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I bought 'The Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follet for school reading, but it turns out it's actually a good book. It has fantastic insight into life, religion, culture, and building of the Middle Ages, as well as some aspects of warfare. It follows the dream of a builder, Tom, to build 'his cathedral', and then later, the dream of his stepson, Jack, to build the greatest Church in England using a revolutionary design he learned in France. It's fantastic if you're looking for information about the Middle Ages, although the descriptions of building techniques can at times be a little boring, and very hard to understand if you don't have prior knowledge of buildings. They don't keep you from understanding the story, however, so don't worry if you aren't a professional mason yourself. This story contains a lot of adult content, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of about 15.Read full review
Exciting graphic novel placed in the Middle Ages but the tone is modern - no stilted language. I would give it an excellent but had a difficult time with some scenes being a little too graphic - rape scene, animal cruelty, hangings, but not anything that is not in many novels nowadays. I'm sure it is very true to life for that time in history. Lots of details, about 1,000 pages long, so get set for a long but interesting trip! My church book club chose this one for its next discussion so I eagerly await their take on this talented author's saga. The author, Ken Follett, wrote Eye of the Needle 30 years ago and it remains an excellent read.
This is an historical fiction, taking place in the 12th century, and as such is quite interesting. The book is 1,000 pages long, but moves along pretty quickly once you're involved in the story. The plot is richly layered, and the characters' relationships compelling. One of the main characters dreams of building a cathedral in his lifetime, and we are swept up in his victories and frustrations over the years as he attempts to see his dream come to fruition. The cast of characters includes lords and ladies, bishops and monks, beggars, thieves and murderers, warriors and peacemakers, kings and serfs. The politics of the palace, the church, the warlords, is believable and intriguing. I highly reccomend this book.
Brilliant work of art. I can't imagine reading a better book. Follett takes you to the Middle Ages and describes in detail the places, the colors, the senses, the ambiance. He has you living and falling in love with the characters, yet hating others. You are on the edge and enthralled at all times. I didn't want to put this book down and sometimes read through the night without sleep. Truly fascinating with so much attention to detail. You felt like you were watching the battles as they happened, tasting the food they ate, and imagined being in the rich castles, which now would seem cold, dark, and unfit quarters. But not to the King's and Queen's of England who were not as we would believed them to be. There was betrayal, murder, love, lust and even though I hate to mention the way women were treated, you can't change what really was. The women were raped and used for only a few purposes by most men. However, you couldn't help but admire the men back then who honored and cherished a good woman, so much sometimes, they would die for them. Power was at stake and and gained in horrible ways. The book was exhilarating and kept my attention from the beginning to the end. Loved it. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys ready about the Dark (Middle) ages. You will learn so much about history--a whole new way of life and just how far we've come. This book has it all: love, laughter, crime, happiness, loss, poverty, riches, war, sin, and much more. I promise you won't regret reading this fine masterpiece of work. I can't wait to read other books by this author.Read full review
I read this many years ago. Though fiction, much if that mentioned in the book was factual - characters, language, behavior and more in and around the era of 12th century Britain. It took me back to a time in history that I had rarely investigated before, The main characters were engaging and elicited my emotions and caring for them. This was a powerful novel that would require me to write something nearly as long, in order to do it justice. The best I can, or want, to do is to say, "Go buy it." You won't be disappointed. PS I loved this book so much, but had lost the original copy (it was damaged), so was ordering this just so that I would always have a copy to read and reference. Unfortunately, the supplier had run out, so could not fill my order. I will look for it again.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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