline becomes very similar. Other author's I fell into this trap with were Jean Auel and John Grisham. Now I realise these are quite different genres, but in each of these instances I became quite bored after reading a few of each of these authors books. With Ken Follett though, each is completely different in content, but very easy to read and difficult to put down. I look forward to reading some more. Thanks Ken. Well done!

After about thirty pages, which were without a doubt the most grueling 30 pages I have ever tried, I had to look at the foreleaf to confirm that this book was indeed written by the same Ken Follett that wrote the skillful "Eye of the Needle". I mean, was there even an editor involved in the publishing of this dreck? Aside from the moronic plot, glaring inconsistencies such as a supposed "street tough" saying that a co-worker was "in the privy" were enough to make me laugh out loud. "IN THE PRIVY"?!? Geography errors, absurd motivations, and character names so obviously contrived that I was expecting George Costanza from Seinfeld to have made them up (like a Special Agent, er, Van..um...Van DeLay). And come on Ken, is it it likely that an FBI special agent gives a damn about presenting a case to a Governor's political DEPUTY? Why?!? This book was unfinishable.

I wish I had read the reviews before reading this book, however it was a gift so I dove in. Follett is one of my favorite authors, but this book doesn't even seem to have been written by him. It reads like it was written for a cheeseball action movie. It would probably appeal to a high school level boy. Follett has written some fabulous books, too many to mention. Pick one of them and pass on this dog.

follet is definitely loosing his grip on the storyline its not as gripping s triple or the eye of the needle ....having read all of his boooks from his first one thats all i can say moreover there isn't a Hindu name as KHAN (RAJA KHAN) even a child knows that Khan is a muslim surname itll br nice if follet did his research that just forming his own names ddr Sridhar Rathinam

I have read many Ken Follett books, and again I was captivated by his character developement. Altough Pillars of the Earth, is still my all-time favorite book.. Hammer of Eden was very enjoyable. The action sequences were done well, and many twists in the storyline made it very unpredictable. The characters were intelligent and therefore the story did not seem contrived.

Causing earthquakes to save your home....it could happen. anything is possible. now granted I have read only a few of Follet's books...but I believe this is a good one. It opens up your mind...and shows the craziness that a person would go to save their family and/or home. Like the Third Twin, this was another fast and entertaining read. Which is good, since I dont have much free time to spare while in college. It is worth your time.

The Hammer of Eden was not what I expected. Though I am not a prude, I found much of the content lewd and unnecessary. The story, overall, was good as far as content, flow, and interest, but I felt much of the work was wasted with 'junk'. If you're bored and have nothing else to do, read it. If you have time, keep looking for something to read...even Follett...he's got some really good stuff out there!

I really like the idea of the terrorist creating the earthquakes and the character Judy Maddox but I felt (like most reviewers) that their are huge holes in this plot. This is like a summer blockbuster movie that you liked while watching it but afterwards you think about it and realize how that could never happen.

I too eagerly await a new Ken Follet book, and I grabbed this one at my library but YUCK. The characters are too far out- too many "people who just happen to know all about something" like sisemology! I think Ken should stick to Europe- who ever jumped into a "pickup cabin" in their life? Give me a break, come on Ken you can do better!

I can't believe this book is by the same author that brought us The Eye of the Needle and The Pillars of the Earth. This book really stinks! Poor plot, poor character development; just a really poor book! This book doesn't really deserve one star!
I have always been a great Follett fan and usually look forward to his new releases. I've read all his works. The last three books . . . to be honest, I really suffered getting through them. I kept thinking it was a phase. I don't think I'll buy another Follett book again. He has totally sold out, or is dead and they got some kid using his name making up these idiotic stories. I feel like an idiot because I have read it and now I'm wasting my time writing this review. In fact, I think I've put more energy into this review than Ken did with this book. Does anybody know any good historical fiction authors?

