”He was mesmerized by the challenge of making soft, round shapes out of hard rock. The stone had a will of its own, and if he tried to make it do something it did not want to do, it would fight him, and his chisel would slip, or dig in too deeply, spoiling the shapes. But once he had got to know the lump of rock in front of him he could transform it.”

n  n

There are so many memorable characters populating this epic novel that I would be hard pressed to even say who is the main character of this novel, but my favorite character is undisputed. His name is Jack, and later as he discovers the name of his father, he begins calling himself Jack Jackson. His mother, Ellen, falls in love with a man named Tom Builder. Jack finds himself nearly starving to death along with Tom’s kids, Alfred and Martha, as they trudge across England in search of someone who needs something built. Tom can build anything, but his dream, his most fervent desire, is to build a cathedral.

Jack is bright, unnaturally intelligent in fact, and it isn’t Alfred who turns out to be best suited to achieve Tom’s dreams (although Alfred is really good at beating the crap out of Jack on a daily basis). It is Jack who travels the world and discovers that cathedrals can soar high into the clouds beyond anything that Tom would have ever believed possible.

The backdrop for all these trials and tribulations that you will experience while reading this novel is the turbulent 12th century England. Henry Ist dies and leaves his daughter Empress Maude on the throne. This is extremely controversial because the nobles do not want a queen. If truth be known, they want a king, but a weak king they can control. Since Maude was born without a penis, this leaves the castle door open for her cousin Stephen, whom fortune has favored with a penis, to snatch the crown from her head and place it on his own. The nobles certainly do not want to work for a woman, but I think the issue that is even bigger is that Maude is very sure of herself, even one might say imperial. As her husband, Geoffrey of Anjou, would quickly find out, she is a handful.

Civil war breaks out, and the people who suffer the most, of course, are the peasants, who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The destabilization of the civil structure of law also allows men like William of Hamleigh to do whatever they want to do and take whatever they want to take. He is an opportunist who switches sides several times in the dispute between Maude and Stephen, depending upon which of the cousins has the wind behind them at the time. William is but a brutish thug, a tool of his demented, greedy mother and then later a weapon of evil for an archbishop named Waleran Bigod (great name, eh?), who wishes to obtain more and more power at the cost of everyone else.

William and Jack become mortal enemies as Jack tries to build a cathedral at Kingsbridge and William tries to destroy the economy of Kingsbridge to bring more wealth to his neighboring town of Shiring. William also has an unnatural lust for Aliena that is one part desire and one part pain. See, unless a woman is crying, bleeding, and feeling anguish, William’s wee willie won’t work. Here is a typical list of topics with which William and his henchmen like to entertain themselves:

”In the evening they would drink beer and sharpen their blades and tell one another grisly stories about previous triumphs, young men mutilated, old men trampled beneath the hooves of warhorses, girls raped and women sodomized, children beheaded and babies spitted on the points of swords while their mothers screamed in anguish. Then they would attack tomorrow morning, Jack shuddered with fear. But this time we’re going to stop them, he thought.”

Jack is Aliena, and Aliena is Jack. They are soulmates, and though many disastrous things happen to them to try and keep them apart, I kept hoping that love will conquer all. I may like Jack the best, but I admire Aliena the most. She recovers from a horrendous attack at the hands of William of Hamleigh to become the largest wool merchant in the area. This is remarkable for anyone, but for a woman, a woman who has never had to work a day in her life, and a penniless one at that, to raise herself up to such heights is remarkable. She survives every disaster, even the ones she makes for herself, and finds a way to achieve some semblance of security for herself despite the overwhelming odds.

There is one more character I want to discuss, and that is Prior Philip of Gwynedd. The man who shared the same dream as Tom Builder to have a cathedral rise up from the ashes of the old church at Kingsbridge. ”Jack did not like Philip but he liked working with him. Jack did not warm to professional men of God any more than his mother did. He was embarrassed by Philip’s piety; he disliked his single-minded sinlessness; and he mistrusted his tendency to believe that God would take care of anything that he, Philip, could not cope with.”

