The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) by Ken Follett - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

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11/18/07

amelia rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in January, 2004

recommends it for: no one! apparently oprah fans

This is seriously one of the worst books I've ever read. The only reason I finished the book is because I cannot put a book down once I start.

The writing is terrible. The plotting may be dramatic, but I had almost zero interest in any of the characters; they seem to exist merely for events to happen to them, like actors in a disaster movie. Beyond that there seemed to be three characters in the book: Bad guy, good guy, and good victimized-yet-able-to -overcome girl.

What g...more

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03/17/08

Troy rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in March, 2008

Ahem.
"Pillars of the Earth" is a very long book. It's got a lot of soap-opera-like twists and turns - no amnesia, but just about everything else, including mistaken identities, illicit marriages, illicit lack of marriage, illegitimate children, questionable parentage, love triangles, revenge, greed, power, a few murders, rape, witches, politics, knights, swords and horsies. OK, that last bit is not so soap-opera-like. There's also lots and lots of architecture. And it's a ver...more Ahem.
"Pillars of the Earth" is a very long book. It's got a lot of soap-opera-like twists and turns - no amnesia, but just about everything else, including mistaken identities, illicit marriages, illicit lack of marriage, illegitimate children, questionable parentage, love triangles, revenge, greed, power, a few murders, rape, witches, politics, knights, swords and horsies. OK, that last bit is not so soap-opera-like. There's also lots and lots of architecture. And it's a very long book.

Main story follows a single family of stone masons for (roughly) three generations, and the extended families associated with re-marrying, etc. Around this family revolves an aspiring monk/prior, a powerful but morally questionable bishop, a ruthless Earl (title, not name), and several kings. The thing is, even with all the re-marrying and such, there are so many evolving inter-relationships between these main characters as the struggle for political power unfolds, and of course everybody grows up, has children, etc - that EVERYTHING seems to happen to this small group of people. And just when you think things have settled down for a while, something else happens, or attempts to happen. And these things keep happening for approximately 980 pages.

Along the way, you learn a lot about medieval culture - particularly the role of religion, the political power of a monestary, priory, or diocese - how life is funded, and just how much it sucks to be a serf. There's also quite a bit of focus on the reason for, and the means to, building cathedrals - Follett muses in his Foreward that one of the things he never could understand is why people in such destitute times would have put so much energy into buildings of such scale, and this book addresses that. You also learn a lot about architecture and the evolution of cathedral-building. I can also now tell you the difference between a nave, chancel, transept, cloister, and clerestory. Oh, and probably 7 different words for "horse".

Really though, I very much enjoyed it, despite its very lengthy nature. Very full of words. Long. Not a day went by I didn't read at least 50 pages (note - at that rate, it will still take about 3 weeks to finish).
The building is a constant, its a reason to keep the central family of masons from wandering off and having more illicit marriages, and its a reason for the ongoing political power struggles. It's essential, but it's not distracting, and the cathedral is not the focus. The people are. They're engaging, you feel for them, you assign labels (good, evil) you change labels several times (he's pretty self-serving and conniving for a "good" guy), and you constantly wonder just what more can possibly happen to these people. There's also an underlying mystery that keeps you wondering... right up until 100 pages too soon.

My only complaint is this - the big climax occurs, the mystery is revealed, it all comes together - and there are still 100 pages to go. The last part of the wrap-up, the rise and fall, takes a while, has an interesting but probably unnecessary historically accurate reference to English church vs. king to give the whole novel an air of "this could have really happened in some obscure English medieval village somewhere, I wonder which cathedral this is supposed to be? Can I go see the real thing?" But it loses momentum right at the very end. Loose ends nicely tied up, but it wasn't the gripping page turner it had been in the first 900 pages. By that time, though, you've got so few pages in your right hand you just keep going because the end is in sight.
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12/27/07

Francine rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in July, 2008

I did not hate this book (hate would be too strong a word, and I can't hate it because I applaud the fact that Ken Follett attempted to write an epic novel). But I did not like it. I didn't like it from the start; his writing style hit me like a brick, but Jim thoroughly enjoyed the book that I kept trying to convince myself that I ought to give it a chance, hoping it would get better. When I was about 500 pages in, he saw how miserable I was and asked why I didn't just stop reading it, but a...more I did not hate this book (hate would be too strong a word, and I can't hate it because I applaud the fact that Ken Follett attempted to write an epic novel). But I did not like it. I didn't like it from the start; his writing style hit me like a brick, but Jim thoroughly enjoyed the book that I kept trying to convince myself that I ought to give it a chance, hoping it would get better. When I was about 500 pages in, he saw how miserable I was and asked why I didn't just stop reading it, but at that point, I was invested in it; I had spent all that time getting that far, that I needed to finish it, and I couldn't wait to come to the end. I kept counting down: "Only 450 pages left; only 300 to go; last 200 pages...yay, I have 50 pages left!" Those fifty pages were the toughest to get through. By the time I was at the end, I thought it was a wasted effort - both on his part and mine.