From the first chapter till the last, Ken Follett presents the reader with a somewhat frightening and very plausible scenario of a sixties leftover determined to preserve the commune lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. Priest, the central character, is the commune founder and chief protector. When a power plant plans to dam the valley on which the 'secret' commune resides, Priest will stop at nothing to assure its continued existence. With the aid of a siesmologist, also a member of the commune, a plan arises in which manually produced earth-quakes will be used as a tool to force the authorities to stop the construction of the dam. Priest uses anything at his disposal to accomplish his task, from murder to mayheim. Follett never allows the reader to sleep, a true page-turner from beginning to end.

This is definitely not one of Follett's better efforts. I agree with Mr. Blake that it's not a novel, but rather a movie script. Also, the main plot device, that a seismographic truck could cause an earthquake, is false. The energy that a truck could exert on a fault is a function of the mass of the truck, which is miniscule in seismological terms. If a fault were so unstable that this small amount of energy would trigger an earthquake, the small earthquakes which are common in California would have triggered it long ago.

I have read all of Mr. Follet's books and found the "Hammer ..." and the ".. Third Twin" , his worst ones. I hope he returns to his old writing style, such as in "The Man form St. Petersburg" and "A Place Called Freedom ". Otherwise I think I will stop reading his books.

No, this is not one of those in-depth time pieces with well developed characters and methodical, slow but satisfying storyline....this is the other Follet...comic book style...ie. no character developement, blistering plot line, great ending, which I guarentee you will finish in one weekend...nothing profound here, he probably wrote it over the weekend too, but a great read and thoroughly enjoyable..now back to the depressing Oprah books

Knowing what a huge fan I am of Ken Follett, my husband made this book one of my Christmas gifts. I tried several times to bear with this and give him the benefit of doubt. Unfortunately, my doubts were well founded. I just couldn't believe this was the same author. Never saying anything to my husband, we were talking about books just last night, and he said, "do you know the strangest book I've read recently?", you've got it! He is also a fan of Mr. Follett's. I enjoyed all of his others, especially "Eye" and "Pillars". In "Hammer", the plot, the characters and writing were very sophmoric. I truly don't think they wrere written by the same author or he bet someone that his name could sell anything. Sorry, but I hope the next one fully redeems Mr. Follett to his fans.

Very dissapointing book from an author who should know better. This one is so obviously written to be sold for the movie rights that I kept looking at the cover to assure myself that Michal Crichton was listed as the author. Grade A trash from somebody I thought well of.

My response to this review is that I disagree with this person's review. I think that even though California may be earthquake country that there is no reason why anyone could create earthquakes. The book is not fast but it isn't slow but on the other hand I don't think it is thought out. The book doesn't really allow you to use your own imagination it tells the story in to much detail so that the readers can't think for themselves. I don't think that what happened in this book can actually happen in real life because sending something down into the earth to create and earthquake is fictional and just can't happen. Its not really a good book since it does show how terrible terrorists can be and since these people are from the U.S. it is even worse to know that these people are in the states. I just think overall this is a bad

There are few books that I won't finish once I start them. This is one. Every time a new Follett book comes out, I hope it might be of the same calibre as "Pillars of the Earth". "Hammer" doesn't even seem to be by the same author.

compared to other thrillers this is pure junk. Rather than developing an interesting read the author continuoussly reverts to ittalics to give insight into his characters thoughts... sophmoric,boring,dull. I would expect better from Mr. follett.

Follett's latest is a 10 on the Richter scale of disasters. A bigger fault than San Andreas. More cracks in the plot than in the ring of fire. A very shaky plot. No wonder there is such a tidal wave of derision in these reviews!! A seismograph could have written a better story.

Ken Follet really falls short in his latest book. The Hammer of Eden contains none of the character devices, which Follet used in his past books to capture the reader's attention, such as espionage and deceit. Sure, The Hammer of Eden has the classic Follet plot, with revolutionary elements and told from the point of view of the antagonist. But this book falls short of some of his classic masterpieces such as Triple, Eye of the Needle, Key to Rebecca, and Night Over Water.
I believe Follet needs to stick to his greatest gift, writings of espionage, instead of the contemporary time period and Eco-terrorism.

This book was a bit of a page turner. The most interesting thing about it other than it was a good read like all Follett's books are is that the villain has so many likable qualities that you get suckered at first just like his victims.