There are times when I want to give Philip a good shake, but at no time do I question the sincerity of his beliefs. Even when those intent on evil ends are conspiring, even cheating, to obtain an advantage over Philip, he always stays on the high road. He makes enemies in lofty places, including the aforementioned Archbishop Waleran Bigod, who at every turn tries his level best to destroy Philip and his dreams of a cathedral. The church politics are so fascinating and create an extra level of intrigue in the novel that at times overshadow the quest for the throne.

There are a 1000 pages of juicy historical fiction awaiting you if you choose to accept this quest. This is not War and Peace, so do not be as afraid of that page count as reason would dictate, as the pages will fly by. I really needed some escapism into a different time and place, and this book served that purpose perfectly. As I was reading it, I kept thinking that this would have been a great choice for that long plane flight to Scotland last year. There are some graphic rape scenes, but they are purposeful to the plot and certainly are a part of a destabilized England at that time. Unfortunately, the very topics that William Hamleigh and his thugs find so amusing are a part of human history going back to the days when we were battering each other with sticks and stones. I would have to use another 1000 words to discuss all the other worthwhile aspects of this book, but I will leave the rest to you to discover on your own.

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Full review...

Pillars of Earth has literally shattered my world! In this audacious and breathtaking novel, Ken Follett creates a true masterpiece of historical fiction!

Follett’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ is a astonishing accomplishment in story creation, character development and most impressively a beautiful narrative! How does one create a story of almost 1000 pages about ‘the building of a cathedral’ and make it relevant and engaging? How does Follett incorporate ‘historical fiction’ and the epoch of the medieval period and make it synergistic to the storyline? Where does Follett come up with half of this stuff in this incredible book, yet makes a story placed in the medieval period feel so relevant? Given his God given talent, Follett is able to incorporate the perfect ingredients in this superbly written story.


Medieval Cathedral


From the very prologue, Follett had me intrigued and completely hooked! Follett describes a hanging, in typical medieval style, and an extraordinary event that will set the tone for the entire book! Writing in the historical fiction genre can be a double edged sword: add too much detail and the book becomes a good ol’ boring history book; yet without enough background and historical perspective all your left is pure fiction!

Pillars of the Earth is set literally in the middle of the medieval age, in the years of 1135 until 1174. The historical background in England of that time is fascinating. A shipwreck containing royal nobles, and most importantly King Henry’s direct heir, are all lost at sea. The consequences are profound and after the death of King Henry and no apparent heir to the throne, chaos, civil war and bloodshed ensues for the large part of 40 years! Follett masterfully builds up the tension in his book, by placing his story during the peak years of this political upheaval.


Shipwreck at Sea


The book is the first of 3 books in the “Kingsbridge’ series. Most of the events in the story occur in or around the small town of ‘Kingsbridge’. Kingsbridge is essentially a small village, revolving around a modest monastery of monks or a priory. The relationship of the monks with each other, the royal family and the ‘earl’ of Shiring are constantly at play in the book. Never, did I think reading about monks and their daily lives could be so damn fascinating! This is the magic of Follett: he writes about the simple and mundane, yet makes it spellbounding!


Medieval Monks


“The symbol of Kingsbridge’s life and vigor was the cathedral. If only it could be finished by a miracle!”



n  In essence the nucleus of the story revolves about building a cathedral!n Follett’s narrative is so simple yet beautiful, but all is not what it seems. The major events of ‘Pillars’ occur surrounding the construction of this magnificent cathedral, and Follett creates major plot arcs around this simple concept. The story can is interwoven in multiple layers and different POVs. Characterization is one of the strongest ‘pillars’ in this wonderful story. There’s a masonry expert, ‘Tom the builder’, a genuinely good hearted monk ‘Phillip’, a beautiful earl’s daughter ‘Aliena’ and a promising red headed boy ‘Jack’. Their lives all eventually tangle in a web of love, deceit, violence and hope. It’s pure genius. There’s so much character building, that Follett keeps developing plot lines until the last 20 pages of the book!


Kingsbridge


Pillars of the Earth also give us one of the most evil characters that I’ve ever read in ‘William Hamleigh’. The son of prominent landowner, William is the devil incarnate. He’s all that’s bad in this earth: a murdered, a liar, a coward and blasphemous. Oh, did I mention he’s a sadomasochist, diabolical, and a rapist? This brings another point to the book. Themes of violence, love, brotherhood and religion are widespread. Make no mistake, this is not a tale for the weak of heart, due to the sheer brutality portrayed in ‘living life’ that Follett offers us. There’s violence with some gore, warring between competing factions, but it’s all appropriately done. Follett is a true master storyteller!

There are multiple sex scenes in the book, some graphic but never done distastefully, and ultimately adding a great deal to the narrative. There is an unfortunate ‘rape’ scene which is hard to stomach but so important to the entire book and a to a specific character development. Also, Follett exposes the brutal reality of the medieval times as a patriarchal society where woman were mostly treated as inferior and sexual abuse was prevalent, especially in lower social classes. ‘Whoring’ or prostitution was an accepted means of entertainment, for workers, masons, soldiers and at times even monks! Follett doesn’t hold anything back, but all is done temperately with the historical accuracy of the epoch.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Follett’s writing is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Follett’s writing style of ‘simplicity’ and ‘directness’ narrative makes for a real engaging experience! His writing is raw, the narrative so unique without embellishment or unnecessary verbiage. How else could you expose so much human emotion, if not writing purely from the heart with simple words? His narrative was so effective, that the near 1000 pages flew by. At times I forgot about the 21st century, and found myself in the small village of ‘Kingsbridge’ surrounded by the construction of a glorious cathedral and a world long lived.


“They turned toward Kingsbridge. It was twenty miles away. Philip began to walk. He felt wonderful…I lost in court, he thought, but that was only about stones. What I gained was something infinitely more valuable. Today I won a man’s soul.”


5 Stars

The Pillars of the Earth has been hailed as one of the most triumphant novels of all time for decades now, and it deserves every acclaim it earned.

n  

“When things are simple, fewer mistakes are made. The most expensive part of a building is the mistakes.”

n

If you have been following my reading journey this year, you would know that I’ve been struggling to encounter a book in the genres I tend to read—fantasy and science fiction—that blew me away. In fact, even though we’re in the month of July already, I still haven’t found any fantasy book this year that I would give a full 5 out of 5 stars rating. The Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio are exceptions, of course, but that series is more science fiction and space opera. This situation has pushed me to look into The Pillars of the Earth, the first book in a series of standalone novels titled Kingsbridge by Ken Follett. For the past 4 years, it has been in my to-read pile, and circumstances and reading mood have made my decision to read it this year. All of you were right. I’m not disappointed. This book did it for me. This riveting reading experience is what I’ve been looking for this year, and I’m gratified to give this doorstopper a 5 out of 5 stars rating.
n  

“I imagined it. I wrote it. But I guess I never thought I'd see it.”

n

n  Picture: The Pillars of the Earth by Ludwig Seibtn



I don’t think you need to hear me repeat what the premise of The Pillars of the Earth is about. If you’re like me, you might have heard it is about building a cathedral in the fictional city of Kingsbridge. At least, that is the simplest way to explain what the premise of the novel is about. And yes, essentially, The Pillars of the Earth IS a story that revolves around building an iconic cathedral. But is it ONLY about that? No. Far from it. There’s so much more to The Pillars of the Earth. So much more. It is a story about faith, war, survival, poverty, family, love, responsibility, and unity. This isn’t to say the cathedral building aspect is inferior compared to the others, but the explanation of architecture and the act of cathedral building isn’t what we would advertise to lure readers into trying to read a historical fiction that is supposed to be page-turning. But trust me. Despite the massive size of the novel, at 410,000 words long, this book never succumbed to boredom. I strongly believe many authors, not just historical fiction authors but fantasy and sci-fi writers as well, can certainly learn a thing or two from The Pillars of the Earth.

n  

“Having faith in God did not mean sitting back and doing nothing. It meant believing you would find success if you did your best honestly and energetically.”