It's so much easier to explicate on what I did not like because there were so many things:
- I loathed the writing style (he vacillated between pages and pages of highly complex architectural discourses to third-grade level simple sentences grouped into short paragraphs). Sometimes it was bearable. Other times, I wanted to pull my hair out. There were times when I felt the only time he came alive as an author was when he was discussing architecture, but these parts were so didactic in nature that it couldn't hold my interest for long periods of time.
- I did not like the author's narrative style. He had to tie everything together (causality was so prevalent throughout the text that I wondered how he didn't work in how the killing of a fly affected events 60 years later). Every single storyline was wrapped up - too neatly for my liking, in some cases. Everyone was tied to someone else (it was like playing Six Degrees); every single character had to have a denouement; every little plot twist had to be explained; closure had to be achieved, no matter how preposterous the circumstances, over time and space.
- The characterization was poor. In fact, it was appalling how two-dimensional these characters were. Good people were good. Bad people were loathsome. As time went on, the good were always suffering one thing or another; they were put upon; they were harrassed; they were constantly challenged and put to the test like Job (something Follett actually used as a sermon!). The badfolk became more oppressive over time; they were not only detestable, but they had absolutely no redeeming qualities. And to go with a typical medieval stereotype, the good were always excessively beautiful, honorable, intelligent (geniuses or savants, even!) - and if they weren't rich, they would be at the end (I half expected Havelok the Dane and his refrigerator mouth to pop up somewhere, proving once and for all that in the medieval period, to be good was to have the purest light shining out of your mouth each time you opened it). Nevertheless, the bad became uglier, became more despotic, scheming throughout life to get the better of their enemies (the goodfolk). But in the end, good always triumphed over evil; those who could, repented and were forgiven. Those who couldn't, were killed off somehow, because apparently, death is the only way an evil person gets his (or her) dues. And then everyone had a happy ending. I hate happy endings when they're so obviously contrived. And this work was so elaborately, exhaustively, thoroughly contrived. (Maybe it's not too late for me to change my mind and say I hated it. *grin*)
- Historically speaking, there was so much left to be desired. Granted, this novel was written two decades ago, and there have been new discoveries about the medieval period since Follett started his research. But he got it all wrong anyhow. His idea of medieval life was so...off, that it hurt my head to continue reading sometimes. I had to pause periodically and rant to Jim about what I currently found off-putting (for example, there weren't many literate people at the time; at the time this novel was set, there was still a distinct divide between England and Wales; reading and writing were two separate skill sets, and people who knew how to read did not necessarily know how to write and vice versa; orality was a prevalent part of storytelling back then and books not so much and yet somehow, he conflated much of both; manuscript writing was either orally dictated or copied tediously by the monks - his concept of a scriptorium was incomplete, defective - and there has been so much written about this that it saddened me; he used modern translations of medieval poetical/verse works and couldn't explain even alliterative verse form effectively - I even wonder if he knew what it was; his understanding of the languages of the period - Old English, Middle English, Latin, Norman French, Old French, Middle French, etc. - and what was spoken by the aristocrats vs. the peasants vs. the growing middle classes disgusts me; he showed a lack of understanding of medieval law, medieval rights, the social classes, gender roles, even the tales and legends of the period, in both England and France; priests were quite low on the totem pole, in terms of the religious hierarchy, and were quite disparaged yet somehow, that didn't quite come across in this novel...I could go on and on, but I won't).

And the historical part of the novel I just found lacking. There are enough histories and chronicles, contemporaneously written, of the time, that he did not have to deviate much from history. There is so much written about the period between the death of Henry I through the civil wars between the Empress Matilda and King Stephen, to the time that Henry II ascended the throne (including the martyrdom of Thomas a Beckett), that I don't quite understand how he couldn't have mined the chronicles for better material. I understand that this is why it's called historical fiction, and that there will always be some element of fiction interspersed with historical fact. But the fictional aspects usually have to do with surrounding characters and situations that bolster the history. The fiction is not necessarily to the history itself. Many times, when writing historical fiction, the author has to beware the pitfalls of creating a revisionist retelling, interspersing his or her own ideals or beliefs of what should have been to what was. If this novel had been marketed as a revisionary narrative, it would have been okay. But it wasn't. I'm just glad that the historical aspect of the novel just served as the background and not the real story. Because then, I probably would've stopped reading.

The premise was a good one and held a lot of promise. It could've been a great historical epic had it been handled by a more assured writer. By someone who was more of a visionary, someone who had the patience to do exhaustive research or who knew how to craft richly developed characters. It needed an author who understood the epic genre, who knew how to mold the epic, who knew how to keep the narrative going, seemlessly binding time with narration and the human condition, without resorting to stereotypes and grating drama. And most importantly, it needed someone who understood when the story had been told; that while there will always be other stories to tell, that each book has its own natural end, and that these stories may not belong in this book.

