This epic novel draws the reader into the 12th century story filled with tragedy, romance, success, betrayal and revenge. We have a host of characters to love and hate. Through these characters we live vicariously. The description is so well written that the reader feels they are in the story, whether in Kingsbridge, England building a Gothic cathedral or in Saint-Denis (France) studying cathedral architecture. The plot and subplots weave through the building of Kingsbridge cathedral and the many character lives it touches.

For the review of the storyline, I point you to fellow reviewers, all excellent reviews. I will be reading the next two books in this trilogy. I highly recommend this book.

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.

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.

I like it.
I also found out there's a tv and game adaptaption for this and got me curious.

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: As a new age dawns in England's twelfth century, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral sets the stage for a story of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal. It is in this rich tapestry, where kings and queens are corrupt - and one majestic creation will bond them forever.

Honest. That's all of it. I guess they figure if you haven't read it by now, you ain't a-gonna?

My Review: This was a group read on LibraryThing in 2009...I joined in because I haven't read the book since 1990 or so. It's a long, long, long book. It's got some dreadful stuff in it. It's hard to bring myself to read some of the scenes that I didn't remember until I came to them (it seems that the medieval world was a rapist's paradise).

The actual cathedral building bits were fascinating to me, though if I had to take a test on the jargon of cathedral creation I'd fail. I just inserted *bleep* noises when words like clerestory and architrave came up because I have enough to think about as it is. I don't want that kind of stuff cluttering up the few remaining synapses I have unallocated.

Would I recommend this book...well, on balance, no I wouldn't. It's a highly enjoyable read for people who like history, and it's got a lot of interesting characters doing interesting things (although that stupid prior made me itch, what a maroon as Bugs Bunny used to say). But it requires commitment and dedication, and its rewards are not necessarily commensurate with the effort put into reading it (and holding it up, thing is HUUUGE).

Pick it up at your own peril. Quite a ride, quite a piece of work, quite an achievment, but not quite as addictive as an elephantine tome needs to be for me to sing its praises.

I know many people liked this book and I'm in the minority but it never grabbed me. It seemed to me the same story could have been told in far fewer pages and I got weary of the same thing happening over and over. I'll put this down to a 'chocolate and vanilla" thing :-)

I did not like this book. I finished all 870 pages because I wanted to be a good book club member. If I hadn't had that motivation, I would have dropped it pretty early on. I am going to be very specific with my complaints, so if you're really into the idea of reading this book without being spoiled first (but I really recommend you spend your time reading something else), stop reading now.

The writing is terrible. The prose is simplistic and filled with endless paragraphs of telling-not-showing. The characters are cardboard and mostly stupid. The main villain is sooo villain-y that it's painful. There are no complex antagonists whose humanity you feel all too keenly here à la Guy Gavriel Kay. No, here the main bad guy rapes and pillages and can only get aroused when he's abusing women. And in case you weren't quite sure about where he stands on the Holy Scale Of Goodness Or Badness, the author makes sure he rapes and rapes and rapes again.

Most of the other men in the book, even the "good guys," are particularly terrible. And not in ways that make them complex and interesting and relatable. They are just infuriatingly selfish and obtuse. Tom's wife dies in childbirth and his kids nearly starve to death because he refuses to settle down and work on something reliable but less exciting than his Gloriously Unrealistic Dream Job. Then within hours of his wife dying, he's banging the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Of The Forest who appeared out of nowhere and sat on his boner without preamble. Of course this was written by a man. Aliena's brother and father rope her into serving her brother's own Gloriously Unrealistic Dream Job and she spends the book being walked all over while her brother sits around huffing about how he can't be expected to wipe his own butt, because male reasons.

If it wasn't completely clear that it was a man writing this book, every sex or rape scene contains a rote description of the woman's breasts (almost unfailingly large), and her dark triangle patch of curls. And when I use those specific words, what I mean is that the author used those specific words every time. It feels like Laurell K. Hamilton's copy-and-paste sex scenes where you start to wonder if the author has ever actually been around naked people before.

