It's a long book, but it's a really great story! Took me about 7 days to read it..not too bad! I am looking forward to reading the sequel! ( )

On the front cover of the copy of this book that I read, there is a quote from Cosmopolitan: "Enormous and brilliant...a great epic tale." I don't know why that didn't ring any warning bells in my head - first, that the publisher had the need to quote Cosmo on the cover (don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Cosmo fan, but that isn't the most respected source for book reviews), and second, that they felt it was necessary to use the word "enormous." Enormous meaning what? That the book is enormous? (No kidding.) That the story was enormous? (Enormously long? Enormously drawn out? Enormously ridiculous? I don't know.)

But nevertheless, I proceeded to read the first 100 pages, then the second 100, and then I eventually continued to plow through, unamused but determined to finish it. This novel is unnecessarily long, wordy, graphic, and self-indulgent. The scenes of violence and rape are so over the top, it made me want to vomit. The detail that Follett goes into about the cathedral is tedious and downright boring - I found myself skipping over these parts, which were numerous and lengthy. Additionally, Follett's writing is simplistic, dull, and choppy. While the story behind this novel wasn't horrible on its own, it's this poor writing that really made it terrible for me.

I know that many people love this book, and I'm really disappointed that I couldn't see what others find to be so wonderful about it. This is the second novel of Follett's that I've read, and from what I can tell, while he has a remarkable imagination and ability to create stories, he really needs work in the writing department. ( )

The building of a cathedral … A pretty heavy tome, 1000 pages, not typical Ken Follett. Really got into it. It's about 2 or maybe 3 generations of families and the building of a cathedral. Mostly though about life in mediaval times, good vs. evil, survival and victory. ( )

Wow, this is like a grown up version of Twilight - I couldn't put it down but I didn't want to be seen with it. ( )

Centered around the building of a grand new cathedral, Pillars of the Earth tells the story of several people living in 12th century Kingsbridge, England. Even at 973 pages, this is a quick read and has something for everyone. There are stories of passionate love and romance, betrayal and murder, political suspense and intrigue. For the most part historically accurate, this is a great read if you are interested in the Middle Ages. ( )

How to build a cathedral in 4 million gruelling steps. I don't understand readers' fascination with this novel. It's overdone and overlong. ( )

I had read Follet's sequel, "World without End"(1200+pages), prior to reading this book and had found that book to be immensely entertaining. On reading Pillars of the Earth, I realised that both books were based on very much the same story plot with similar characters in the same setting (Kingsbridge Priory). His sex scenes were a bit over played, as in romantic novels, there was a lot of repetition of a character's thoughts of previous years and the description of small details of architectural details was over done.
However, I actually enjoyed the read and was curious enough to check up on some of the historical information, which was factual. ( )

What a wonderful journey! Ultimately, it was a commentary on putting together two teachings from St. Paul: “If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise,” and “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

What gave the book its power was Follet’s ability to portray passion and pain in an environment foreign to my own, but in such a way that it seemed as real and anything I have personally experienced. Follet’s resolution, unraveling throughout the book, is a masterful parable of what it means to find strength in weakness and for the wise to appear foolish. This stands alongside The Sparrow, Contact, and The Unlikely Disciple as a mysterious example of how a non-Christian can capture a soul of believers in a way that rings true to those of us in the faith. ( )

I was initially excited to read this book – I had heard tons of good things about it, had seen people everywhere reading it, and was intrigued by the author’s foreword about wanting to writing a serious historical fiction about the lives behind the people who helped build the beautiful Gothic cathedrals we see in Europe. The novel itself started out only so-so though, with far too much detail on mundane issues, unnecessary repetition, and the thing I hate the most: authors who try to psychologize their characters when they have no idea what they are talking about (i.e., no concept of psychology). That, however, was probably the highlight as I soon realized that this book is not really a vehicle for looking at cathedral building but a vehicle for gratuitous violence and sex. And to make matters worse, the author often likes to combine the two, giving the reader explicit details about one character’s multiple forays into raping women (charming, right? I actually wondered about the author while reading this book and hoped that I never came into contact with him). Follett’s background as a thriller writer is more than evident in the way he writes, particularly when he feels the need to conjure up some ridiculous conflict to keep the plot moving. However, this book garners two stars from me because the plot is compelling enough to keep you reading and a few of the characters are engaging enough that you actually care what happens to them. Nevertheless, these are not reasons enough to encourage me to read the sequel, especially as the last few chapters of this book dragged on and the end fell sour. Overall, I would not recommend this book unless you really like to read about gore and sex (I mean, *really* like) and don’t mind repetitive plot and writing (900 plus pages worth). I’d honestly rather just pick up the dry nonfiction book about medieval cathedral building. ( )

This book was popular? As in a mini-phenomenon? Seriously? Am I being punked? Tell the truth--no one else read the book. It was all an elaborate media/pop culture scheme to trick me into reading this book. Please lie to me about this. I'm not sure I can go on living if I have to believe that this is what my fellow man is reading these days.