n

n  Picture: Kingsbridge Cathedral by Sebastian Wagnern



Many components contributed to turning this historical fiction novel into one of the best books in history. Follett ensured every chapter—comfortable or uncomfortable to read—was integral to the narrative. I never felt a specific chapter was useless to the overarching storyline. Whether it is written to augment our investment in the characters or enrich the themes of the novel, no chapter ever felt futile to me. This is something that I unfortunately faced a lot lately in the fantasy genre. It seems like the books are written unnecessarily longer than they should be, and I am speaking as someone who loves reading big books, like The Pillars of the Earth proved. But in this case, by making sure every dialogue, interaction, and relationship the characters make feels crucial, even the premise of building a cathedral in medieval times can altered into one of the most engaging reading experiences.

n  

“Nevertheless, the book gave Jack a feeling he had never had before, that the past was like a story, in which one thing led to another, and the world was not a boundless mystery, but a finite thing that could be comprehended. ”

n

n  Picture: Kingsbridge Chapter by Sebastian Wagnern



I have always been fascinated by grand buildings and architecture. I think we humans are built to generally be amazed at the creation of massive proportions, whether they are man-made or by nature. The Pillars of the Earth effortlessly pushed me to look into the origin of things and REALLY think about their creation. To remember how much effort, advancement, devotion, sacrifice, struggle, luck, and determination are needed. It is physically impossible to construct a cathedral of this magnitude alone. Not only during the year 1100s when the story of The Pillars of the Earth takes place. But even now, in our lifetime and society, even putting every resource we have into account, it is still impossible to build a cathedral by yourself. This is a feat that can only be accomplished through an immense amount of resources, association with other people, unity, teamwork, meticulous calculation, and many more working in harmony toward the same goal. I was constantly fascinated by every technicality Follett wrote into this book. However, as I said, this book is not only about building a cathedral. There's no shortage of intense and harrowing sequences, and I did not expect how well-written the characters would be in this 40-year-long epic storyline.

n  

“She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly.”

n

Tom the Builder, Ellen, Jack, Aliena, Richard, and Prior Philip. These are some of the most recognizable protagonists of the novel. Before reading The Pillars of the Earth, I kept hearing how much people loved Prior Philip, and I’m not surprised why. I still don’t know whether my favorite character is Jack or Philip, but one thing I definitely know is this. Every character in The Pillars of the Earth has their own strengths and weaknesses. The relationship they forged became one of their sources of energy and hope to fight back against the evil and injustice of the world, especially one caused by the actions of the Triple W gang and one bully I’ll refrain from mentioning. I will get to the villains in the next paragraph. But back to my point. By making the protagonists flawed, it felt easier to recognize them as real characters and individuals. Even Prior Philip, who most of the time is kind-hearted, generous, and virtuous to serve his faith is not an exception to this. Philip, too, has his own agenda, and sometimes he will enforce his will to get what he wants. I loved the character development the characters had. Their survival tale will be stories that I always remember. When I finished the novel, I reflected on how the 40 years of tumultuous events changed them, and I feel satisfied to have read where their conclusion ended. However, if I haven’t been clear enough in this review, I need to emphasize this once more... The Pillars of the Earth is not a book for the faint of heart.

n  

“You never know… There may come a time when savages like William Hamleigh aren't in power; when the laws protect the ordinary people instead of enslaving them; when the king makes peace instead of war. Think of that - a time when towns in England don't need walls!”

n

Let me tell you this. Out of every book in every genre I read, The Pillars of the Earth has some of the most despicable, disgusting, and malicious villains I have ever come across. William Hamleigh, Walter, and Waleran Bigod, especially William Hamleigh. Again, there is another character, but it will be a spoiler to name him. All you need to know is this. The mind of these villains will test your patience. Follett did not shy away from putting us readers in the mind and perspective of the villains for a long time while they were thinking sleazy and abysmal acts, not even when they proceeded to execute them. Imagine every nasty action a villain could do in historical fiction novels, and you will most likely see them in the pages of The Pillars of the Earth. I fully understand if readers do not want to read The Pillars of the Earth because of this. But personally speaking, I think having the POV of a villain—more of the time than not—elevates the tension and compelling factor of the narrative. Knowing how far William Hamleigh and his goons will go to achieve whatever selfish desire he wants has made me feel terrified for the characters because I know none of them are safe from danger. This kind of fear for the characters—in my opinion—means I am engrossed in the story and the lives of the characters I grew to care about. And Follett accomplished that. It is a sign of a great book.

