The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.87 You Save: $18.13 (82%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Pillars of the Earth
Book Review: Thriller Writers Should Not Attempt Historical Fiction
Summary: 1 Stars
I finished Pillars last night. Not surprisingly my review is mixed. Here are my thoughts. Follett definitely understands how to create characters and plots. He's very adept at weaving the two together. I just wish he knew when to stop. I was frustrated with the book for many reasons. First, it's not a bad story. Even though I found it irksome I wanted on some level to continue reading it--I always find that annoying. I had the same response to The DaVinic Code and The Bridges of Madison County. Follett definitely did his homework with regards to the historical research, but after a while I felt that the novel was just a justification for his research. The plot goes on and on, from one political upheaval to another with little regards to any literary merit or value. Secondly, Follett's male perspective on sex and sexual fantasy is almost unwarranted. While, I enjoy a good steamy love scene as much as the next person I found little value in various characters lustful wanderings. What was the point other than cheap thrills?
My true criticisms lie in Follett's inability to write without any literary skill. His syntax and idioms are far too modern for a work of historical fiction. Midway through the book it occurred to me that there were no metaphors, no similes, just conflict after conflict which drove the plot. He writes without mood, feeling, or anything that makes language meaningful and beautiful. Since the book is devoid of literary value, I began to examine its plot more closely, since that is the strength of the work.
At its core Pillars is about the rise of the middle class. The political machinations of Phillip and the drive of Aliena and Tom create a situation where the burgeoning feudal middle class begins to rise with some regularity. I found this interesting from sociological perspective and began to reflect on how different forms of government and church and state relationships foster the middle class and diminish it. Yet, William is always as a vehicle for destruction and a pawn of the powers that be. I grew weary of this tactic and began to wish for another villain. While, I found Waleran distasteful he lacked the gory sociopathic personality of William. Since so much of the novel focused on William I became interested in the psychology of his character. What had created such a monster? Follett gives a little insight into this when Regan dies and William has flashbacks of his mother screaming at him, but I wanted Follett to develop this more. If we had to spend so much time reading about William's raping and pillaging exploits, then I wanted to know what had created this monster.
Overall, a very mixed review. The violence, sex, raping, and pillaging may have been common and true of the times, but somehow Follett manages to turn all of this into cheap entertainment. Disappointing at best.
Book Review: Follett's greatest book.
Summary: 5 Stars
I finished reading the last of my Christmas break reading materials tonight (sadly, I didn't get to "The Count of Monte Cristo" before university starts up again), which was Ken Follett's 1989 piece of historical fiction, "The Pillars of the Earth." This was one of the few occasions when I bought a novel upon seeing it in the store, rather than because I'd read about it online or seen it recommended (demonstrating the effectiveness of good cover design in making me take a look at it).
The story is an old-fashioned epic, centred around the construction of Kingsbridge Cathedral in 12th century England (this description on the back of the book takes some of the drama out of the first few hundred pages (it's over 950 pages long, the second-longest novel I can recall reading, the longest being "Atlas Shrugged"), since it takes a while to get to the point where they can actually start building). There's no single main character, and some of the characters who are central in the opening parts die or retire, and are replaced by others; since the construction of a Cathedral takes decades, this is in many ways required (although, in a bit of license with accuracy, nobody important succumbs to disease or dies before becoming an adult, which is rather improbable given the time period). The construction takes place against the backdrop of the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud following the death of Henry I, and follows through to the arrival of Henry II and that king's quarrel with Thomas Becket.
Follett writes in the preface that he isn't religious himself, but he gives a very nuanced depiction of religious figures; one of the principle good guys is Philip, the Prior of Kingsbridge, who is about as devoted and sincere a monk as you would ever encounter. At the same time, corruption in the medieval church is exposed at length, principally in the figure of Waleran, Philip's chief rival throughout the story. A major theme is the conflict between church and state, and (like "The Once and Future King"), Philip's attempt to find a way to establish law and order and protect the ordinary people from thugs (in the novel, principally William Hamleigh, a remarkably loathsome villain). In the same preface, Follett also writes a lot about how he came to be fascinated by cathedrals during his time in Europe, and he has clearly put a great deal of research into it; he describes in great detail the process of building cathedrals, and finer technical points, and even innovations made within time of the novel (such as the newer style modelled by Abbot Suger's monastery at St.-Denis).
I thought it was a very strong novel, and I'd recommend it to fans of historical fiction; Ken Follett opines in the preface that it's his best book, and the Amazon reviewers that I've read, by and large, seem to agree.
Book Review: The story behind the history
Summary: 5 Stars
When my friend, who normally dislikes historical fiction, insisted I read this book, I was somewhat dubious. But she was so persistent I finally borrowed it from her, and I'm glad I did.
Set during the tumultuous war between the usurper King Stephen of England and his cousin, the rightful queen Maud (OK, I'm biased), this story is unlike most historical fiction in that it is less concerned with the doings of royals, bishops, and aristocracy than it is with petty country nobility, small-town monks, and ordinary tradesmen. The big events of the period (spanning the first half of the twelfth century) are touched upon only peripherally. Instead, we get a better sense of how the regular subjects of England eked out their lives.
There are three main groups of characters, embodying the three classes of medieval Europe: Those who fight, those who work, and those who pray. The fighter in this case is the cruel Earl William, the prayer the noble and brilliant Prior Phillip, and the workers are the family of Tom Builder, a stonemason.
When the dilapidated church of Kingsbridge burns down, Tom persuades Phillip to let him rebuild it as a new, larger cathedral. This doesn't sit well with William, and sets off a series of conflicts between the town of Kingsbridge and William's seat of Shiring over labor and resources, not to mention the money that comes from having the most important church in the area. Some of the disputes are political, fought with back-door dealings and manipulations of the loyalty of the followers of Stephen and Maud. Some are violent, with William bullying and intimidating the townsfolk with the usual rape, murder, and pillaging.
The characters in this book are wonderfully drawn and complex. With the exception of the cartoonishly evil William, the rest are nuanced and entirely believable, with flaws and strengths that make them enjoyable even when they're not likable. Phillip is noble but stubborn, Tom is smart and hardworking but occasionally short-sighted, his stepson Jack is brilliant but erratic. The female characters are a treat, too. Tom's wife Ellen is an atypical firecracker, who enjoys the suspicion that she's a witch, hates the Church, and lives alone in the forest. Jack's paramour Aliena is the daughter of a disgraced former earl who single-handedly rebuilds her family's fortune by becoming a successful merchant, only to see it lost and regained time and again.
Finally, if any readers are interested in reading more about Stephen and Maud, I would highly recommend Sharon Kay Penman's "When Christ and His Saints Slept." That book and "Pillars of the Earth" are perfect companion pieces, one dealing with the power brokers and one dealing with the people who actually have to live in the world they create.
Book Review: Enticing novel indeed
Summary: 5 Stars
When I finally came to the conclusion that I was to read the Pillars of the Earth for my summer reading, I was rather skeptical that a near thousand page book, dealing with the construction of a cathedral could keep me inspired enough to read it. I was ineffably mistaken.
Ken Follet introduces the book in a scene that feels abruptly tossed at us, but is nevertheless a phenomenal foundation to the plot. Follet chooses to write the chapters, deviating from character to character. By the time you finish the first chapter, your enticed by one of the main characters, Tom. You simply cannot wait to know what follows the end of chapter, so naturally you'll eagerly begin to read the subsequent chapter and notice that the perspective has changed to another character. "What's this?" I couldn't help thinking angrily. I continued turning the pages, impatiently waiting for mention of the character that I just formed a bond with, and to my surprise, I quickly realized the current character is just as eloquent written and genuinely admirable as the previous. Follet uses this tactic throughout the novel that you ultimately come to understand and appreciate all the characters on some deep level, from Tom to Prior Phillip, William of Hamley, Aliena, Jack, Richard, Ellen, and Waleran Bigod.
The plot also becomes as gratifying in its authenticity as it's characters. The beautifully vivid world of 12th Century England becomes as genuine as today's society is to us. After reading a copious number of pages, it takes some effort to snap back to our 21th century society. Follet balances, although some may argue, the unfortunate events and the elations of the novel perfectly. It's the sorrows that characters experience that give us such powerful, jovial feeling when something finally goes right. Although it stands as the basis of the novel, the Cathedral of Kingsbridge stands for so much more. It's what continuously caused admiration and despair, till Jack's motivational ardor constructed the most magnificent cathedral in all of England.
The only negative thing that I can bring up about the novel is the incessant malevolent acts Bishop Waleran commits. His never ending plots to destroy Prior Phillip, although understandable to some level, become tiring by the last 20 pages of the book. I understand it as his personality, but it's terribly infuriating when the man simply won't quit. All the better I suppose, for the satisfaction of the conclusion.
Far from the trite novel that I was expecting, The Pillars of the Earth has actually given me insight on certain inscrutable things about life. I will inevitably, I'd think, always admire the characters and words descended me within another world. This truly is epic.
Book Review: An excellent story - Follet's best work
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't read all of Follet's works, so I guess I can't decidedly say this is his best, but it's by far the best I've read. Before getting into The Pillars ..., my general opinion of Follet is as follows:
I've read 6 of Follet's novels, and I've enjoyed all but one (Paper Money). However, this is the only one I'd award a 5 star rating (the others, aside from the previous exception, would probably all get a solid 4 stars). In general, Follet's novels are a highly reliable form of entertainment - they're great when all I want is a bit of light, entertaining reading (like if I have a long flight ahead of me). They're generally very fast paced and suspenseful with very good character development. In general, I wouldn't consider Follet's writing itself to be great (that's not to say his writing is poor, it just doesn't qualify as great literature or anything), but he is a very good storyteller, though he does use a somewhat formulaic approach.
The Pillars of The Earth goes beyond Follet's typical work in that it's not only very entertaining, it's a great book as well. It's long (>1,000 pages) and covers a long period of time - multiple generations for some of the families in the novel. It takes place in the Middle Ages and follows the exploits of multiple protagonists. The Pillars has two standout strengths - 1) excellent character development, and 2) a story that very successfully ties multiple plotlines together into one over-arching story. These two characteristics are hallmarks in all the Follet novels I've read, but they're best executed in The Pillars of the Earth. Despite it's length, The Pillars is a reasonably easy read. It's reasonably fast paced and full of action and suspense, in fact it's quite a page turner.
So does The Pillars transend the "good, entertaining light reading but not much else" category in which I'd place the rest of Follet's work? Well, sort of, but not quite. It still lacks the quality of writing or unique style I'd like to see in order to consider it good literature. But I think given the memorable characters and excellent plotline, I would call it a great story, and undoubtedly worth the read.
If you're at all a fan of Ken Follet and haven't already read The Pillars of the Earth, I'd definately recommend it - like I said it's by far his best work. If you haven't been exposed to Follet, I'd still recommend The Pillars of the Earth, but would understand if you wanted to first try his writing with something a bit shorter (in which case I'd recommend Eye of the Needle or The Key to Rebecca, both of which were very solid and use Follet's familiar storytelling style/formula in a very different setting, WWII).