My utter disdain for the book comes from many a source:

A) It's 900 pages. Mind you, I'll read 900 pages, even 1,500 pages, if it's amazing. But it has to be a crackerjack of a book. This was not.

B) Here's where this book and I really parted ways: Tom Builder's beloved wife, Agnes, dies in childbirth on the side of the road. Only hours later, Tom's rolling in the leaves with an attractive forest wench in a sex scene so ridiculous I could practically hear the "bow-chicka-wow-wow" music in the background. Poor Agnes' body isn't even cold yet and Tom's getting it on with a woman he had a 15 minute conversation with earlier in the book.

C) It's hard to believe this is medieval England, what with all the modern sensibilities and modern vernacular.

C) It could have been whittled down by about 500 pages if the scenes of people eating had been omitted.

E) The women, oh, the women. Witches or whores or victims of tag team rape.

Here's the basic rundown of the plot:

--Building a church, building a church, building a church . . .
--Oh, crap, a plot complication! We might not be able to build the church.
--Crafty Phillip overcomes the complication.
--Insert licentious sex scene.
--Building a church, building a church, building a church . . .
--Oh, crap, a plot complication! We might not be able to build the church.
--Crafty Phillip overcomes the complication.
--Now insert gratuitous sex scene.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. For 900 pages. ( )

Originally published in 1989, Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth” is one of the latest books to experience an explosion in popularity after being selected as an Oprah Book Club pick (2007). Follett, originally known as a writer of thrillers and spy novels in the vein of Ian Fleming (James Bond), quickly became known to readers he never would have reached otherwise and his background is clearly felt throughout this book. The mystery set up in the prologue is referred to just often enough to keep the reader’s interest without detracting from the full story. True to his roots, the mystery is not reveled until the final five pages.

Many reviews of Follett’s epic historical novel quickly summarize the plot as the story about the building of a grand cathedral in Kingsbridge, England in the middle of the 12th century. While this is the backdrop for the novel, the true story is that of Tom Builder’s family and their interactions with various legal, clerical and noble institutions over the course of fifty years.

READ MORE AT: http://www.helium.com/items/1598575-k... ( )

This is the second time I am reading this wonderful novel. I am just waiting for the sequel to reach Aqua or Bison Books. ( )

Despite the length of this novel, I got through it relatively quickly. The writing is easy to read and the dramas of the plot insist that you keep turning the pages.

I loathed the villains and supported the heroes as was required, but I wasn't as interested in them as I would have been if they were more complex and less cliched. On the whole, the novel is too melodramatic for my tastes. It's great fodder for a holiday read (although I'd go for something a lot more fun), but I wouldn't read it again and after a while I'll probably forget most of it. ( )

Loved it! It's a wonderful piece of historical fiction and I learned so much! Despite its length, I finished it in nno time at all. The characters were great & I couldn't put it down. ( )

Follett's writing reminds me a lot of Patricia Cornwell and Tom Clancy. His story is very dense, and what he lacks in descriptive world building he makes up for in the extraordinarily detailed descriptions of cathedral building.

I found a lot of his character building and internal monologue heavy handed in the style of Terry Goodkind, but this is balanced by his willingness to have very bad things happen to his characters, and to make everyone mortal in a very modern way. The author's story is epic, and while he does a poor job of conveying scale, he does an excellent job of telling a story that spans generations. ( )

you wish it never ends! ( )

AMAZING story, grabs you and holds you right from the beginning. It does get a little long in the last quarter, but it all works out and it's well worth a read. I recommend this book to just about everyone. ( )

This is one of the greatest stories I have ever read. Wonderful story telling. ( )

An interesting account of life in medieval England during the 12th Century. Spanning over 40 years, and revolving around the construction of a fictional cathedral, it's a story about the conflict between tyrannical lords and the supporters of justice and order. The book was very long, but interesting and very well written.

My one major complaint about the book was that most of the characters were a little too sharply divided. Early on, there is a lot of interesting political intrigue, but before long everyone seems to settle into two camps. There are the heroes, and there are the villains who obsessively spend decades seeking vengeance against the heroes who foiled their wicked schemes. But overall I really did enjoy this book, and I'd definitely recommend reading it. ( )

The Pillars of the Earth is an epic. It tells the story of the building of a cathedral from various points of view. Prior Phillip's irrepressible desire to see the cathedral of his dreams build and builder Tom's and subsequently his step son Jack's ambition to build the world's greatest and most beautiful cathedral forms the core of the story. They deal with opposition from power mongering church officials and local rulers. They battle disasters, both natural and man made. The book spans more than fifty years and covers three generations.

The idea of this story is original. It could have been so much more if written by another hand. But Ken Follett is essentially a thriller writer. Consequently, this book reads like a thriller. Twists and turns keep coming one after another. Another fact that left me feeling a little uncomfortable is Follett's affinity for describing scenes of love making and rape. These become repetitive after a while. Also, bothersome is his near fanatic repetition of the description of the desire of almost every man to see almost every woman naked! All things considered, this book left me disappointed. A good idea wasted.