n  Picture: The Pillars of the Earth User Interface by Sebastian Wagnern



It is known in the construction of a cathedral, even though there is a master builder, that support and cooperation from other people are imperative. Same as books. Ken Follett mentioned the struggle and skills he needed to weave the beastly tome that is The Pillars of the Earth to completion. Without the help of other people, it will not be possible. Not only that, Follett also mentioned it is only thanks to the viral and continuous spread of word-of-mouth that The Pillars of the Earth reached the success it has. The glimmering quality and the worldwide fame of the story and the success of The Pillars of the Earth are as grand and rich as a Gothic cathedral. The popularity and success of the novel have spawned TV shows and video game adaptations as well; both are well-received. Knowing how much I enjoyed reading The Pillars of the Earth makes me excited to read the sequel as soon as possible. Especially when many readers have concluded that World Without End is somehow superior. I will read World Without End when I am in the middle of a 5-star book drought again. Or, who knows, maybe I’ll read it sooner than expected. But until then, I will end this review by saying The Pillars of the Earth is one of the best historical fiction novels ever penned.

n  

“Human beings have the capacity to rise above mundane circumstances and touch the eternal.”

n

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Érase una vez:

Un Influencer real, un transgresor, alguien que hace y habrá hecho mucho por la humanidad y el conocimiento. Ken Follett es uno de los autores MERECIDAMENTE más exitosos del mundo. Más de 170 millones de copias de los 36 libros que ha escrito se han vendido en más de 80 países y en 33 idiomas.

Madre mía….

El libro trata el tema de la intriga, las conspiraciones, algo de esoterismo (en mi opinión) y las particularidades técnicas y secretismos de ciertos gremios/hermandades. Explora el desarrollo de la arquitectura medieval, la guerra civil, los conflictos seculares / religiosos y las lealtades y alianzas políticas cambiantes y en detrimento de la vida y las necesidades de los pobres.

Sí, querido amigo/a, siempre ha sido así y lo seguirá siendo, dejémonos de romanticismo, idealismos y sus derivados subjetivos.

Esta historia se lee con “comodidad” ya que la prosa del autor es fácil, ligera y sencilla y llanamente, bella. Te teletransporta a la etapa medieval en un chasquido de dedos, y aunque la caracterización de los personajes no es profunda ni especiales en demasía, es lo suficiente como para que les conozcas y les pongas la cara. Así que no te pongas a buscar la “caracterización” de los personajes, como tal.

El libro me enganchó, y aunque sea un tocho y cuando lo miras asusta, se lee rápido. Tb los hay más extensos.

Si deseas conocer un poco más allá de lo que te muestra la belleza arquitectónica de una catedral, lo que se oculta detrás de cada piedra, muro, arco ojival, puerta, ornamentación, etc, “échale un ojo” a las páginas de este libro… merece la pena.

Una de mis mejores lecturas del año.

Excelente libro con una narración y un contexto histórico que nos atrapa desde el primer momento. Antes de leer Los Pilares de la Tierra, tenía la percepción de que por ser un libro tan extenso la trama se desarrollaría lentamente, por lo que decidí leerlo solo los fines de semana. No saben la tortura que esa decisión significó; no porque me disgustará el libro, sino porque no quería parar de leer y no tenía el tiempo para hacerlo entresemana. Sin embargo, más allá de la página 700 logré encontrar un espacio y me devoré lo que faltaba en aproximadamente cuatro noches.

