A beautifully constructed historical novel. Developing and leveling up the characters keeps the reader in a constant status of flow (cf. Csíkszentmihályi 1996), while the periodic mishaps preserves interest and compassion. The didactic aspects of the novel are noteworthy. Not only is the reader introduced into the components and construction of a cathedral, he also learns about its financial, economic and regulatory framework. The level of the character's economic understanding, however, surpasses actual medieval and even enlightenment comprehension of economic activities. The laws of supply and demand, money supply and inflation were alien concepts to medieval minds. Social and gender mobility represent modern not medieval views. The major problem I have with the novel, though, are the one-dimensional characters. There is very little character growth and characters exhibit either good or evil behavior. This might suffice for a fairy tale but in a historical novel, this approach feels rather simple and actors become too predictable.

Overall, an interesting and undemanding read. I ordered the sequel and await the TV mini-series later this year. ( )

Excellent book! Kept me up several nights. A good period piece with very interesting twists and enough suspence to keep you interested. ( )

7/10. Almost a soap opera of lives in medieval England revolving around the building of a great cathedral. ( )

In this epic read, we are introduced to a multitude of characters from the middle ages in England. Tom Builder has aspirations to build the best cathedral in the land, also hoping to care for his starving family who has become destitute. In a strange turn of events, Tom begins work on a daunting cathedral project in Kingsbridge, under Prior Phillip. Together, they struggle to juggle God’s laws, and those of the land. There is intrigue, politics, in-fighting, battles, famine, crimes, love, and loss mixed into this epic read. We start with Tom the builder, but we move on to his children and their loves and losses.

Review: In general, it is nearly impossible to summarize a novel that is almost 1,000 pages. To say that it is a commitment, is putting it mildly, but so worth it. The novel spans decades, and follows characters that you grow to care about. There were characters I ached for, hoping for their happiness and safety, and others that I hoped would get their rightful justice. At times, I gasped, and even muttered my thoughts out loud. Unfortunately, that caused people around me to look at me with curiosity and even annoyance at times. Let me just say, I couldn’t help myself.

So far as epic, chunky novels are concerned, this was one of my favorites. I didn’t want the novel to end, and yet I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen. The more I knew about certain characters, the more I wanted to see how their lives turned out. While I did get bored with descriptions of architectural outlines, I knew that they were the centerpiece for the story going on. I also skimmed some of the fight scenes, both because I’m a chicken and don’t enjoy violence, but also because they were pretty detailed and I could skim forward to the results. There were a lot of scenes of sensuality and rape, which were pretty hard to take at times, but once again, they created a connection to the characters that you don’t often get in shorter novels.

I really enjoyed The Pillars of the Earth and would recommend it to anyone who loves books like Gone With the Wind, The Thornbirds, Shogun, or any other lengthy epic, chunkster that pulls you in and won’t let you go. I’m so glad that I tackled this huge novel and can’t wait to dive into his sequel, World Without End. ( )

Holy looooooooong epic novel, Batman.

Don’t get me wrong: I like epic novels just as much as the next gal. But a good epic novel is so good that you don’t notice its length, and you don’t check the number of pages you still have to read until you’re finally finished. That was not the case for The Pillars of the Earth. This novel FELT long. I think the author could have said what he was going to say in less than half the length. About halfway through the book the characters pretty much stopped being dynamic and became stagnant, and the only thing that carried the book along was a repetitive plot line of attack and resolution. The secret of why Jack’s father was killed isn’t really a secret; any half-awake reader has already figured it out long before it is revealed, and the only character who comes to a surprising end is Regimus. Not worth the three hundred or so extra pages, if you ask me.

In addition, it’s written in a popular fiction style, which is fine for Bridget Jones’ Diary, but not fit for a piece of historical fiction set in the middle ages. I find it hard to believe that people back then had the same dialects, colloquialisms, and slang words that we do today.

There are some gripping moments and even glimpses of brilliance, however. The beginning especially draws the reader in, which is good since a less-invested reader probably wouldn’t make it the rest of the way through the 973 pages. The characters’ preliminary reactions to the evils running rampant in their lives are heartbreakingly real. You find yourself rooting for them even when they make poor choices.

The descriptions of sex and violence are very graphic in this novel, and I think that the author overindulged himself in these scenes more than what was necessary to convey his point. I can understand detailing the rape of Aliena because it influenced all of her future actions, but detailing the rape of the miller’s wife and the rape of the prostitute was not necessary for the plot or for future character development.

In summary, this book could have been excellent if Follett trimmed the fat from it and knew when to stop writing. As it is, the length of the book and the repetitiveness of the plotline tarnishes and obscures any moments of inspired writing that Follett has achieved. ( )