Fiction, medieval Europe ( )

A historical novel set during the time of civil war in England in the mid 12th century (known as The Anarchy) between the time of the sinking of the White Ship (to all non-historical scholars out there, myself included, the ship and its importance is explained in the book) and the murder of Thomas Beckett. It follows the building of a mighty Cathedral in the fictional town of Knightsbridge, a sort of representation of a typical market town at this time, and the lives of all the people involved and affected by the building. It was also (something I did not find out until after I had finished the book) listed at no. 33 on the BBC's Big Read, a 2003 survey with the goal of finding the "nation's best-loved book".

At this stage of a typical review I would normally give a very brief synopsis without trying to give any of the twists and turns away, mainly to help me remember the story when I come back in a years time and think; “this sounds like a good book, why haven’t I read this before?”. However in this case the story is so expansive that I could either condense it to the unhelpful – ‘people build cathedral’ or elucidate to over 4 pages of the general plot. Somewhere in between those two points I can say that the book opens with Tom Builder and his family looking for work and eventually finding it designing and helping to build the Cathedral in Knightsbridge. We follow Tom, his family, children and grandchildren as the cathedral grows but we also see the development of the town itself, how its economy grows, the political reasons behind this, the fight for power not only for the throne of England but also for the Earldom of Shiring and to be the Prior of the Kingsbridge monastery. The tale takes us through medieval England and Europe as we see the growth of cathedral design in France and also in Spain and takes in some of the various important historical events of the time to give a broad sweeping picture of life in medieval England through the rise and fall of various families … a sort of soap opera meets your vague recollections of history lessons at school.

One of the drawbacks of having so many characters is they do tend to be very black and white with almost pantomime villains and saintly heroes. However it is the story that draws you in and I have already started looking for more factual based accounts of that period as it sounds a fascinating point in English history. For me there were perhaps too many unsavoury moments in the book to recommend it to anyone, there were an awful lot of sadistic scenes of sex that some readers might find offensive and, especially towards the end, I found there were a lot of unnecessary problems for the characters put in by Follett, obstacles for them to overcome that became a bit too repetitious, you started thinking; “well, what’s going to happen to so and so this chapter?”. I am sure life was a lot harder in the 12th century but these people had seemingly endless Herculean labours to overcome that simply beggared belief. If you enjoy historical novels then I am sure you will enjoy this book and although it will draw you in and compel you to keep going, keep turning the page, just one more chapter please remember you will feel as wrung out as the inhabitants in Kingsbridge by some of the scenes. ( )

Although The Pillars of the Earth is ostensibly about the building of a Cathedral, this is merely the bare bones on which the story hangs. The story is an epic family drama of violent conflict and vaunting ambition. I must congratulate Ken Follett on his masterly writing – he is a master writing at the height of his powers. The narrative is intimate and involving, the characters are fascinating and rounded, and the story is sweeping and broad. It is a hugely enjoyable book in spite of the architectural detail which was over my head, but this may be due to the fact that I am hopeless when in comes to understanding spatial relationships. I have one cavil and that is the graphical presentation of sadistic rape on more than one occasion. No doubt, the author and perhaps some readers would argue that it was the times and that it was necessary to delineate and explain the character of the perpetrator. Nevertheless, for this reader, it detracted from what is otherwise an excellent and well written book.

My Recommendation :

Cons:

Contains several scenes of sadistic rape, which means it falls short of perfection.

Pros:

A masterly and powerful narrative. ( )

While not being the biggest fan of Historical Fiction but having read many of Ken Follett's novels as a teenager and knowing that the man could write, I began this book thinking...hmmm, this is an Oprah book, hmmm, this was recommended to me by a highly intelligent friend, hmmm, this is about churches, hmmm, I don't think I am going to like this and it looks really really long. In a nutshell, I was ambivalent. However, holding this heavy tome in my hands quickly became no chore to me as I became swept up in the plot and the characters. I loved this book! Would I recommend it? For sure...all 973 pages. ( )

A gritty portrayal of life in the Early Middle Ages. The conflict between King Stephen and Empress Maud for the throne of England forms the back drop to this historical novel about the struggle to build a cathedral worthy of God.

I enjoyed reading this book. I am fascinated by the history of how and why things happen. It contained enough information on the times and stories of non-fictional characters and events to make me believe that the lives of Follett's fictional cast could have happened.

Having read Chaucer and The Wife of Bath's Tale; I had no trouble believing that strong independent women would manage to survive in these earlier, more violent times.

The number of different names for the architectural details were a bit overpowering but went towards me trusting his research into the history of architecture. Some of his theories about why certain events took place seem, to me, like the modern idea of conspiracy theories and government cover ups. Therefore this is only a near-perfect book for me. ( )