The Pillars of the Earth

[hodor]

I just wanted to start a thread based on the book Pillars of the Earth. I am hoping others have read this book I am currently reading. I find it most interesting and hard to put down. It seems a very in depth, well researched, and well written historical fiction. I have particularly come to find a liking to this book (not only because it mentions the city of Salisbury which happens to be my last name) because of main character, Tom, who is a mason. I myself am a carpenter by trade now for the last eleven years, and can still relate to alot of the things Tom is going through: the process of finding work, the process of analyzing work done, and the process of organizing work.

I know that most of the people that would have read this book would probably not have seen it from the perspective that I have but, I hope to have a few people respond to this and tell me what they have thought about the book.

 

[McMurphy]

I haven't read this novel, but I have heard of it (assuming I am thinking of the same piece of work). On paperback, it is a hefty 600 or 700 page book, correct?

I have heard some very good things about it.

 

[hodor]

989pgs in pb

 

[Sirathiel]

I don't think I've read it either, though if it's the book I think I tried it once... Don't know why I didn't go through with it... Maybe I wasn't mature enough back then.

The author is Ken Follett, right? Just to make sure everybody talks about the same book...

 

[hodor]

yes the author is Ken Follet and so far I am loving it. Don't get me wrong though, it's not a sci fi and it's not a fantasy; it's a historical fiction set in early 12th century england during the norman-french days. I must say though, so far as I have gotten I realize the devices of the church are absolutely diabolical in this novel. The poor man is NOTHING. Very well written and, though I haven't finished it, I would recommend everything I have read to anyone who enjoyed a well written book!

 

[Preston]

I'm currently reading this book. I really enjoy it so far! (I'm about 100 pages in) I don't often stray far from my SF/Fantasy, but decided to with this book. Lots of tragedy so far, action, romance, lust.

The prologue itself was enough to catch my interest. I love a book that makes you want to read into the night to find answers to the questions you form early on.

 

[cymric]

The Pillars of the Earth is an Awesome novel (the only non-sff book to be in my top ten list). I find it to be a great testament to the human spirit and how everyday good can triumph over the evils of the world. Hodor you have picked up a great book there and I highly recommend any other work by this author.

 

[morelin]

what an excellent novel. my uncle, the teacher, lent it to me about 13 years ago. i came across acopy of it at the used book store and am kicking my self for not buying it to have my own copy. the emotion you feel when reading this book is astounding . i shed more than one tear.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I'm pretty sure I read this in the late 90's and enjoyed it.

 

[Heather]

I've never read this book, but it sounds interesting. If you enjoy books written during that time period, you may enjoy reading "The Plague Tales" by Ann Benson. It's a book that goes back and forth between futuristic London (where antibiotics no longer work) and one of the times when the Bubonic plague hit Europe. I remember thinking it was a neat read, and if you like fantasy and the time period, you should enjoy it. In the end, the past and the future come together in an interesting way.

 

[eccles_1960]

A truly great book. I read that one a couple of years back, and I think I still have it tucked away in one of my book shelves. I think I will have to dig it out and have another read.

 

[Preston]

On Ken Follett's site he has said that he is currently writing a sequal to this book and expects it to be published in 2007.

 

[MilesVorkosigan]

Follet's is one of the few writers that manages to get me away from my beloved "Sff", I'd recommend his early books without any doubt that u will read and enjoy, however ....

His books since Ground zero, Third Twin has just lacked something for me. Perhaps I have just grown weary of him, but still go and look up his "oldies goldies"

 

[Preston]

Well I just finished Pillars of the Earth. I am so glad I read it; it was actually this thread that introduced me to the book, and Ken Follett. I really enjoyed this book, and I normally only read fantasy or SF. I am trying to get my wife to read it now, as she doesn’t usually read the books I recommend, as they are usually SF or fantasy.


My favorite characters were Jack and Aliena. I came to hate Alfred, and I really hated William Hamleigh. Follett did a really good job with the characters.


I love a book that doesn’t drag, and even at 1000 pages, Pillars keeps the plot moving at a nice pace.


I also must give credit for a good ending. I imagine an ending is one of the hardest things for an author to write, and this story has a good one.


I knew this story would be good when the outlaw stepped out of the bushes and swung his club at Martha. After that, the suspense got me, and I was hooked.


All said, this is a perfect book for just about anybody.

 

[a|one]

Yes it is an awesome book. One of the ones I found in my dad's boxes after he died, this one never really loses the drive. I remember how odd I felt finishing it, because it never seemed slow down throughout the whole book.

 

[Boaz]

I read Pillars of the Earth in 1990 and I also read Eye of the Needle in 1989. I'll try not to spoil anyone's reading. Follet's research, as usual, is well done. He also does a good job of creating a realistic atmoshpere. He also describes his characters very well. But, imo, his description of action is less than riveting. And I never felt any real identification with his heroes. I think the ideas, for both of his books that I've read, are great and the story concepts work very well... it's just that I never felt the sympathy or empathy for his characters, just apathy.

I liken my reading of Follet to viewing Kill Bill and American Beauty. Both were visually stunning, highly stylized, with great stories, but I could not identify with the characters. So read into my opinion what you will.

 

[Rosemary]

One of the all time greats as far as I am concerned. I was lucky in that I felt that I knew the characters personally. I thought he gave the characters some very realistic traits for that era.

Read a biography on Ken Follet - he is one of few authors who does so much research for his books. Historical Fiction has to have the historical parts exactly right. Majority of Historical Fiction readers are history buffs and will know their history. So, just one little historical item that is not right will 'stand out like a sore thumb'!!

 

[Jackolsman]

...Follett did a really good job with the characters.


I love a book that doesn’t drag, and even at 1000 pages, Pillars keeps the plot moving at a nice pace.
...

I have just finished this astonishing read as well! Follet really works his magic on the characters in this book; You are introduced to the good and bad early on and he doesn't hold back on letting you see the ugly nature of the bad, which makes the good such a sigh of relief when it comes through. For me it was an absolute epic in it's plot as well. He speeds it along very well with hardly a lull to be found in any of it's many pages.

My favorite part of the book was how Ken Follet uses each character's own dispositions to describe other characters. Take Alfred: He is seen as a bully and a bull headed moron by the Good Characters, then slightly dull but with a cunning mean streak by the Bad Characters. Each of the character's descriptions painted a really good picture of the other characters. The second most favorite part of the book was loving the good characters so much that I felt a real physical hate for the bad characters.

 

[Riselka]

A number of people on Jack Whyte's website have given "The Pillars of the Earth" a high recommendation, so it's next up on my "to read" pile.

By the way, here's a link to a little information about the sequel, "World Without End", from Follett's website:

Ken Follett | Welcome to the official site of the international best-selling author

 

[aarti]

Am I the only one who did *not* enjoy this read? I guess so! Well, that's misleading. I was interested enough to get to the end of the doorstopper of a book, but when I was finished, I don't think it made much of an impression overall for me.

I personally found it historically inaccurate. The part, especially, where the girl and her younger brother are just LEFT in an abandoned castle (IIRC) to get around on their own. I can't be positive as I'm no expert, of course, but I can't think it likely that during the 12th century, anyone would abandon a castle that could be used as a stronghold. And as for two children of the gentry being left to fend for themselves ... well, I think that very unlikely, too. They would, at least, be made guardians of the crown.

Just my .02. I think as historical fiction is the genre I read the most besides fantasy, maybe those sorts of things irk me more than they would normally.