I remember my mom reading this book and loving it. Then I remember the miniseries coming out, and I thought, “Oh! Ian McShane!” I didn’t watch it. Then I forgot about it for about a decade and a half.
I saw it at my local library and checked it out in my usual attitude of “Of course I’m gonna read this and the other four books I checked out in the next 3 weeks!” I had a little pocket money, so I ordered it on Amazon when the time came to return the library book and admit for the thousandth time that I don’t have nearly as much time to read as I used to.
Holy $#¡¥ am I glad I did.
This book is tremendous. The detail, the readability, the huge time arc of the plot, and, most importantly , the characters.
The characters drive the story. I know that’s a cliche , but I don’t care; the characters in this story are brilliant. Tom Builder, Prior Phillip, William Hamleigh, Aliena, Jack, Ellen, Martha, and more. Even the supporting characters are interesting and clearly have their own motivations, even if Follett swings between thumbnail sketch and staying mum about those motivations.
I won’t wax too much about this book. It would take too many words, and Pillars of the Earth is already full of them. 973 pages in the paperback edition to be precise. I know that most people aren’t necessarily interested in a book that gives Lord of the Rings a run for its money in the length department, and I, as a fan of long books, am hardly unbiased. But it is worth it. You’ll miss meals reading this thing.
Two points I want to make:
1) This book avoids (mostly) one of the major pitfalls of historical fiction. The people in the story seem like they are actually from the Middle Ages, rather than being moral and philosophical transplants from the modern age. This is the Achilles heel of writers like Bernard Cornwell (whom I’ve read and enjoyed) and (I’m told) Phillips Gregory. The story may be fun or compelling, the detail may be solid and accurate, but the characters don’t seem like they are actually from the period. Scratch the surface, and they turn out to be a 20th/21st century citizen mentally, rather than a person from that “foreign country” called the past.
Follett doesn’t do that. Or, at the very least, by the time he may have around page 600, I didn’t care.
2) A warning: dovetailing with point number 1, there are parts of this book that are VERY difficult to read. When it comes to fiction, I’m a fan of sex and a fan of violence. But the unfortunate reality of the Middle Ages (and history and life in general) was that the two were often combined. Those of us that are lucky have never had to deal with this. But, even more so in innumerable areas of the past, this is a reality, and Follett does not shy away from it. One instance early in the book had me put it down and walk away. I came back, because, again, it is a spectacularly written and told story, but there are parts that will make your stomach turn. You have been warned.
All told, this book is incredible. The building of the fictional Kingsbridge cathedral reflects the sheer amount of effort, ingenuity, and, most importantly, time it took to build these structures.
Don’t believe me? Look up Salisbury cathedral on an image search and ask yourself: “How, seriously HOW, was this built back then?” This novel will tell you a story about that.
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Great book for collectors and fans of the mini series
Fantastic copy. Looks beautiful and the book is just as good as the mini series. I don’t understand the negative reviews. Medieval life was no walk in the park.
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Farhad Shawkat
Historical Fiction at it's best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2024