Ken Follett may be a bestselling author of suspense novels (and even historical fiction such as Pillars of the Earth and World without End), but he is no writer of epics. Compared to writers of historical fiction such as Edward Rutherford, James Michener, Bernard Cornwell or Margaret George, Ken Follett has a long way to go.(less)

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08/28/08

DeLaina rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: adult

Read in August, 2008

I devour books. That is my euphemism for being so OCD that I can't put it down and live my life until I finish it. For shorter books, that's generally not a problem, but for the 974 page Pillars of the Earth...well, let's just say we ran out of food, my children clung to my legs asking for food, and the floors did not get vacuumed for a good five days while I whittled away at this book.

CLIFF HANGER: This book is not a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter kind of book, which makes...more I devour books. That is my euphemism for being so OCD that I can't put it down and live my life until I finish it. For shorter books, that's generally not a problem, but for the 974 page Pillars of the Earth...well, let's just say we ran out of food, my children clung to my legs asking for food, and the floors did not get vacuumed for a good five days while I whittled away at this book.

CLIFF HANGER: This book is not a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter kind of book, which makes it easier to read it in multiple sittings. However, Follett does such a masterful job of character development, that I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next whether the end of the chapter contained a cliffhanger ending or not.

CHARACTER DEV'T: Each character is so beautifully defined and fleshed out, that they become almost real. I felt that I knew them personally, that I could accurately predict how they would react in different situations. None of them were 100% good or bad, just like in real life. Some priests were holy, others evil; some were rich people with big hearts, others with small minds and evil intentions; some poor farmers were judgmental, w/narrow-minded attitudes, others opened their doors to strangers.

PLOT/PACE: Foreshadowing was a very powerful convention that Follett skillfully weaved in and out of every chapter. It gave subtle hints, but never so overt as to suggest that the reader may be an imbecile. Backstories meander and come to closure at such a nice pace, that it always feels like something is happening and things are being resolved, for better or for worse.

THEMES: My favorite theme was that natural consequences followed the actions of the characters. (I'm still a bit out of sorts after reading the deus ex machina riddled Breaking Dawn, where all the natural consequences of three books worth of actions were completely erased-ugh.) There was a natural ebb and flow of triumph and misfortunes in Pillars of the Earth. Good things happened to bad people and bad things happened to good people, just like in real life. Follett does not try to save his characters from themselves, or from each other, and I enjoyed that very much.

STRONG WOMEN: I absolutely adored the strong women in this book! What a joy to read about Aliena, carving out her own future after her world had been turned upside down! Life knocked her down plenty, but each time, she got up, made a plan, and triumphed eventually. Ellen, and Agnes in her own way, were also strong women.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: As strange as it sounds, with all of the despair and misery that took place, the overarching take home for me, was HOPE. In the face of overhwelming adversity, these characters triumphed. The road was hard and the journey was long, but they CHOSE hope. They CHOSE faith. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

Pillars of the Earth will be on my favorite books list for a very long time.(less)

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11/12/07

Patricia rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

Read in November, 2007

recommends it for: no one

Hmmm... a family relation lent me this book. I was mostly interested in what kind of books my particular relation was into. I think you can learn a lot about a person by reading their favorite books. I am actually a little disturbed. Yes you may call me a prude, but there was sex in it. I know what your thinking... thats not a shocker. But its not just sex... it is violent sex. It has several graphic rape scenes. And I have to admit violence to women frightens me.
I don't need that graphi...more

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07/11/08

Jax rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: awful

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in March, 2008

recommended to Jax by: My mother, who thought I'd like the cover art.
recommends it for: People with iron wills and a surfeit of free time.

A massive tome with a spine thicker than Arnold Schwartzenegger’s forearm, Pillars looks intimidating enough to make even the most avid readers wary; its 973 pages are densely packed with unforgiving walls of 8-point text with nary a line break in sight. Before I was more than a hundred pages in, however, it became apparent that length was among the least of this behemoth of a book’s problems.

Follett's concept—a medieval, generation-spanning epic built around the constructi...more A massive tome with a spine thicker than Arnold Schwartzenegger’s forearm, Pillars looks intimidating enough to make even the most avid readers wary; its 973 pages are densely packed with unforgiving walls of 8-point text with nary a line break in sight. Before I was more than a hundred pages in, however, it became apparent that length was among the least of this behemoth of a book’s problems.

