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Title: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett ISBN: 0-451-16689-2 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: June, 1996 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.65 (546 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: My All Time Favorite Novel
Comment: This story grabs you from page one. The narrative and description of medieval Europe is fasinating as well as repulsive. I have introduced this novel to 4 or 5 friends who range in age from 15 to 70. Their vocations and occupations cover a wide range of interests. Without exception, "Pillars of the Earth" is our favorite novel. I was so sad when it ended. However, there are some pretty steamy sex scenes that I tried to overlook.
Rating: 4
Summary: Not without flaws, but certainly worth the read.
Comment: I borrowed this book from my voice teacher after she recommended it to me, and soon after I did so everybody at my high school was talking about this book: my Shakespeare teacher, my friends in madrigals, my fellow English students . . . somehow everyone had come upon this book at once and I had to know what the big deal was.
_The Pillars of the Earth_ opens with a prologue that vaguely introduces future characters and a mystery that will gradually tie the numerous characters together. It is exciting and bizarre and sets the expectations high. It is apparent by this prologue alone that Ken Follett has done his research in terms of twelfth-century culture, a theme that is consistent throughout the novel.
After this, the book was disappointing at first. It was hard to get into, with the story following Tom Builder and his family in his struggle to find work in order to survive. At this point the writing seems pedantic - it is too simple, sometimes as if Follett is speaking to a child. It reflects the education level of the characters in focus, which is an interesting narrative tool but grew quite tiresome. The first part of the book took me three months to read because of this. However, I either got used to it or it lessened as the book went on - something that was most fortuitous.
Once the narration leaves Tom Builder, Follett begins to bring us into the major part of the story involving Brother Philip of St.-John-In-The-Forest. Philip is an incredibly engaging character, whose strong Christian conviction is honest without being preachy or comedic. This young, nobly ambitious monk is only one of the fine characters that make this novel worthwhile. Also of special note are Jack Jackson, the sharply intelligent and rebellious bastard son of a witch; Archdeacon Waleran Bigod, the self-serving and double-dealing priest who is just too slick for words; and Aliena, the beautiful daughter of a fallen earl who, though at great risk for becoming a dull and vapid Mary Sue, remains a fascinatingly admirable and sometimes unsympathetic character. None of the heroes are perfect - all of the protagonists have their flaws that make them undeniably human, something that most novelists don't do with their characters because it risks the character's likeability.
The story is long. It has to be - it's about the building of a Gothic cathedral, which takes twenty, thirty years to build .. and so the story spans some thirty years. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong, as is to be expected with a project of such expanse. At times it can be tedious but those points are rare. When the plot is not racing along to the point where one can't help thinking "Good Lord, what _else_ could happen?", one is learning about the culture of the twelfth century, which never reads like a textbook and always adds color and context to the story.
The unexpected thing about _The Pillars of the Earth_ is its political intrigue. It is not generally thought that such games of power would have to be played for the building of a cathedral, but this book proves it wrong. Such maneuverings are seen through the eyes of naive Philip, who must learn to move in this world if he wishes to see his cathedral built. We learn along with him what people must do for the king and just how far some are willing to go.
All in all, it is an incredible story. However, there is some gratuitous sexuality and violence that is not necessary for the plot. It seemed that all love was based around physical attraction and lust, even the most innocent of loves (never mind the constant rape scenes involving Lord William Hamleigh). This is, perhaps, to show a marked contrast between 'normal people' and the celibate monks, and also because the twelfth-century English culture did not blush at sexuality. Only a few scenes of Lord William's sexual abuse are integral to the plot; the rest are to enhance one's hatred of him and understanding of his mind. Don't read this, certainly, if you are squeamish - everything is put into its most vulgar terms (making it a historically accurate narration, and I was most impressed with that fact) and the violence is not flowery and romantic.
My other complaint was some words were used that were definitely not in the twelfth century, having been invented by either Shakespeare (such as "puke" and "weird") or someone long after his time. This will not stick out to most readers and ought not to affect the enjoyment of the novel unless one is a history buff or lover of word-lore - it might jar that sort of reader for a moment before one can move on. There are not enough instances of this for it to be distracting, and although the novel feels contemporary and the characters seem modern, it all fits ideally into the time period it was set in, making it a historical novel that is accessible to contemporary readers. Brilliant.
My recommendation? READ THIS BOOK. It is something that will stay with you for a very long time. The characters are bound to follow you at school, at work, anywhere you're not supposed to be reading. You will probably be disappointed when it finally ends. For me, it was a struggle to get through the beginning but once Philip was introduced it was quite a ride. Loved it. Read it. :)
Rating: 1
Summary: Not what I was hoping for
Comment: I understand the time period the book deals with and all that goes along with that period, but I don't need graphic sexual depictions, whether pertinent to the story or not, and/or overly foul language to get me interested. I enjoy Fantasy and Mythology, sword-slinging and magic-making type novels where Good struggles and wins over Evil, and I don't mind a bit of violence now and then because that's a part of war and dark times (I know, the other stuff is too), but I've read other authors (Robert Jordan, i.e.) who have the ability to convey these "certain messages" without actually "spelling it out" in graphic detail. To some this might deem the story less interesting or intrigueing, but I would have rather seen the historical attributes pushed to the fore and the human attributes of certain characters in certain situations toned down to a more tolerable level. I could not enjoy the rest of this book because I got gun-shy about what was coming on the next page. If you get this book to read, don't leave it lying around for the kids to find. Call me what you will, but I'm glad I got this book at a used book store for only a quarter. I'll be trading it back in real soon.
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Title: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett ISBN: 0380733358 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451163494 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: September, 1989 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett ISBN: 0440217490 Publisher: Island Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Triple by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451163540 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: January, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Lie Down With Lions by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451163508 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: June, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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