THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH. KEN FOLLETT

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by KEN FOLLETT

REVIEW

The Pilars of the Earth is a historical novel by Ken Follett. This book tells the tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known in the town of Kingsbridge, England.

One of the best things about this book is the way in which it combines 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 building of the cathedral is the centre of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love which catch the reader. That is what makes this great bestseller thrilling and breathtaking.

If I were to make a criticism of the book, it would be that the descriptions of the buildings and the process of building the cathedral were extensive.  At times it seemed a little long winded but for the most part I enjoyed reading about all of the work that went into building in 12th century.  The characters are all well-developed and Follett created one of the most awful villains I have ever read.  William Hamleigh will forever be on my list of super villains after reading this book.  He was such an evil character! Most of the rest of the characters were likable and I definitely felt connected to Tom Builder and his family.  I liked that the story followed the family for so many years and I could watch his children grow up and flourish.

All in all, reading this book you cannot fail to fall in love with the characters. The Pillars of the Earth is an incredibly intimidating book but once I started reading it, the story and characters trapped me. It actually reads pretty quickly for such a huge book!