Aliena is actually even more infuriating than the male characters because her whole reason for existing is to get shit all over repeatedly by men, and I think we're supposed to feel vindicated and triumphant when she finally gets to be happy, but seriously, how cliché and tiresome is the whole, "Woman gets raped and then rises above it, isn't that sooo inspiring?" storyline? And then it gets hammered home when she does finally find happiness that while she had been a successful, wealthy, independent, respected businesswoman, she had actually been empty and emotionless and cold because what she really needed was A MAN TO LOVE HER.

How many ridiculous, overdone tropes are we up to now? I've lost track.

I'm sure that someone will defend this tripe and point out what era it takes place in and cite "Historical accuracy!!!" to excuse it. And that's just a cop-out, because historical accuracy doesn't require writing clichéd, wooden prose and characters. The aforementioned Guy Gavriel Kay writes epic, beautiful books that are everything Pillars Of The Earth wants to be. So if you had been planning on reading this and ignored my spoiler warning and are now cursing my name, just go pick up one of GGK's books instead. You'll thank me for helping you dodge a bullet.

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

You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, James, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Stephanie, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.

When a book offers nearly 1,000 pages of story, I expect, at the least, an epic sweep to the proceedings. Characters of interest are nice; characters with depth--even better. Some insight into the world around us and its many complicated workings would get me thinking--and I really like a book that makes me think. A fully-realized literary landscape--one that takes the reader to a place that can only exist in the printed word--would overjoy me. Big books offer a big promise: check out my story, and you just might get lost in something epic and awesome.

Oh, I got lost in "Pillars," alright--the same way that about 1,000 people can get lost in a full-sized college football stadium. BIG THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN HERE! YOU WILL BE AMAZED! YOU WILL--what? This is the turn-out? Well, alright; since you're here, game on.

One thousand pages and about a fifty-year span of characters and events do not an epic make. Follett gives it his best--and when he is at his best, he writes fiction that is dramatic and easy to read. Unfortunately, he hits this note a finite number of times across the girth of this monster, and each instance lasts for but a few pages before getting lost in all the noise those thousand spectators are straining to make in the stadium.

Sadly, the more effort that Follett puts into the story, the smaller the returns. He throws in Church politics--and out comes a black-garbed villain who furrows his brow and plots evil doings and reaches for the waxed handle-bar mustache that begs to be there; he adds a selfish, landed Lord--and, voila, here is a rapist who can't get it up without beating the object of desire; he posits a visionary mason who wants to be build the best cathedral (ever) that England has (ever) seen--and here are a few elementary descriptions of architecture, along with a group of working-class underdogs that demand your sympathy.

If someone asked me to sum up this book in a single word, I would immediately reply with "obvious." Every character's motivation is tattooed on his forehead, and when opposing characters meet in the story, it is so very frustrating that they cannot just read the writing on the brow. Major events announce themselves well in advance, and their consequences come calling soon after. The themes at work swing through about four degrees of arc and sound a monotonous beat that plays alongside the tick-tocking of the clock and the turn of every page: evil is bad; courage is good; evil is bad; courage is good; evil is bad; courage is good...

For years, various people have recommended this book to me with varying amounts of adulation; and while I am glad that I finally picked it up, I am puzzled by its reception. Yes, it is readable; and yes, there are times when it is good fun. More than anything, however, "Pillars" is mediocre--sometimes relentlessly so. For such a large book, it is a shallow read--even for a mainstream book whose first purpose is to entertain.

Those thousand people giving it their all in that massive stadium? I feel bad for them: they wanted to be part of something epic and awesome--and I was ready to cheer with them.


*******


POSTSCRIPT--A BITCHING SESSION THAT I COULD NOT AVOID

I do not like to hate on a book, and when I write a review for a book that I have issues with, I try to keep things clean. That said, I couldn't let this gripe go. There is one offense that Follett commits in "Pillars" to a flagrant degree: that of inconsistent logic. A single example will serve to illustrate.