Follett's concept—a medieval, generation-spanning epic built around the construction of a cathedral—is exciting and full of potential (as are the illustrations, which are far too beautiful to serve as bookends to such trash); but the snaillike pacing, nonexistent characterization, and stilted, robotic prose ruin whatever potential the book might have had. Things start off on a sour note as we must bear witness to a painful prologue in which Follett tries to establish some sort of basis for an intersection that we are led to believe is soon to come – only to abandon this plotline for so long that we’ve forgotten what the point of the book is by the time it comes around again.

Then we fast-forward a decade, ending up in a rolling green valley alongside a totally different cast of characters. Before even a single word of dialog has appeared, Follett has described in exhaustive detail the lives thus far of Tom Builder (guess what his profession is), his moderately pregnant wife, Agnes, and their children, Martha and Alfred. Here we run into one of the most irritating faults of the whole book—a descriptiveness that borders on—and then completely transcends—the excessive. One wonders what on earth Follett’s editor was off doing when he should have been cutting Pillars down by several hundred pages’ worth of unruly tresses and twinkling eyes.

A thorough editor, armed with a hacksaw, could have perhaps fashioned this mammoth mishap into a passable pulp page-turner; but left as is, Pillars proves infantile, taxing—and oftentimes just plain disgusting. Fight and torture scenes are pointlessly gratuitous; descriptions of the architecture are historically accurate but impossibly long and boring; attempts to make the solidly one-dimensional characters charming only render them crass, impulsive—and, frankly, kind of gross.

It’s all downhill from there—with the exception of plucky prior Phillip, who could have been the novel’s saving grace if not for Follett’s iron resolution to curdle what little cream rises to the top of this mess. Phillip is smart, tenacious, and intensely likable, and his involvement in Tom’s life (being the prior of Kingsbridge Priory, where the cathedral is being built) gives the impression that he’ll be a key player for a long while. We are sadly mistaken; Phillip barely has time to settle in to his newly-acquired prior’s quarters before he is cast aside like a ragdoll. Oh, sure, he’s still around—but he does little more than pace hallways, issue stale anecdotes, and wring his hands over his inability to keep Kingsbridge safe after it is attacked again and again and again by the bad guys—who, in typical Follett style, would not have looked out of place twirling their moustaches and cackling maniacally. Waleran Bigod (I kid you not) and William Hamleigh fill their roles of ‘cold-hearted evil mastermind’ and ‘sadist thug’, respectively, with menacing glares, cold, unsmiling eyes, and appropriately villainous hubris all around. Follett abandons all pretenses with these two and instead goes for pure shock value, thereby rendering even his silliest characters uniformly unlovable.

This is all well and good (well, truly, not)—but what really had me sputtering with disbelief was the author’s warped sense of justice. Does he honestly think that making William fat and gouty by the book’s end will bring closure? If anything, I found it a little extreme; Willy and Wally (as I took to calling them) were the only ones who even tried to relieve the suffering for the reader brought on by Tom’s (literally) witchy girlfriend (yes, girlfriend) Ellen, her funny-looking son Jack, and his improbable beau Aliena (I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried); the men deserve pats on the back!

For that matter, so does anyone who managed to overcome the temptation to throw this bloated Colossus out the nearest window halfway through. Congratulations. Now how about that sequel?(less)

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03/15/08

Kira Fisher added it (review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: booksthatwerentgood

Read in March, 2008

i can't stress enough how not good this book was. (everett says he likes it that i pan books, so he will be pleased with this review.)

where does one start when explaining what makes a piece of shit unpleasant? is it the smell? is it the origins? is it its inherent turdness?

this book is inherently a turd.

mr follett's preface says that people have told him it is the best book they have ever read, and i have to seriously question what they're comparing it to. sweet val...more

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01/28/08

Tina rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in May, 2008

I finally finished this book and I loved it!!

The characters were interesting, flawed, and complex. The storyline was captivating, intricate, and exciting. I think that because the story was told from the point of view of many characters (5 or 6, I think), the author was able to show so much more of what was going on in many different places at the same time. Also, the length of the book allowed for a lot of time to pass (almost 50 years). I love how the author incorporated some a...more I finally finished this book and I loved it!!

The characters were interesting, flawed, and complex. The storyline was captivating, intricate, and exciting. I think that because the story was told from the point of view of many characters (5 or 6, I think), the author was able to show so much more of what was going on in many different places at the same time. Also, the length of the book allowed for a lot of time to pass (almost 50 years). I love how the author incorporated some actual historical events into the story, which made all the other plotlines seem so much more real.

The author spent a great deal of time and effort explaining specific features and aspects of cathedral construction. At first, I really tried to read through these parts carefully and understand them, but later on in the book I found myself skimming over them to get back to the actual plot. It was obvious that he had done extensive research on this topic and his descriptions did help me to appreciate what hard work it was for people to build such magnificent structures at that time in history.

The ending of the book was very gratifying, seriously my favorite type of book- the type that ties up all loose ends.

