Lezersrecensie
Stonehenge
http://looneybooks79.blog/2025/12/13/cirkel-der-dagen/
In Ken Follett’s latest novel, we follow several communities living peacefully side by side on the great plain in the 25th century BC. At each change of the seasons, they come together for a shared ritual—a moment when the different tribes gather, celebrate, and sometimes even form bonds that lead to new couples.
One of these groups is made up of priestesses who honour a wooden monument, dancing and singing around it as they offer predictions for hunters, farmers, and others. Their foresight is not mystical so much as practical: they are the only ones who can count, calculate, and accurately foresee the turning of the seasons. As a young girl, Joia is fascinated by these priestesses, and when the chance arises to join them, she jumps at the opportunity, eager to learn.
Her sister Neen belongs to the keepers, and she meets Seft, a flint knapper from the mines who has fled his father and brothers to escape the harsh life they forced upon him. He marries Neen, and together with Joia a bold idea begins to take shape: to build a new monument for the priestesses—this time in stone rather than wood. After the wooden monument has been burned down twice, they dream of creating something permanent and indestructible, a structure that could endure for generations.
But not everyone welcomes the plan. Such a monument would take many years to complete and require the labour of dozens of volunteers—people whose daily work on the fields or in the forests would then go undone. After a devastating, prolonged drought that leaves the communities hungry and on edge, it becomes clear that Joia’s ambitious vision will face fierce resistance.
It’s no secret that Ken Follett has written many historical novels, and I’ve only recently begun to explore his work myself (and really should finally start the Kingsbridge series!). When I heard he was releasing a book about one of the world’s most iconic prehistoric sites—Stonehenge—I was immediately intrigued. Follett knows how to tell a story, often in rich detail, with such a large cast of characters that I occasionally had to pause to remember who belonged to which tribe. A list of characters and tribes might have been helpful, as it sometimes slowed my reading.
And anyone expecting the story to revolve solely around the construction of Stonehenge may be surprised: it isn’t until two-thirds of the way through the book that the building itself truly begins. It takes time before we arrive at the hauling and raising of the stones.
More than anything, the novel explores how people lived—and survived—in prehistoric times, especially during moments of crisis like the prolonged drought. It examines both the humane and inhumane instincts of its characters. One of the most prominent figures is Troon, the farmers’ leader, who brooks no dissent; only his laws count. He fiercely opposes the stone monument, rejects cooperation between tribes, and in his community women have no voice at all—they must obey their husbands and their leader.
I did come across a very negative review (I always check other people’s reactions on Goodreads), and of course someone had branded the book “woke.” The reason is easy to guess: within the priestesses’ community—an all-women group—emotional and sexual relationships develop. Puritanical readers will no doubt take issue with this. (I’d recommend they simply avoid the book—if your rating hinges solely on that aspect, you’re offering a very skewed impression of the book’s overall quality!)
At more than 550 pages, it’s certainly a substantial novel, rich in detail. At times I lost track of the many characters and their names, but despite that, it’s a beautifully written historical story that tries to offer an explanation—whether the explanation remains uncertain, as I know too little of Stonehenge’s true history—as to why people once chose to raise a circle of massive stones crowned with lintels. Follett makes the idea believable enough that you don’t doubt its potential historical truth.
Will 2026 finally be the year I start the Kingsbridge and Century series and dive deeper into this author’s work? It’s about time, isn’t it?
In Ken Follett’s latest novel, we follow several communities living peacefully side by side on the great plain in the 25th century BC. At each change of the seasons, they come together for a shared ritual—a moment when the different tribes gather, celebrate, and sometimes even form bonds that lead to new couples.
One of these groups is made up of priestesses who honour a wooden monument, dancing and singing around it as they offer predictions for hunters, farmers, and others. Their foresight is not mystical so much as practical: they are the only ones who can count, calculate, and accurately foresee the turning of the seasons. As a young girl, Joia is fascinated by these priestesses, and when the chance arises to join them, she jumps at the opportunity, eager to learn.
Her sister Neen belongs to the keepers, and she meets Seft, a flint knapper from the mines who has fled his father and brothers to escape the harsh life they forced upon him. He marries Neen, and together with Joia a bold idea begins to take shape: to build a new monument for the priestesses—this time in stone rather than wood. After the wooden monument has been burned down twice, they dream of creating something permanent and indestructible, a structure that could endure for generations.
But not everyone welcomes the plan. Such a monument would take many years to complete and require the labour of dozens of volunteers—people whose daily work on the fields or in the forests would then go undone. After a devastating, prolonged drought that leaves the communities hungry and on edge, it becomes clear that Joia’s ambitious vision will face fierce resistance.
It’s no secret that Ken Follett has written many historical novels, and I’ve only recently begun to explore his work myself (and really should finally start the Kingsbridge series!). When I heard he was releasing a book about one of the world’s most iconic prehistoric sites—Stonehenge—I was immediately intrigued. Follett knows how to tell a story, often in rich detail, with such a large cast of characters that I occasionally had to pause to remember who belonged to which tribe. A list of characters and tribes might have been helpful, as it sometimes slowed my reading.
And anyone expecting the story to revolve solely around the construction of Stonehenge may be surprised: it isn’t until two-thirds of the way through the book that the building itself truly begins. It takes time before we arrive at the hauling and raising of the stones.
More than anything, the novel explores how people lived—and survived—in prehistoric times, especially during moments of crisis like the prolonged drought. It examines both the humane and inhumane instincts of its characters. One of the most prominent figures is Troon, the farmers’ leader, who brooks no dissent; only his laws count. He fiercely opposes the stone monument, rejects cooperation between tribes, and in his community women have no voice at all—they must obey their husbands and their leader.
I did come across a very negative review (I always check other people’s reactions on Goodreads), and of course someone had branded the book “woke.” The reason is easy to guess: within the priestesses’ community—an all-women group—emotional and sexual relationships develop. Puritanical readers will no doubt take issue with this. (I’d recommend they simply avoid the book—if your rating hinges solely on that aspect, you’re offering a very skewed impression of the book’s overall quality!)
At more than 550 pages, it’s certainly a substantial novel, rich in detail. At times I lost track of the many characters and their names, but despite that, it’s a beautifully written historical story that tries to offer an explanation—whether the explanation remains uncertain, as I know too little of Stonehenge’s true history—as to why people once chose to raise a circle of massive stones crowned with lintels. Follett makes the idea believable enough that you don’t doubt its potential historical truth.
Will 2026 finally be the year I start the Kingsbridge and Century series and dive deeper into this author’s work? It’s about time, isn’t it?
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