Este texto nos llama la atención desde la introducción. Allí, Ken Follett nos cuenta cómo llegó a crear esta historia, el riesgo al fracaso que tuvo que enfrentar por crear algo diferente a lo que estaba acostumbrado que eran los thrillers y la forma como llegó a transformar su interés por las catedrales y la Edad Media, en una obra que, como él mismo dice, pretende expresar los esfuerzos de la humanidad para construir iglesias cada vez más altas y bellas. Él no esperaba el éxito que tendría este libro, por lo que en esta ocasión la realidad superó la expectativa.

La historia se desarrolla en la Inglaterra del siglo XII, en una época donde se presentaron discusiones y batallas por el trono tras la muerte del rey Henry, debido a que Stephen se apoderó del trono, cuando legítimamente ese cargo debió ser ocupado por Maud, la hija mayor del rey Henry. Esta época es conocida como la Anarquía Inglesa y no es ficción del autor, porque ocurrió en la vida real, con la diferencia de que algunos eventos son cambiados para adaptar la historia y los personajes. Usando este contexto histórico como base, el autor desarrolla una nóvela centrándose en la construcción de una catedral que unirá y cambiará la vida de los individuos que protagonizan esta historia. Lo que inicialmente, parece la historia de un albañil que quiere lograr su sueño de construir una catedral, se convertirá en una guerra de poderes impresionante. La rivalidad entre quienes quieren construirla y los que se oponen es muy interesante y nos mantendrá enganchados todo el tiempo a pesar de sus más de 1300 páginas.

A pesar de que es una obra extensa, la prosa es tan agradable, sencilla y pulcramente estilizada, que no hay una sola página donde experimentemos fatiga o aburrimiento; y eso lo logra Follett, recurriendo al uso frecuente de conversaciones y narrando los acontecimientos desde los diferentes puntos de vista de los personajes. Además, como las descripciones son escasas hace que la lectura sea muy fluida todo el tiempo. Es tan fluida que si tuviéramos tiempo, sin ningún problema podríamos leerlo de corrido hasta finalizarlo. Sentiremos el mismo interés desde que empiezan los primeros capítulos presentando a algunos personajes, hasta cuando estamos a punto de finalizarlo. No puedo negar que en algunas partes es predecible, pero a pesar de ese detalle, no afecta el interés que sentimos por seguir leyendo. Esta situación se asemeja a cuando repetimos innumerables veces nuestras películas favoritas y a pesar de conocer de memoria hasta los diálogos, queremos seguir viéndolas para volverlas a disfrutar. Así es este libro, sospechamos lo que ocurrirá, el rol de cada quien y las decisiones que se tomarán, pero a pesar de eso seguiremos disfrutando cada maniobra de los personajes.

Todo el tiempo nos sentiremos inmersos en la Edad Media. Gracias a personajes como el prior Philip, el obispo Waleran, Tom Builder, Aliena, Jack Shareburg o William Hamleigh, conoceremos las costumbres, pensamientos, miedos y atrocidades que envolvían esa época. Sentiremos repudio por el abuso del poder, los saqueos y la falta de amor que era común en esos tiempos. Comprender la normalidad con la que se abandonaba los bebes recién nacidos o como disfrutaban ver pelear a muerte a un oso contra cinco perros asesinos, son solo algunas de las representaciones de la crueldad y la violencia que reinaba en ese periodo de la humanidad. Este tipo de libros nos ayudan a entender que aunque vivimos en una época llena de problemas, inseguridad y violencia, sí hemos evolucionado como sociedad y lo seguiremos haciendo de una forma progresiva. La lucha constante contra el racismo, contra el machismo o la proclamación de los derechos humanos son solo unas pequeñas muestras de que si se ha progresado; solo que casi siempre nos centramos más en lo negativo o en lo que carecemos, que en lo positivo que nos rodea.

