Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The Pillars of The Earth (original 1989; edition 2017)by Follett Ken (Author)
Work InformationThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (1989)
» 48 more Unread books (3) Favourite Books (195) BBC Big Read (90) Favorite Long Books (60) 20th Century Literature (192) 1980s (29) Carole's List (67) War Literature (38) Books Read in 2017 (1,529) Best family sagas (172) Books Read in 2023 (4,249) Books Read in 2009 (177) United Kingdom (55) Page Turners (95) Books tagged favorites (283) Florida (65) BBC Top Books (60) 2020 (10) Plan to Read Books (20) al.vick-series (224) Best Family Stories (246) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This is one loooooong friggin book. I got as far as the end of Book 2 and decided to out it down (especially because the library wouldn't let me renew it anymore). Some of the character development is really great, and the writing is pretty good, but the story goes on forever. Besides, it cramps my elbows when I try to read it in bed. I may go back to it eventually, but right now I think I need something with a little higher tempo. ( ) I enjoy the occasional 1,000-page epic that takes me to another world and gives me lots of time to spend with the characters. This book certainly accomplishes that. The writing could be better though, and I was pretty tired of William's revenge antics by the end. The last section of the book (part 6) was by far the weakest too, so the conclusion wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. Behind the simple plot of "Building the greatest Gothic Cathedral ever" is a 900 page epic saga, filled with historical details, action, murder, death, love and numerous other sub-plots which depicts the dark scenery of 12th century Medieval England in a very accurate way. Despite very minor historical deviations the book presents the readers with an action-packed plot that keeps historic fiction fans intrigued and eagerly waiting for the resolution. Ho hum. 1000 pages. It took me ages to develop the stamina to pick this book up, and only a recommendation from a friend finally gave me the impetus to do so. I can't quite say I wish I hadn't, because it's an easy enough read, a saga that spans much of the twelfth century in a small English provincial town in the grip of the great cathedral building period of British history. I even quite wanted to find out how the story finished, even though it was quickly obvious that the good would eventually live happily ever after and the bad would rot in hell. This was much of the problem. If characters were good they were very very good, and if they were bad they were irredeemably horrid (and not drawn in any very convincing detail). At the end, every loose end was tied, every story line fully resolved. I can't comment in detail on the hitorical research, but I find it hard to believe that the pathways between rich and poor, landed and landless were as fluid as represented here. I understand the book's been made into a television drama, and I think this may have been the best use of this story. A few bloody standoffs between goodies and baddies, a few soft-focus sex scenes, a chance for the props department to get some great period detail together, and there you are. A Sunday evening blockbuster. Will I read the sequel(s)? Not a chance.
Great literature? Of course not. To begin with, the plot relies far too heavily on coincidence, and the characters tend to be chiseled into predictability. The writing depends heavily on dialogue - and although it's well-done dialogue, it's the stuff of escapism, not of the ages. But so what? It's a long, rich and rewarding story, full of glory and violence told in the tradition of medieval troubadors. Few among us could turn away from a tale that begins: ''The small boys came early to the hanging.'' A novel of majesty and power. Is contained inKen Follett The Kingsbridge Novels Stories Collection 3 Books Set (The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire) by Ken Follett (indirect) Set of 16 Techno-Thrillers by Ken Follett (Whiteout, Hornet Flight, Jackdaws, Code to Zero, Hammer of Eden, Third Twin, A Place Called Freedom, A Dangerous Fortune, Night Over Water, Lie Down with Lions, Man from St. Petersburg, Key to Rebecca, Triple, Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth) by Ken Follett ContainsHas the adaptationIs abridged inHas as a student's study guideAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Set in twelfth-century England, this epic of kings and peasants juxtaposes the building of a magnificent church with the violence and treachery that often characterized the Middle Ages. No library descriptions found.
|
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |