The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel (Kingsbridge)
Description
#1 New York Times Bestseller Oprah's Book Club Selection The "extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece" (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett's already phenomenal career--and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended."Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner," extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett's unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect--a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.
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Community Reviews
Amazing character development-pulls one into the story as though one is reading about one’s own family history. Well worth the time invested and a second read, too!
This was a great book. It took me almost three months to read, as it’s not my normal selection. But, the storyline and my love/hate feelings about the fantastic characters kept me coming back for more.
Follet does an outstanding job of interweaving history, religion, middle-age education, passion, fear, love and hate throughout the novel. I had to take several breaks while reading because my emotions were so impacted.
It was a wonderful read ...read more
It took me almost three months to finish this book. Life kept getting in the way. Plus, it’s a really long read! It was a really fantastic - love, lust, anger, betrayal, revenge, passion, more revenge, all combined with the bitter and harsh reality of life in the Middle Ages. This is all intertwined with fascinating details relating to the multi-decade-long work involved in designing, building and sourcing materials for a cathedral. I did not en...read more
The characters in this were so vivid and three dimensional that they alone could carry the book along with the simple yet branched out storyline of love, hate, war, religious justice and much more
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