The Pillars of the Earth

Ken Follett started writing this book in the early 1970s.  The book was published in 1989.  It became a best-seller and has become even more famous now that it has been turned into an eight part TV miniseries.  And, oh yes, in 2007, a few more readers discovered this book when Oprah made it one of her book club selections.  Don’t let Oprah’s endorsement keep you from reading this book!

I read The Pillars of the Earth in March, 2008, and I read its sequel, World Without End, in July, 2008.  I thoroughly enjoyed both books, especially the first one.  The books are long, but not tedious.  The story can be enjoyed on so many levels, from the characters, to the process of building a cathedral, to the history portrayed.

As to the content of the book, I found this concise summary of The Pillars of the Earth at the Barnes and Noble website:  “As a new age dawns in England's twelfth century, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral sets the stage for a story of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal.”  That’s a great summary of a long and involved book.

I predict that you will either love or hate this book.   I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was scarcely able to put it down.   

As to whether or not you will like the made-for-TV adaptation now being shown on Starz, and in Canada on The Movie Network, I don’t know, since I haven’t seen it.  The first three hours are available on Netflix Instant and I imagine they will have the final five hours available as soon as they are aired on TV.  I learned from Wikipedia that  there have also been three separate board games based on The Pillars of the Earth.

Ken Follet has written many books, but these two books were a departure from his usual genre of suspense thrillers.  If you liked these two books, you might be interested in Follett’s book that is coming out in September, 2010, Fall of Giants, Book One of the Century Trilogy.