Now for the downside, this book can be vulgar and downright disgusting at times. The violence depicted is more graphic than I have ever read in any other book before. But I realize that the author was simply trying to be true to life at that period in history- knights, war, pillage, famine, etc. And for this fact, I appreciate the realism- but that didn't make it any easier to read.

Bottom line- I love this book. I qualify my recommendation though because of the reasons listed above. This book is NOT for everyone.

*************************************************************

***Update*** (I went out and bought a copy of this book for myself.)
I am loving this book! I have about 150 pages left and I can't wait to see how it ends. But at the same time, I'm sad for it to end because I'm going to miss the characters.

I still have the same complaint that the story is a bit soap opera-y and some elements of the story seem modernized from what it was probably like in 12th century England. But I'm at the point now where I don't care. Unlike other books I have read lately, once I pick it up, can't put it down. (I find myself reading three or four hours late into the night- not the best way to combat my constant sleepiness.)

******************************************

I started this book in all of its 970 page glory. At first, I couldn't understand all the hype- everyone I have talked to said that they loved this book. I thought the author's writing style was a bit soap opera-y. I don't know much about the Middle Ages, but it seemed to me that some of the dialogue, emotional situations, and social situations were somewhat modernized- it was hard for me to believe that that was really what it was like during that time period. But as the story moved along, I found myself drawn in.

I made it to chapter 5 before I had to turn it back in to the library. (Those of you who have read it know that the chapters are way long, chapter 5 is really around page 275.) I'm now 14 on the waiting list to get it back and I'm really missing it. I'm getting close to just going out and buying myself a copy so I can keep reading.(less)

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07/28/08

Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in July, 2008

A friend recommended this book. He is no longer a friend. I confess a snooty predisposal against pulpy books. I was going to the beach so I thought this would be a good beach book.

So what's it about? A master builder wanders medieval England looking for work. He's with his family--pregnant wife ("she was his soul-mate"--the author actually writes that twice), medieval Bart Simpson-ish son, scrawny daughter. He Dreams of Building a Cathedral. Along the way he meets a witch i...more

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06/26/08

Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in January, 2009

The duck swallows the worm, the fox kills the duck, the men shoot the fox, and the devil hunts the men.
-William Hamleigh, The Pillars of the Earth

This is probably the fifth review I've started for The Pillars of the Earth. The first thing you'll notice is that it's a long read, 900+ pages. Whenever I've attacked a book with similar length I've usually felt that the author was trying to impress me with his big phallic novel, as though the book were really about the size of the b...more

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02/22/08

Danny rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: readers of very long/unending series

(one minor spoiler ahead, reader beware...)

I started this book without too much expectation but between the self-congratulatory introduction that the author gave to his book and learning part way through that it had become an Oprah pick I must admit that I mentally raised the bar a bit.

Unfortunately, I found the book fell short...

I was very interested through about the first half of the book, it is clear that Follett writes thrillers in his other life and some...more (one minor spoiler ahead, reader beware...)

I started this book without too much expectation but between the self-congratulatory introduction that the author gave to his book and learning part way through that it had become an Oprah pick I must admit that I mentally raised the bar a bit.

Unfortunately, I found the book fell short...

I was very interested through about the first half of the book, it is clear that Follett writes thrillers in his other life and some of the initial action scenes were fairly exciting. The plot started out a tad slow, but began to build and I was hopeful suspense would continue to build. But found myself becoming more and more sour with the book as I continued. It may be that I was just holding my breath waiting for the end of the book (in the bad way), but the last 100 pages of the book felt tacked on and even more forced. I did not find the book to be terribly enlightening about the period as others have, though some of the architectural information was mildly interesting - I'll admit that I never really thought much before about what it would take to make such a huge building stay together. The characters developed up to a point, and then never really matured, remaining fairly unrealistic. Though the pure malevolent nature of a few of the “bad guys” did have me rooting for the protagonists in the beginning, the repetitive nature of the plot lines and "twists" eventually just became annoying and I wasn’t really attached to any character.

This book falls prey to far too many of the classic blunders of very long novels or series. I was reminded of the Clan of the Cave Bear series (which initially was quite a fun read too) in that the main characters try to be too much. For example, Jack is not only intelligent, good with stone, handsome and charming, but he is super-humanly inventive and lucky. Like Ayla (from the Clan series) he makes ludicrous mental leaps to revolutionize technology and develops overnight insight into city planning and tactical defense when it is convenient for the plot line (by the way… a city wall in a day? please… wasn’t one of the selling points of this book supposed to be its architectural realism?). On the other end of the spectrum, the antagonists are constantly attempting to one-up their last act of moral depravity and it becomes difficult to believe that anyone would really let them remain in power, regardless of their political tricks or bribes.

