The "Pillars of the Earth" sweeps through four decades of 12th Century England drawing the listener into the raw, flamboyant middle ages. It is a shining saga of good and evil, treachery and intrigue, violence and beauty. Not-so-noble knights, righteous heroes, valiant heroines and both virtuous and immoral men of God highlight this story. They manipulate, and are in turn manipulated by, the political turmoil and unrest between the reigns of Henry I and Henry II. The listener will cheer on the fates of the virtuous and hiss at the evil-doers. A truly fascinating story that the listener will never forget.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
You'll buy it for the historical details; You'll read it for the characters.:
The Pillars of the Earth is by turns scholarly and a guilty pleasure. If you ever wanted to know a host of architectural data about European cathedrals, it's there. The information about the cathedrals would be a cinematographer's dream. You can easily visualize the sweep and scope of England's early monuments to Christian worship.
If you want to get to know a host of characters from childhood to old age, it's in there, too. The love story between Aliena and Jack the Builder move this story along.... more info
Worth Reading:
I enjoyed reading this book because I had no idea how gruesome it was to live during the middle ages. I also had no idea the hardships people endured merely to survive! I appreciated the graphic detail of how people lived in those days because it really puts you in their shoes. If you like to learn about history through fantastic novels, this is a perfect book to read about medieval times. I also thought it was clever how he gave each character more than one personality trait. For example, there was no... more info
Want to escape? Read this book!:
I recommend this novel to anyone who wants to drop off the face of the earth for a week or two. Don't let its thickness fool you -this is the shortest long book I've ever read. I flew through it in a week, reading half of it in two days. This book is entertaining, fast-paced, and easy to read. It recreates 12th century England in a way that anyone can identify with, even if you don't know anything about the dark ages. My only complaint is the lack of any guide to the architecture that is quite often... more info
My favorite book, EVER!:
This is a book you can read, and read, and never put down. I had heard of Ken Follett, who hasn't? But when I read this book, I was totally immersed in his insightfulness, the quality and scope of the characters, and the great writing and the greatest story of love, betrayal, and the rising and falling of fortunes. I had read it a year before Oprah discovered it, and was totally taken aback that she picked it for a choice for her book club! Usually, the books she chooses are mediocre at best. Not this book.... more info
