The Pillars of the Earth

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The Pillars of the Earth

Editorial Review

Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time--the twelfth century; the place--feudal England; and the subject--the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters--into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece.

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

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