The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett
Source: My friend Charlie from work
Days to Read: 9
Before reading this book I had mixed feelings. I had heard from someone that it was difficult to get into and that there was a lot of description so certain passages could be quite boring. However, Charlie assured me that it was a great book and that I should give it a try. I am very glad that I did because it is just my cup of tea!
My favourite genre to read are historical novels. One of my all-time favourite books is The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George. Like The Memoirs of Cleopatra, The Pillars of the Earth has everything you could want in a book; love, history, adventure, and action.
The basic premise of the book details the building of a cathedral and all the lives of the people involved. A master builder and his family pass through village after village looking for work. The father’s dream is to build a cathedral bigger and more beautiful than any other in England. They settle in Kingsbridge, England and the priory that eventually hires the master builder, Tom, is struggling against the more powerful Prior and Nobleman of the area. It is a constant battle between good and evil, every man wanting more for themselves and manipulating their way to the top.
Another prominent character, the daughter of the ousted Earl of Shiring, Aliena, is a strong female character that you grow to love and respect. Aliena’s perseverance as not only a lady who has fallen to peasantry, but also as a business woman in a world dominated by men, is empowering.
There are many characters in the book with different story lines that intertwine with one another. All the story lines keep the book interesting and they work together quite well in following the main story line.
I have returned the book to Charlie and two days later received the sequel, World Without End. This is now on my stack of books to read and I only hope it is as good as The Pillars of the Earth!
* One thing to note however is there are some graphic scenes that I was not expecting and thus took me by surprise at their vulgarity.
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