This would have made a great yarn if it was about half the size and toned down on the sensationalism a bit. As it is, I am really surprised at the positive outpouring for this book… Maybe I’m missing something…
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07/03/07

Ashley rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

bookshelves: own

Read in July, 2007

I loved this book for many reasons.

First, I loved the love stories in it. I loved Tom and Ellen's story most of all. It was sad that it happened so quickly after Agnes but it became so like as if they were meant to be together and it just so happened to fit all at the right time.

I loved Aliena's story too. I didn't like her at first cause she seemed so arrogant and all but after she and Richard lost everything, you started to get to know the real her and she was beauti...more

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11/10/08

Lucy rated it:

(review of isbn 0451207149)

Read in November, 2008

I hated this book. Let's just get that out of the way so there is no confusion later on.

Ken Follett describes a gloomy, dismal, nearly barbaric society whose citizens' greatest concerns seem to be their egos and their lust for power and control. He uses the building of the great European cathedrals as the impetus for his story; the magnificent structures were made possible through trickery, lies, greed, criminal acts and selfish ambition. Forget about the Glory of God...that's just h...more I hated this book. Let's just get that out of the way so there is no confusion later on.

Ken Follett describes a gloomy, dismal, nearly barbaric society whose citizens' greatest concerns seem to be their egos and their lust for power and control. He uses the building of the great European cathedrals as the impetus for his story; the magnificent structures were made possible through trickery, lies, greed, criminal acts and selfish ambition. Forget about the Glory of God...that's just history's cover story. But Follett's cathedral in Pillars of the Earth serves as much purpose as the hospital in the soap opera General Hospital. He focused much more on the personal drama, romance, and rivalry of his weak characters. This was historical fiction a la Daytime television.

The story didn't even feel historical. Follett tried. He mentioned eating with a knife almost as frequently as the tunics his characters wore (Setting it apart from modern day. We no longer wear tunics, you know). But everything felt too modern - their speech, their attitudes, even their relationships. I read the mammoth 1,000 page story quickly but I can just as easily get sucked into Guiding Light. The plots are interesting enough...just mind-numbing and unlikely. For example, the Alfred-Aliena-Jack love triangle had my interest but then the high drama of Aliena's secret pregnancy followed by her truly unbelievable delivery (during the same time the ceiling of the cathedral fell....underneath the stone rubble....really?) along side Jack's odyssey was just too much. And could someone please just get kill William Hamleigh before he rapes someone else? (They don't. The reader is required to experience one too many grotesque acts by an inhumane man who supposedly fears hell. Once was MORE than enough, Ken. We get it. He's baaaaaad).

Even if there is some historical truth to the background story - the difficulty in building a cathedral (oh yeah..remember that?), it is overshadowed by all the non-historical melodrama. I don't think Follett did that period of history any favors by making it all seem so salacious.

Here Be Dragons does a much better job of storytelling the tumultuous middle ages. Read it if you want to experience the pettiness of power. I'd even recommend Philippa Gregory's novels over this. It was about 900 pages too long.(less)

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08/20/08

Misfit rated it:

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bookshelves: wall-banger-

Read in January, 2007

I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but this is truly one of the worst books I have ever read. I came so close to throwing the book across the room on several occasions, and ended up skipping through many pages just to get to the final and not too surprising finish.

The characters were flat and lifeless and seemed to have been transplanted from the 20th century into medieval England. The book was rife with unnecessary profanity that in no way enhanced the storyline and obsce...more I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but this is truly one of the worst books I have ever read. I came so close to throwing the book across the room on several occasions, and ended up skipping through many pages just to get to the final and not too surprising finish.

The characters were flat and lifeless and seemed to have been transplanted from the 20th century into medieval England. The book was rife with unnecessary profanity that in no way enhanced the storyline and obscene gratuitous sex (I mean how many times did William have to rape someone to prove that he was a really really bad guy?). I noticed that at least one other reviewer commented that this book was required reading in his child's school, which if you are a parent I would recommend you take a good look at this book and perhaps take issue with your school district. As an adult I was shocked at the language and violence in this book, and find it totally inappropriate for a child and/or young adult.

I also noticed comments about the historical accuracy and research that must have been involved in writing this book. If that is so, it must only be in regards to the building of the cathedral and the civil war between Stephen and Maud. As for the rest, I must disagree, I have read many well written and researched books of medieval times (thank you Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick for such awesome reads), and I was infuriated on numerous discrepancies in this book. Examples and anyone may correct me if I'm mistaken as I am not a history major:

* Aliena is frequently described as having long, curling loose flowing hair. Women in those days wore their hair braided and covered, it being quite scandalous for any man other than her husband or lover to see it loose.

* After the attack on the castle, and the imprisonment of their father Aliena and Richard are allowed to live alone in the castle with only the steward? I doubt that the king would punish the children so for the sins of their fathers, and most likely would have been made wards of the king until they reached their majority. This was most desirable as the king could then skim the proceeds off the estates and funnel them to the crown's use. Sometimes a king would give ward ship to another party as a reward for service, etc.

