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The Pillars of the Earth
Pillars of the Earth Q1 2019
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Pillars of the Earth, Part 2 (of 6)
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Hi everyone, I found this group from Nancy's post in another group. I have just finished reading it, I can just copy/paste my comments from that group into the relevant threads here, I hope that's okay:Jan 07, 2019 08:28AM
MK (wisny) | 2865 comments I finished Chapters 5 & 6 in Part 2, even though I meant to be asleep awhile ago. This is compulsively readable.
The Hamleighs are despicable people!
The children of the former earl, Aliena and Richard have met with many sorts of violence, but have turned themselves around, with help at the last minute from Prior Philip, who recognized them when the wool merchant was ripping off Aliena because she was a woman.
Tom Builder overcame his trepidation of being presumptuous, and built plans for a new cathedral, and convinced Prior Philip to hire him as master builder, IF he could find the money to pay for a cathedral. Bishop Waleran called Prior Philip to the deposed earl's old castle, and hatched a plan to convince the king to give the Church the former earl's lands, and thus pay for a new cathedral ... or at least that's what Waleran told Philip.
Regan Hamleigh, who is very very clever, and the only brains in the Hamleigh family, sent Philip with her son William to the bishop's palace, and show Philip that the bishop had begun building a castle, but ran out of money, so was stalled. Philip understood then that the bishop was using him, and wanted the former earl's lands for his own use, not to help Philip build a new cathedral. Philip stopped being awed by powerful men, and threw in with Regan Hamleigh to broker a compromise that would give him the means to build his cathedral, and her the earldom for her husband and her family.
The Middle Ages certainly were brutal times.
I'm at 50% now, finished Part 1 and Part 2 (thru Chapter 7), and have finished Chapter 8 and part of Chapter 9, Part 3. They haven't revisited Remigius much yet, so I haven't learned how he knows Ellen so well.Chapter 8, Part 3 is brutal. ... (snip ... different Part of the book, that's Part 3, not Part 2. I couldn't remember how much of what I wrote happened in Part 2, and how much in Part 3, so I'll just copy it there ... )
Mod
I just finished part 2! I love this book so far. I can't find enough time to read! We have a snow day today due to cold temps and my niece is not giving me much time to read today. I try to sneak a page or two in here and there. I am curious to see how Ellen's story comes out. Will Prior Philip forgive her and allow her to marry Tom? Will the kids get along better now that they are older and working? Will anyone find out she is a witch?
I also really like Aliena's story. I hope she continues to grow her wool business. And that her brother gets to become a knight as thier father wished. I also hope she gets vengeance against William and the Hamleigh family. They need to taken down.
I didn't expect to enjoy this story so much. I like it better than Outlander. I was only able to ready about a quarter of that book. I do hope to finish it, maybe after I'm done with Pillars.
Mod
The impression I got was that calling Ellen a witch is just what was common when a woman had her own opinion and would not conform to societies norms for their own sake. In that way, not much has changed from the world today. But I don't believe Ellen was a witch.
I just finished part 2 and totally agree with J.'s assessment of Ellen - not a witch but labeled as one for living an unconventional life for the times. I would be curious to know more about Follett's research for Ellen's character - a single mother living in the forest. Most of the descriptions of the time period are familiar to me except for the details of the architecture and the ordeal of building a cathedral - really fascinating how Phillip overcame the deceitfulness of the Hameleigh's to maintain his access to the stone quarry. And the circumstances of Aliena's wool trading venture was a welcome turning point too...
Mod
Ellen was the girl at the beginning who cut off the head of the chicken when she chanted her curse. I don't know if the curse had any effect on the men or not. But it they call her a witch, that's probably why.
I think (but it could be from something I read in a different book) that Jack's father knew the secret of White Ship, and how the King's male heir was killed. A priest was one of the people who helped to set him up (perhaps because Stephen promised to give more power to the church).
I loved when Aliena created that business for herself. I really like her character.
I have also finished part 2. I can't get over want a loathsome character William is and so brutal when it wasn't necessary. I know the middle ages were brutal times but he seems to get such a kick out of it. Nauseating!I am with all of you in admiring Aliena's character. Her resilience, and smarts have been put to good use. I wonder if she is surprised by her strength and business acumen. Not something she would have had much opportunity to discover as a beautiful noblewoman.
Although Tom & Phillip demonstrate great resourcefulness and smarts in their own right, The main women characters are much stronger even that bitch Regan Hamleigh!!!
Ya know , we are halfway through the book and there is much work still to be done on building that cathedral!!!!
haha, Chris ! That's a good observation ^-^(cathedral progress)
Mod
MK wrote: "Hi everyone, I found this group from Nancy's post in another group. I have just finished reading it, I can just copy/paste my comments from that group into the relevant threads here, I hope that's ..."
Very brutal. It was great to see Alien overcome what William did to her, and seeing her father so sick in that disgusting jail. I loved how she learned so quickly how to make a success of herself. Early on it seemed like she was too pampered and spoiled to be able to take care of herself. I liked the honest feedback she got about why she wouldn't make a good employee. She was better off having to work for herself.
Chris, you're right. It seemed like resourcefulness was a theme of this part of the book. I did like how Tom and Philip are figuring out how to get things done. But yes, they have a long way to go.
Mod
I really love the Aliena character-- do you ppl pronounce it "AIL-EE-EN-AH' or "AH-LEENA" or any other way?? ---Jen from Quebec :0)(PS) Do you think that Richard will turn out to be a foe for William or turn out rather useless?
Mod
It's AL - ee - AY - na
or Ally- Ai -na
(Though in modern day US it would be pronounced as Ah- lee - ah - na, or Al- ee - ah - na.)
Richard vs William: It might still change, but as of part 4, (view spoiler)
Although it was sad, I liked the part where Meg helped Aliena and Richard see their father in jail...I would have liked to have learned more about her story. She was definitely kind and resourceful - maybe she'll turn up again in a later section.
Mod
Aliena met a mentor at exactly the right time, didn't she. Meg was very generous to teach her about her business, but then she had to leave town when her husband got out of jail. I don't recall what law she broke, but I hope Aliena knows to avoid it.
Part two is a wonderful section. It's very long, but when you finish, you're half way through the book, and it's a satisfying place to stop if you need a break for other books.
List one or more of your favorite characters or aspects of part two.