The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
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Book Reviews of The Pillars of the Earth
Book Review: Raw and gritty
Summary: 3 Stars
I read The Pillars of the Earth and am now plowing through World Without End. Gritty, earthy and raw, these books depict the town of Kingsbridge, England during two medieval periods. Follett is a master at depicting the brutal and desperate lifestyles of all echelons of society during the Middle Ages through compelling characters and thorough research, but these are not for the faint of heart. Both the length of the books and the gory details could be a little off-putting to some readers, but overall, the triumph of the human spirit shines through.
While Follett's research is obviously thorough, there are some slippages of language where characters sound rather startlingly modern, as well as, a few other historical anomalies, but these are mostly forgivable. My biggest gripe is one that has been mentioned before and that is the almost pornographic depictions of rape and sex throughout the book. It is just unnecessarily graphic. As another reviewer wrote, "We get it. William is a really bad guy." Frankly the descriptions are so over the top, one begins wonder about the deviancies of the author, which is generally an unfair assertion, but in this case, unavoidable. Eeek! I am no prude, but there are scenes (particularly the one in the brothel involving a gang rape) that do nothing to further the plot and only serve as titillating pulp.
The gratuitous sex is just garbage, but the main characters are so compelling and enjoyable that you want to spend the 1000 pages with them and will think about their lives long after you have closed the book. It's just such a shame that Follett had to sully up a great book with smut.
Book Review: An incredible medieval-setting historic novel
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a huge interest about everything that relates to the Middle ages, particularly concerning clergy and religous life, and love historic novels which take place during that period. So, when I picked up this book and realized it brought all these aspects together I became quite interested. It turns out that Mr. Follet himslef has a huge passion about cathedrals, and that this book was a long-time goal for him, which took years and years of hard research and devotion to come true. Let me say that that shows immediatly once you start reading this incredible story.
The beautiful, rich characters, the settings, the small details of every day life, everything in this book is incredibly detailed and so immersive that you feel every betrail, every joy, every loss, as if it happened to you. If you want a novel which accurately transports you to the bare life of middle ages, which allows you to follow fascinating characters through decades and generations, with a plot with so many developments and twists and a pace that never, ever, becomes tiresome, this book will change you. It was the best historical novel I've read (by far) and one of my top 5 books ever. Don't miss this, it's a fascinating story. It's almost 1000 pages long, but you'll end up wishing it had another 1000. I will read it again!
And about the hype of being in Oprah's book club, it's true, there are plenty of cheap editions, since it's quite an oldie. I bought this book (a tiny pocket edition written in English) for something like 9 euros or 12 dollars in a book store in Nice, France, while backpacking through Europe in the Summer of 2006, so it's quite easy to find...
Book Review: An engrossing story, not for those with short attention spans...
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book when it first came out in 1989 and I remember enjoying it. When World Without End came out, I wanted to read that, but figured I should re-read Pillars again, but admittedly a 900 page book wasn't appealing.
Still, I started the book and eagerly read it till the glorious end. I am baffled by the reviewers who knock the characters and say they are one dimensional. I think some people have no patience and can't take the time to enjoy a good book, but feel they need to skim entire sections. They just missed out on something good and then they wonder why the story didn't work for them.
If you can hold your attention for awhile and can see the value in learning about life in the 1100's in England, and how people built amazing buildings, then you can easily enjoy this book.
Yes, there is sex in the book, probably like there was in the 1100's. It covers sex from violence, from prostitutes and from true love. Honestly, I can't see that the book would have been as poignant without including it. If it really disturbs you, maybe there are other issues you should worry about. It is not a central part of the book, but I think some readers can't get past it.
The author was an atheist? Oops, didn't know that, so I guess it isn't reflected in his book.
Criticisms on historical inaccuracy? This is fiction, and the story took place 800+ years ago. How can a reader be so certain Aliena wouldn't have acted a certain way. Heaven forbid a woman be smart back then.
The book is enjoyable, intense and entertaining. Now I must go start World Without End.
Book Review: Disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
After months of media attention, recommendations from amazon reviewers, and finally, Oprah's blessing, I finally picked up the book with great anticipation. It promised to be a historical novel written by an author whose craft is well recognized, and whose choice in both genre and topic for the book promised a meaningful reading experience.
The story is enormous in the sense of time and characters. There are many characters, events, and love-stories across two generations. The building of cathedrals runs strongly in the background of the stories. The author means to inspire awe and a sense of achievement in the building of these larger than life cathedrals, first, and then to let us inspect the cost of human commitment in undertaking such enterprises. He wanted the act of building to evoke our subconscious memory of those ancient times when we actively shaped the world around us with our hands, of conquering nature, of resurrecting God's will into churches, of holding families together with a house, of protecting ourselves by building a wall...
But in the end, we never get beyond the facade of grandeur in this story. The characters remain simply at face-value and predictable, and their actions are never more complex than good or evil. Even as Follett tells a story of a time when bards and scops wove stories with language that held audiences transfixed, his writing itself remains formulaic and dull.
Though Ken Follett strove to write something great, a novel that resounds with epic meaning...it is temporary entertainment at best, and never inspired more than strong interest in the plot.
Book Review: Memories Of A Mediocre Story
Summary: 3 Stars
I finished this book a few months ago and was glad I stuck with it to the end. Others have said all the good and bad that need be said about this book. I want readers to know that I wasn't disappointed upon completing this book, but at the same time I wasn't thrilled either. I think the best phrase to describe my finishing this 900 plus page story is that I persevered. Ken Follett knows how to tell a good story, however, this book requires all the patience and visual imagination a reader can muster. It definitely helps if a reader has just a smidgen of knowledge about 12th century dukedom, catholic church hierarchy and cathedral structure.
The first pages pull you into a simple story about simple characters and their struggles to survive during trying times. To quote from the book if I remember correctly, "Mothers are put on this earth to die" was the first hint that the story is as much about the survival of women during the middle ages, as it is about cathedrals and dukedoms. Maybe that quote is from another book, its been a few books since I read Pillars, but the quote definitely applies to this story early on.
Follett has you sympathizing with the persons of good heart and cursing those full of greed and evil. What interested me so much in this story is learning about what went into the building of Cathedrals during that time period. I've found myself inside a cathedral or two since finishing the book and I must say that I see much more in its architecture now than I did before reading "Pillars of the Earth."
Perseverance!