* Young boys of the noble class were typically sent to another noble household to be raised and educated, first as squires and then trained in that household as a knight. What on earth was a teenaged Richard doing living at home?

* Much was made of William's warhorse. These were formidable beasts that were not easily handled by strangers. Yet Aliena and Richard were able to not only saddle the warhorse, but to get right on and ride it? I don't think so.

* The English nobility of that period were Norman French and did not speak the language of the peasant class. So how did Aliena manage to not only communicate with them, but could set up a successful business in that atmosphere?

I could go on with more examples if I had remembered to take notes, but there were many similar instances to this throughout the book. All I can say is that if you want to read a very well written and researched book on this period, please see Sharon Kay Penman's When Christ and His Saints Slept and Time and Chance (Ballantine Reader's Circle). JMO.
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10/20/07

Penny rated it:

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Read in March, 2001

A novel set in England in the 12th century, spanning several decades while rival monarchs Stephen and Maud battle for the throne. There were things I really disliked about the book, other things I liked. To start with the negative -- I found the characters not particularly well developed (they tend to be either Good or Bad, little shading) and I just can't believe that society was quite so fluid as Follett would claim. The daughter of an Earl, even one in disrepute, is just not going to find her...more

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11/19/08

lbweygandt rated it:

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bookshelves: favorites, historical-fiction, q2-2008, q4-2009

Read in April, 2009

Ken Follett, best known for his novels of political espionage such as The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, steps into a new genre with his epic saga, The Pillars of the Earth. Set in England during the latter part of the 12th century, Pillars presents a sweeping tale of medieval feudal life. The story centers around Prior Philip, a sincere and devoted monk who desires to honor God through the building of a cathedral. The plethora of characters whose lives readers will follow incl...more

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05/30/08

murph rated it:

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Quality historical fiction. Lots of stonecrafting - with the occasional foray into softcore porn.

Ken Follett does a masterful job of creating a believable setting and populating it with believable male characters. The novel follows the construction of a cathedral in 12th century England.

Being shown how mind bogglingly difficult building a cathedral would have been - as well as its effect on the people who surround it - is the real pleasure of reading this book.

...more Quality historical fiction. Lots of stonecrafting - with the occasional foray into softcore porn.

Ken Follett does a masterful job of creating a believable setting and populating it with believable male characters. The novel follows the construction of a cathedral in 12th century England.

Being shown how mind bogglingly difficult building a cathedral would have been - as well as its effect on the people who surround it - is the real pleasure of reading this book.

Less enjoyable is Follet's use of architectural exposition. Two characters will babble on in mason-speak for a paragraph or two that catapults the reader out of the story.

...he saw twelve arches in the arcade. The church was therefore divided into twelve sections, called bays. The nave would be six bays long, the chancel four. In between, taking up the space of the seventh and eight bays, would be the crossing, with the transepts sticking out either side...

Everybody got that?

I'm sure Mr. Follet is hoping that we'll all take the time to learn what all these terms mean - but most will just let the language wash over them like Star Trek's techno-gobblety gook "Captain, the floonian particles are refracting from the Denebian particulate alloys."

Yeah, yeah. Either get to the point, give me a glossary, or draw me a frickin' picture.

More disappointing is Follett's treatment of its female characters. Or as Follett would have them, his excuse to talk about breasts. This is hardly a new thing in fiction - but honestly. With one exception - every single female character gets a verbal up and down look every time they flounce into the page. The lone exception is a woman who is defined by being ugly. The once over stops at her face each time - all others get the grand tour.

There is also an excessive amount of description when two characters finally decide to get busy. In some cases, you could defend this as storytelling - in most, it's just gratuitous.

Oh, sure - I'm a prude. No, I like efficient storytelling, and a writer (even one as established as Ken Follett) shouldn't linger on the salacious bits just because it gets his rocks off. You need it to tell the tale, fine. But by the time the serial-rapist antagonist is assaulting a one-scene whore do I really need to know exactly what sex acts were committed to to establish his malevolence?

It's a great story that is character-driven. Just a few too many scenes that should have been left on Follett's hard drive.(less)

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04/30/08

Sajitha Jayaprakash rated it:

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bookshelves: have-read

Read in September, 2005

The Pillars of The Earth is unlike any other book Ken Follett has written. So don’t judge it by the other books you have read. The book has more than 1000 pages (1335 to be exact) and as you start reading you shall understand why! It is an epic tale of love, hatred, friendship, passion, revenge, and human achievement.

There are wonderful characters with outstanding bravery, commitment, and passion. It makes you weep at misfortune and injustice. Sometimes you smile at the happy times ...more The Pillars of The Earth is unlike any other book Ken Follett has written. So don’t judge it by the other books you have read. The book has more than 1000 pages (1335 to be exact) and as you start reading you shall understand why! It is an epic tale of love, hatred, friendship, passion, revenge, and human achievement.

