The Pillars of the Earth

I am about to reread this book yet again, as I do about every 5 years or so, because it is time for me to open the tapestry and see the story unfold. I love books, and have since I was a young child, and never thought I would be able to choose a #1 book of all time....until I read Pillars of the Earth. I had long been a fan of Ken Follet's spy and espionage novels, Key to REbecca, Eye of the...more

I am about to reread this book yet again, as I do about every 5 years or so, because it is time for me to open the tapestry and see the story unfold. I love books, and have since I was a young child, and never thought I would be able to choose a #1 book of all time....until I read Pillars of the Earth. I had long been a fan of Ken Follet's spy and espionage novels, Key to REbecca, Eye of the Needle, etc., and as a bookstore manager when this book came out was anticipating another good read. Well, Mr. Follet outdid himself with this book-it is my #1 for all time. The characters are so vivid you want to protect/murder them (depending on who they are, of course), and the historical perspective makes you feel as though you are right alongside the Master Builder and his family each step of the way. I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Follet a year ago at a lecture, and was able to have him sign my hard cover first edition of this book. He told us that he is working on a sequel for this novel, set some 500 years after Pillats ends, and I'll be at the door of B&N waiting for my copy when it arrives!!   hide

This book is epic. It covers a the trials and joys of a small group of people associated around the small villiage of Kingsbridge, in 12th century England. There are three similar pairs of people that are the focus of the story; in each pair, one is just, and one unjust. They are evenly matched throughout and with every upset you wonder who is going to succeed in the end. The goodhearted...more

This book is epic. It covers a the trials and joys of a small group of people associated around the small villiage of Kingsbridge, in 12th century England. There are three similar pairs of people that are the focus of the story; in each pair, one is just, and one unjust. They are evenly matched throughout and with every upset you wonder who is going to succeed in the end. The goodhearted leader of a small priory that wants a great cathedral in Kingsbridge for the glory of god versus the arrogant and manipulative man that wants a great cathedral at Shirring for the glory of himself. They are matched by the gentle architect that wants to build something beautiful for beauty's sake, and the greedy architect that wants to build to make himself money. There is also an impossibly good Earl-to-be that wants to care for the people, and an impossibly bad Earl-to-be that wants to use the people to his own ends. The characters are pretty one-dimensional but they each have their place. The book could do with WAY less graphic raping--there is honestly too much. It's a good novel for a long journey because you can get caught up in it and it is a simple read. It's not the amazing, astonishing, life-changing novel some people are saying, but it is a pretty good novel.    hide

I wanted to like this book a great deal more than I actually did. I picked it up last week after it was enthusiastically recommended to me by several co-workers, but I expected a lot more of it after hearing people gush over how wonderful it was. It wasn't a terrible book by any means, but I found the characters to be shallow and underdeveloped, and (with a few exceptions) they were nearly...more

I wanted to like this book a great deal more than I actually did. I picked it up last week after it was enthusiastically recommended to me by several co-workers, but I expected a lot more of it after hearing people gush over how wonderful it was. It wasn't a terrible book by any means, but I found the characters to be shallow and underdeveloped, and (with a few exceptions) they were nearly indistinguishable from each other under the surface details. The prose was formulaic -- I noticed several specific phrases being reused throughout the book -- and anachronistic enough to be distracting. Perhaps it's just me, but if I'm reading a book set in the twelfth century, I would prefer a little more attention paid to structuring the language so that it feels more present in that timeperiod. The book felt very modern to me because of the way it was written, and despite my interest in the era in which it was set and the discussions of cathedrals, which are a particular interest of mine, I couldn't really immerse myself in Follett's created world. (I could have done with fewer rape scenes, as well, but that's a personal preference.) I'll probably borrow my co-worker's copy of the sequel to read in a few months, when I've run out of other things, but I won't rush out and buy it immediately.   hide

I finally got around to reading this book after a friend recommended it several years ago, and I wish I'd taken it up sooner! This is the colossal story of how the fictitious, 12th-century Kingsbridge Cathedral in England was dreamed of, designed, built, rebuilt and finally achieved its ultimate glory. The entire cast of characters, down to the very mundane aspects of their lives, is painted...more

I finally got around to reading this book after a friend recommended it several years ago, and I wish I'd taken it up sooner! This is the colossal story of how the fictitious, 12th-century Kingsbridge Cathedral in England was dreamed of, designed, built, rebuilt and finally achieved its ultimate glory. The entire cast of characters, down to the very mundane aspects of their lives, is painted realistically and in great detail. I really appreciated that the author poured his heart and soul into telling the entire story, despite it resulting in a quite lengthy and intimidating book. I reveled in the amount of detail offered -- it only served to fascinate me further about this time period. The only thing that could have improved the story is if Kingsbridge Cathedral had been real.   hide