The Pillars of the Earth

I really enjoy listening to audio books to and from work and was really looking forward to this one. I had asked for it at Christmas because there were so many rave reviews, it was a longer book and this would keep me involved for some time. There were so many times I almost gave up on the book and listening to the last CD, I realized how relieved I was to be done with it. Although there was finally some positive experiences for the characters towards the last remaining quarter of the book, the reader is in for a long haul of poorly developed characters that had no depth and the brutalization of them throughout their history. I couldnt fall in love with any of the them, couldnt feel nor sympathize with any of their passions or pursuits, basically had a hard time caring. It is really hard to know about a character who answers a question with "Yes", but it is described as saying Yes in an elaborate way... If I were playing a drinking game like "High Bob" that we played many years ago in college, I would have ample opportunities for a swig if we took a gulp every time a charater thought to themselves "and he/she realized she was about to die". GEEEEZZZZ! I was absolutely put off by the very brutal and violant acts that were played out in such detail... unfortunately, this is the only place where details seemed to be so graphic. Maybe this is unfair. There is some detail with building the church. But I was left thinking...so who cares? Unless you can already visualize what it takes to build a church, the dragged out details are lost on you.

I read this book first as an older teenager/early twenties and loved it. Since then I have mentioned it as one of my favorites. However, I recently thought to re-read it some 15 years later.
While it remains a wonderful story, well told and vast in its epic scope, it hasn't worn the years as well as I would have hoped. I continue to recommend it to those who, like me, love historical fiction, but I don't think I'll include in on my favorites list any longer. It is overly long and the last part seems unnecessary. Some things are not terribly well expained and some in far too much detail. It retains through-out a twentieth century version of history feel to it. However, I remain a fan of the book and of Follett.

This is a good depiction of every day life for a myriad of characters and social classes in England. The book touches on aristocracy, union labor, clergy, kings and vassals, battle life, locally harvested resources such as a quarry, village life, clergy hierarchy/currpution, and basic trade markets.

The book also touched on these themes: relationships between spouses, social acceptance of violence, law enforcement, money lending and feudal requirements, succession and a tug of war between political factions and monarchs.

The large cast of characters have clear, realistic and common motives- all intertwining. The characters are real in their flaws, failures, successes and goals. The virtuous characters have long journeys of self realization. The self involved characters experience their own epiphanies- creating their own anguish. But the book doesn't wrap up happily ever after which is refreshing.

WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON... the architectural and structural details are woven in successfully. As you continue to read you begin to understand weight loads, buttresses, the integration of Moorish architecture based upon Geometries. This theme may parallel the characters own weight loads.

I want to stress that the book is an ongoing, epic, emotional voyage. Often touching on dark realistic elements of common life. It is an investment to read this book.

Personally, it was book of interest but difficult to continue and push toward it's conclusion. Sluggish with detail at times, the historical value kept me plugging away until I finished the book with a relieved sigh. It has to be a book you are in the mood for... Happy Reading.

I picked this up at the library and read the first page out loud to my hubby and kids. I thought it was soooooo impressive that I was sure I'd love it. If you read the first page (you can do this online) and you love it, I promise, it's worth your time. If you don't love the first page, you may not love it.

It's long, yes. It's also worth it. You won't read a chapter and wonder why it dragged out, hoping it 'came back around' later. It's wonderful. All of it.

I will say that there are rape scenes which normally I find pointless and uncomfortable and evil. There is nothing worthless or pointless in this book. It all comes around, long before it ends. And even in the end, its worth the journey.

I recommend this book to a lot of folks. I loved it and wish I could read it for the first time again.

This applies to both "Pillars" and its sequel, "Ends of the Earth." I won't repeat much of what I've read in many of the other reviews, but just say that an atheist/agnostic writing a book like this is like a man whose never seen an elephant trying to describe one. Follett puts the tail where the trunk should be and vice versa just because that would "make sense" to someone who has never seen an elephant. His characters are "works" driven and are hoping what they are doing will please God and earn his favor -- if they really care about God at all. There's nothing about grace and little about faith. I guess you can't write about something you don't understand. It certainly makes little sense to a non-believer. (I was once one, so I know.)

Tit 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

An interesting read but if you want to learn something about Christianity, this is not the book. You will learn a lot about the author's perception of Christianity.

I will add to the comments about the gratuitous sex. Not only does it stop the narrative of the book in its tracks, but it is repetitive and lacks imagination. All of the characters seem to have sex in exactly the same way, with the exception of the violence.