En cuanto a los personajes me encantaron. Están tan bien creados, que da la impresión de que tuvieran vida y que ellos mismos fueran los que escribieran este libro. Son personajes con ambiciones muy marcadas, que lucharán y harán todo lo que está a su alcance para lograr sus objetivos. Sin embargo, son personajes que se sienten atrapados por las reglas y normas que existían en ese tiempo, por lo que en varias ocasiones los veremos impotentes y frustrados por los acontecimientos. Los personajes que más me gustaron fueron: El prior Philip, por su capacidad de resolver problemas y enfrentarse a sus enemigos que no querían dejarlo construir la catedral; Jack, por su inteligencia, valentía, y porque fue el personaje que Ken Follett eligió para representar su respeto y admiración por las catedrales; y Aliena, que a pesar de su fuerte historia de vida, de sufrir muchas injusticias y tener todo en su contra, siempre luchó para sobreponerse a las dificultades que se le cruzaban por su camino, impulsada por su juramento y por su instinto de supervivencia. Debido a la existencia de estos tres personajes, es que curiosamente a pesar de terminar el libro, no logré determinar el personaje principal. Es muy complicado definirlo, porque los tres tienen roles muy importantes y sin uno de ellos la historia se desequilibraría por completo.

Leer los Pilares de la Tierra origina un particular interés por la contemplación de las construcciones circundantes. El fenómeno no se limita a los templos, sino con cualquier edificación. Observar las columnas, muros, techos, etc., de los lugares por donde transitamos se convertirá en algo tan normal, que se sorprenderán preguntándose porque no se habían fijado en ello anteriormente. ¿Quizás por estar conectados todo el tiempo a un dispositivo o red social? , ¿Por la falta de costumbre de practicar la contemplación? ¿Por qué nos fijamos más en las personas que en los lugares? Las razones serán diferentes para cada quien. También entenderemos que en ese tiempo, ese tipo de proyectos no se finalizaban en seis meses o un año, sino que se prolongaban por varias décadas y llevaba toda una vida de sacrificio y trabajo constante, dependiendo naturalmente de los recursos permanentes de quien los financiaba.

En resumen, un libro con una narración maravillosa; con unos personajes que permanentemente rivalizarán entre sí; con un contexto histórico muy bien ejecutado que te sumerge realmente en esta época llena de maldad, dificultades, hambrunas, violaciones, trampas, injusticias y mucha enemistad; y con una catedral de por medio que será el resultado de tantos años de inconvenientes. Muy buen libro al que no le encuentro un solo defecto y el cual recomiendo a quienes quieran disfrutar de una excelente historia ambientada en la Edad Media. La calificación de cinco estrellas desde las primeras páginas ya la tenía clara.

This was incredible. After reading this for weeks, I'll need a bit to sort out my thoughts on this one. Review to come.

Also, how great is the feeling when you're the first person to check out a brand new replacement copy via the library?

I read this out of order as once I read "World Without End," I was so captivated that I had to go back to read this one. It was good, but I much preferred "World Without End."

Follett creates such a remarkable world full of characters you love and you hate. And to think it takes place over 500 years ago... so many historical adventures, realities... I love the relationship people had with the church -- not so much from a religious perspective, but in how it defined every action and thought in their day. It was a powerful time period.

And when I think about what I would have done if I lived in that time period... not sure I would have survived very long.

The detail woven into these stories is exemplary. That's what makes his novels feel so magical and inviting.

n  n    About Men  n
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

4.5

“What you’re doing is wrong,” he said. “I mean evil. To give up happiness like this is like throwing jewels into the ocean. It’s far worse than any sin.”

Since there is pretty much nothing I didn't like about this book, and since the only reason why the fifth star is missing is that Medieval history isn't really my thing and so I loved the Century trilogy far too much more in comparison with The Pillars of the Earth to give the latter the same rating as the former, in this review I will only be trying to explain you why I find Ken Follett's stories simply, utterly irrestistible.

The thing is, they are like cathedrals.