There are wonderful characters with outstanding bravery, commitment, and passion. It makes you weep at misfortune and injustice. Sometimes you smile at the happy times and also become nervous of the villains and cheer the victories of the folks you like.

It is a story of a British family that built Cathedrals in England. The story starts with the events that create the political and personal ambitions which lead to the construction of the Cathedrals. It describes the life of Tom who is a builder and his family. As you read this book, you get to know his family and the lives of each member just as you would when you meet a new family. The story deals with all the details (practical as well as the personal), including from where the stone come from, how it is carried, what is medieval mortar etc. So you actually learn history in this story (but unknowingly). You can feel the smell of the woods and towns of olden times. You can feel their feelings, fear their dangers, and respect the heroes.

You also learn about that period of life. Ken Follett has done a lot of research for this novel. A very few authors are able to interlink historical fact in a ripping yarn, romance, mystery or a thriller without loosing the essence and the facts! The book centers on the building of a cathedral and how this mighty achievement rises out of the ambitions of men.

A Word of Caution: It contains details of violent sexual actions. But these blend well into the plot and as a reader you feel that they are integral to the plot. It brings out the brutality of relevant characters. There are a couple of references of animal cruelty which may be disturbing. But when you think of the time the book is set, the scenes described seem to be acceptable. These descriptions (if necessary) can be skimmed without affecting the storyline.

Warning: This is not a book to be picked up for light bedtime reading. You will probably be turning the pages when dawn breaks! You will feel compelled to read the next chapter and the next and the next (at least I did). Thankfully I read it during a lengthy travel (at the airport and during the flight).

According to Ken Follett, it took him three years and three months to complete this book.
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02/15/08

Lianna rated it:

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Read in May, 2008

Toward the end of this 1000 page book I noticed the ad for the equally non-descript titled SEQUEL released 17 years after Pillars. This raises a lot of questions. What kind of author leaves his fans hanging for 17 years? Can there possibly be anything left unsaid after 1000 pages? Is this why Follett looks so smug on the back cover w/his black turtleneck?

Maybe in the sequel he'll explain why he couldn't find room in the story for Martha after age 6. She was my favorite character ...more

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01/10/08

Kanawinkie rated it:

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Read in January, 2008

Admittedly, I haven’t read any of Follett’s other works. In fact, I can’t say I’ve heard of him as an author before this. And really, I only decided to read this book because my mum practically pushed it into my lap and said “YOU NEED TO READ THIS!”
I do love myself a good piece of historical fiction though, so really, it wasn’t very difficult to convince me to read.

Also unusual for me, I read the forward by the artist that was in the beginning of the book. Usually I�...more Admittedly, I haven’t read any of Follett’s other works. In fact, I can’t say I’ve heard of him as an author before this. And really, I only decided to read this book because my mum practically pushed it into my lap and said “YOU NEED TO READ THIS!”
I do love myself a good piece of historical fiction though, so really, it wasn’t very difficult to convince me to read.

Also unusual for me, I read the forward by the artist that was in the beginning of the book. Usually I’ll skip things like that and go back and read it after I’m done with the book, but since I knew very little about the writer himself, I decided to read it first. I’m glad I did! The story surrounding how and why the book was written I found quite interesting; he’s known for his thriller fictions, and he just so happens to have a passion for cathedrals and wanted to write about them. For some reason this greatly increased my interest in the book. Probably from personal experience with paper writing, I know that when you’re writing about a topic that really interests you, it tends to be better.

And boy was it! Follett is a master story-teller. This is a long read and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but Follett handles it effortlessly. They all interweave with each other nicely and their development makes for some very touching and memorable characters. I’m a sucker for strong, capable females and Ellen, for example, is just that.
I even found myself quite fond of Philip and Tom Builder, and Jack and so many of the other major characters.

Aside from the gripping storyline, Follett’s description of medieval life is rich, and he manages to touch on the lives of many different levels of society and illustrates just how much they relied and affected each other. I have no idea how much research he put into the writing of this book, so I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but boy – if life was as volatile as Follett describes, it’s a wonder any cathedrals managed to get built at all!

The whole novel flowed very smoothly, and it was a joy to read. It picked up in pace gradually as stories began to intersect with each other, and I found I had a difficult time putting the book down. In fact, the only places where he began to lose my interest were the moments when he would go off on extensive tangents describing and glorifying the cathedrals themselves. These were hardly anything I could hold him against doing since it clearly was his passion, and they were easily skipped over if I felt they began to drag on.

I’d definitely recommend this book to be read. Luckily my Dad picked up the sequel to this book as well (World Without End) so I’ve got plans to read that in the near future!(less)

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