In the first part of "Pillars"--which, by the way, runs at about 280 pages in the recent trade edition that has the pretty cover--Tom Builder, the mason who is fated to build a cathedral, wanders throughout England with his family in tow and searches for work. Weeks and months and many dozens of pages go by without work or the hope of finding work, while Tom and his family grow more desperate by the day. Each time Tom and his family come across a sizable church or monastery, Tom asks after work:

Tom Builder (said in a mock British accent): "Please sir, may I have some work?"

Compassionate-yet-helpless Listener: "No work!"

TB (wait, he *is* British): "How about some soup for my family?"

CL: "No soup!"

TB: "But this is a church!"

CL: "Oh, right; ok, soup for one night--and then scram!"

This goes on for pages; and pages; and then more pages--until Tom finally does find work from the one clerical person in all of England who really does give a damn about the Lord and His teachings. Until that momentous, did-ya-see-that-coming-about-200-pages-ago event, it's tough going for Tom, his family, and reader alike.

The inconsistent logic? I'm getting to that.

Fast-forward to page 708, paragraph three, sentence number three (how do I know this? Because, out of all 980 pages, I marked this one with a little fold; why? Because, when I reached said sentence of said paragraph of said page, I just about banged my head against the nearest wall):

...there were a few who were from England originally and might be tempted to move back; and the others would spread the word, for it was every mason's duty to tell his brothers about new building sites.

What. The. Hell.

In the first third of this doorstopper, a main character wanders hither and yon looking for work without any idea of where it may be, while his family starves and perishes in the Winter weather; about a third further in, we learn that masons, in fact, look out for each other; and that they, in fact, keep each other in the know about these kinds of things. So, earlier, when Tom Builder wandered into that town where masons and craftsmen were putting the finishing touches on a cathedral; and when Tom asked after work, only to find out that it had been going on for the past n  ten yearsn, and that the work was nearly finished--we, the readers, should have concluded that poor Tom is at the receiving end of a shit-sandwich line that always has hot, goopy poo for the serving.

Or: Follett really wanted to run his characters through the ringer before giving them something big and important to do, and he didn't worry about any conflict between the actions of his guiding hand and the metric tonne of period research that he fondly remembers in his introduction.

What's it gonna be: an organized workforce that takes care of its own; or a bassackward land of yesteryear where nobody talks any kind of scuttlebutt about anything of importance, leaving each family to figure shit out for themselves or die?

In the words of Eddie Izzard: cake, or death? Well, shit man, gimme the goddamned cake!

END OF BITCHING SESSION, WITH APOLOGIES TO THE AUTHOR

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.

DNF after a three page rape scene that made me want to burn this book. If you liked this book, good for you, but this is not something I enjoy reading.

I don't care about the one main character who kept telling me his wife was his soulmate and then, after burying her, starting sleeping with a woman he met like the day before who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to lower herself onto his penis and ride him while his kids are sleeping close by. I do not care about said children, who are strangely fascinated by this and are somehow usually watching them.

I don't give a flying shit about the little rapist shit who is so bland that literally all he is is evil. There's not a smidgen of ambivalence I could find, only torture, rape, stalking, and getting off on the pain of women. And after a three page rape scene that includes him telling his lackey to cut off the ear of the girl's brother (after forcing him to watch the rape, of course. Must make clear everyone knows how evil this guy is) and said ear landing on the sister's exposed breasts, I. Am. DONE. Oh and did I mention that the whole things "hurt him, but it hurt her much more"?

I don't know who decided this was a masterpiece of a classic.

Classic case of everyone-loved-this-but-me.

And now if you'll excuse me, I need to somehow get that rape scene out of my head.

There were too many triggers for me but the rest was fantastic! I have been listening to the audio FOREVER!

Mel