No, I'm not saying that just because, well, The Pillars of the Earth, generally speaking, is about the building of a cathedral. That may be what triggered the comparison, but it really is true: so huge, so vast, so fearfully majestic. When you read Follett's historical novels, just as when you enter a cathedral, you feel humbled. You feel small. You feel tears well up in your eyes at the thought of how insignificant your life, a single man's life is in front of everything. And then you feel grateful, because if insignificant is what we are, what we always have been and always will be, Follett's characters refuse to play by this single inevitable, wicked rule. They rise as high as the most untouchable roof of the most humbling cathedral; why, they build that very cathedral. They make of that cathedral their dream, the one that's closest to their heart, as if they could take the everything that building stands for and put in it in their human, human minds.

I love it. I love Follett's way of mixing up tranche de vie and history, I love his characters and the way their lives inescapably intersect and get more and more tangled up with each other as the story unfolds. Stories like this one are the ultimate wish of my heart as a reader. Reading them makes me feel so happy and fulfilled, I could take to the streets to dance in circle and kiss strangers.

I want to re-read both this and the Century trilogy all over again.

n  This novel is nothing short of outstanding. It's a masterpiece.n

Don't let the length of it scare you. From the very first page, you are immediately drawn right into this completely engrossing and totally absorbing read. As long as this book is, I wished it was longer.

This story transports you directly to 12th century England. To say it's 'atmospheric' would be a total understatement. Kings and castles, monks and monasteries, small huts with dirt floors and straw roofs, tiny villages turning into towns. Traveling is done on horseback or on foot, traversing muddy roads, not to mention the forests filled with thieves.

This novel follows the lives of dozens of richly-developed and colorful characters (some of them good, some of them evil) for the duration of 50 years. One of these characters is Tom Builder. Tom's been charged with the building of a massive cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Tom has worked on churches before, but never as the master builder, never as the one in charge. This is his life's dream. (What makes it even more interesting?... Tom's wife, Ellen, might actually be a witch.)

Prior Philip, the Prior of Kingsbridge (the one who hired Tom), is consumed with having the most glorious cathedral the world has ever seen. An impressive cathedral is known to attract people, and attracting people creates thriving towns.

Prior Philip envisions being the head of an impressive cathedral in the middle of an impressive and important town, and he constantly struggles with convincing himself it's all for the glory of God and not for his own personal pride.

Follett expertly intertwines numerous characters and plot lines here with his ridiculously great writing. Every chapter just left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. Just a true delight. A masterpiece of a book.

n  Watch my video review by clicking here.n

Somehow a book about building a cathedral is one of the best, most thrilling, and darkest books I've ever read.

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.

7.2 MILLION STARS!

Did I just read one of the most amazing books I have ever read? Yes, yes I did!

I cannot say enough about this book, the story, the writing, the characters, etc. etc. etc. Everything is perfect!

If someone had said to me, “Here is a 1000 page book about the building of a cathedral 1000 years ago in England” I probably would have fallen asleep before the end of their sentence. But, do not judge a book by its description – it is a 1000 page book about the building of a cathedral, but Follett does an amazing job of crafting a historical fiction story around it that will keep you engaged from page one until the very end.

With 1000 pages, there has to be filler, right? There is not! Every sentence, every word – all of it adds to the story. And, events on page 25 may have ramifications on the events of page 825. How the author kept the storyline together, intertwined, and fully applicable throughout is amazing. I picture him referencing a very complicated flowchart covering his entire wall while writing this book. Sounds confusing – it is not! Despite the intricacies, it was very easy to follow.

Do you love to hate evil characters and feel passionate emotions for the ones you love? READ THIS! I don’t think I have ever wanted to reach into a book more and strangle a character than I did with this book. Then, I found myself audibly cheering and groaning as the relationships of my favorite characters developed, succeeded, and sometimes failed. I was emotionally spent loving and hating these characters – and it might be the most I have ever been emotionally invested in characters in a long time (if ever).

I cannot say that this book will be for everyone, but it is worth giving it a try. Especially if you like any of the following:

•tHistorical Fiction
•tBritish Fiction
•tStories about church vs government
•tKnights, monks, kings, and other medieval dramatis personaet
•tCharacter studies

This comes with a warning, though: I know I have some book friends who do not like violent depictions of sex. If that is a problem for you, either go into this story being aware that you will be uncomfortable, or steer away from it completely.