Rating: 
Summary: Fairly good story, well read on tape
Review: 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...
Rating:
Summary: A pretty good one
Review: I like Ken Follett. Cannot think of much I have read by him I didn't like. This one was my least favorite, but I still enjoyed it, and would rate it 4 stars. It was hard to put down, but the writing felt "rushed", for the most part, which is why I think I like it least of all of Folletts books. But I was drawn into the plot and the characters. Someone mentioned in another review that they didn't care for the amount of profanity in this book, and I have to agree, that is a turn off, but it was appropriate for the characters in the book. The science was interesting. If you like suspenseful books, then you will probably enjoy this one, if you like Folletts books which are more "historical" then you may want to pass on this one. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Hammer Of Eden
Review: A friend gave me this book to read, and I wasn't sure what I was in for. Although, at first, the plot was hard to believe, but I couldn't put the book down and kept reading chapter to chapter. I enjoyed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Trying to attract a younger reader?
Review: I believe I have read most of Follett's books. Pillars of the Earth, as I have read here, is also one of my all time favorite books. But Hammer of Eden, while it has an almost believable plot, and he gets you to almost like the hippies, is just too full of the f-word. Perhaps he is trying, like so many other contemporary authors, to attract the younger crowd. But for this woman 'of a certain age' it will be the last Follett I will purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Not his best effort
Review: This book never worked for me. It is not that it was poorly written or there were not well drawn characters, I just did not like anyone in this book. I found myself wishing they would all go away.
Rating: 
Summary: OH PLEASE!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Hammer of Eden
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Still a Follett Fan
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Gag me!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Did I Feel the Earth Move?
Review: 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.
| 