Chiming right in with other reviewers, it is hard to believe that this book was written by the same author as Pillars of the Earth, Night Over Water, Dangerous Fortune and A Place Called Freedom. I can't say that I didn't find the book at all interesting, even though it was a bit far fetched. Although you can't fault an author for trying a new genre, the book lacks the richness in detail and character that makes his others such treasures. I look forward to a return to these qualities in his next book.

What a whacking good story! I finished it in 5 hours flat out. The only bad thing is, since it just came out Tuesday, I'll have to wait another two years for the next one. Great plot, interesting dialogue. Sad ending. 5 stars.

When I bought this book I had a choice of three english language books to choose from and since all three were tightly wrapped in plastic I had no opportunity to review it before I purchased it at a highly inflacted price. What a mistake. It was boring, boring, boring. The characters were unbelievably dumb along with the plot. If I had had anything else to read (that was printed in english) I wouldn't have bothered to finish this book.

This is my first novel I have read of Follett and is absolutely THE best thriller I have ever read. The plot is absolutely flawless, there is no filler, something happens in every chapter that advances the plot. The characters are so real. I can't believe some of these reviews, these people obviously don't like thrillers... let them read the so called NOVELs that Grisham is putting out now... he forgot how to write a thriller...

not follett at his best. the idea is good but the book didn't develop well-would've liked a slower buildup to let me get into the characters and that would've helped me accept where the story was going - very creative; but got there too fast.

As a rule, I jump at the chance to read anything Ken Follett writes. This book is worthless. I wish Mr. Follett would return to his former self and write the blockbuster novels for which he is known!!!???

I am a long standing Ken Follett fan. I consider The Pillars of the Earth to be one of my all time favourite books. A magnificent, sweeping, all consuming tale, well worth a reread. Unfortunately, The Hammer of Eden falls far short of the mark. Like the slow low-rumblings of the seismic generator it chronicles, this story rolls on to an all too predictable conclusion. I felt like I was reading a hastily written treatment for a made-for-TV-movie; complete with shallow characters and trashy sex scenes. Too bad I started longing for commercials.

It appears as though Mr. Follett has a book contract he must fulfill. "Hammer of Eden" as well as the "Third Twin" are quite evident of the fact we are writing only to fill a quota. "Pillars of the Earth" is a masterpiece. A "Dangerous Fortune" is genious. "Hammer of Eden" is better than "Third Twin" but this is like saying coming in 87th place is better than 90th! This book is not what I expect from Ken Follett, he is a much better writer than this.

As entertaining as 'The Devil's Teardrop',with a powerful ending to rival "The Triumph and the Glory" and a style perfect for the genre, I couldn't put it down. ( OK, I did a couple times . . . maybe even 3 or 4) Four stars because it isn't up to the normal standards of Follett but still good stuff.

I had purchased this audio book at my local library. One of the cassettes was missing. I scrambled to find a 'whole book' - It was suspenseful. There was alot of geological accuracies that pleased me. And the story line I thought was compelling. This is the book that got me started reading anything I could find by Ken Follett.

Some of Follett's books have captivated me for weeks after I finished them. This one wasn't even interesting while I was reading it. I hope Ken can get back to the topics he knows about and quit writing formula books that don't do his talents credit.

Some of Follett's books have captivated me for weeks after I finished them. This one wasn't even interesting while I was reading it. I hope Ken can get back to the topics he knows about and quit writing formula books that don't do his talents credit.

As a fan of Follett's books, this one is a disappointment. I suspect that he was short of cash when this one went to press. It has little of the quality, in-depth character portrayal that I've seen in his other books and the story line is pure fantasy, not just fiction. Not recommended.

This is a book that starts out at a simmer and leads to a full boil. The reader is drawn into the intricate web of the plot by the gradual introduction of the various characters. You may not like them all but you will begin to understand their passions and weaknesses.
With consumnate skill the frighteningly plausable plot and characters are drawn together. Tension builds, holding the readers attention up to the very last page.

I rate this book Putrid and a total waste of my time. The plot, sub-plots and expression are all childishly styled and obviously this book sells solely on the basis of the authors name as some of his previous work is excellent.

Even by the longest stretch of imagination i could not imagine how on earth a writer who has written classics like EYE of the needle can write such a potboiler.

BElieve me this is not a bad book at all infact it is quite a page turner but for some1 who has set a very high standerds for himself this 1 falls short of expectations.But still worth a try if you have nothing to do on a lazy sunday afternoon you can try this book.

A reviewer on Oct. 21 gave this 5 stars and read it in 5 hours. I believe it was written in 5 hours while under duress. Follett should be ashamed of himself...plot doesn't hold water, characters are undeveloped and uninteresting...lazy, lazy!!!!

I will admit, that being from California and particularly the S.F. Bay Area, I happily identified with the novel's setting and the subject of earthquakes. I enjoy all of Ken Follett's novels and the Hammer of Eden was an enjoyable read. After reading one of his books, you will be spoiled by the suspense...and other author's novels will pale in comparison, with a few exceptions, of course.

After reading "Pillars of the Earth" I waited eagerly for every title since. Sorry to say but "Hammer of Eden" is one in series of very disappointing novels written by Ken the plots are very obvious and the characters you just wish they where more deep and detailed. I am waiting for his next "Pillars of the Earth". But still he is one of my favorite writers.

Oh please Mr. Follet! Hippie winemaker, Eco- terrorist. Spunky Asian female FBI with a sexist boss and a streetwise hardboiled cop father. Everybody making wild assumptions (all correct of course) with no evidence to base them on. And the cute "where are they now" ending! No surprises, no characters and no plot. No Way

I read this book with morbid fascination. I was hooked; just how bad could this get? It truely plumbs the depths of awful pop literature. No doubt about it, it was written to be sold as an Action Flick! Miss the book... Miss the Movie; Don't Encourage Mr. Follett any further, please.

Follett has followed a dreadful "The Third Twin" with a book almost as bad. Some of the previous reviews are correct, this reads like a movie for television. The plot is laughable and completely unbelievable(and I grew up in LA). The FBI's new boyfriend tags along with machine-gun-toting G-Men in a helicopter chase? Give me a break.

I will agree that this is not the quality of Pillars of the Earth - few books are! But I found reading this book thoroughly enjoyable. Interestingly enough this was one of the few books I have ever read that I was pulling for both sides - yes there were "good guys" and "bad guys" but I wanted both to win! A fun read!

A very interesting, and quite novel, approach to mystery writing. Ken Follet is one of my favorite authors who never fails to create interesting characters, establish great tension and suspense, and leave you with a few surprises. This was a very interesting read.

This is the first book I've read by Ken Follett, and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was an easy and very interesting read. I was always wondering what Priest, Melanie, and Star would be up to next. Is it humanly possible to cause an earthquake?

I can't believe that the same author wrote both Pillars of the Earth and this book. The characters are stereotypes, the plot is predictable, the premise is unrealistic and these are the good points of the book! One of the worst books I've ever read.

Ken Follet is one of those authors that when they have a new book out I just buy it. I don't read the jacket or any reviews because I always enjoy his writing. While "Hammer of Eden" is an ok read, I think it is Ken's weakest. Still better than most, but far from his best. Might even be his worst.

Follett is better than this. Not sure how much time he spent on this but he usually writes better thrillers than this. This was the first book I read on Christmas vaction and I could have invested my time better. If you live in California, you still might not be intrigued!!

well another follet novel has come and gone and as for me this one was an earthshaking bomb! the story is at least well written (which is his specialty) but the premise is a little weak. (LITTLE?) but it got me away from my family for a while so if thats what you are looking for then by all means go for it.

A well constructed story that maps the mental unravelling of a charismatic alternative lifestyler. The good guys sort it out of course, but the major enmity and side story is the politics and jealousy between the different lawn enforcement agency's.Dennis Lourey

The problem of this book is that you know in the first pages who is the bad guy, so you know that he will have to lose at the end. The way they are living in the village I think that is a little bit out of the reality.

I liked this book and from page one was enthralled. The obligatory romance(s) could have been left out but in case this is made into a movie they have to be there. It was exciting throughout and delved into the mind of an egotistical maniac.