Share <Embed>

Buy New

$8.57

List Price: $9.99
Save: $1.42 (14%)

FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books.

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Buy Used

$3.99

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by 2swellguys

Fulfilled by Amazon

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel (Kingsbridge) Mass Market Paperback – July 9, 1990

by Ken Follett (Author)

5,005 customer reviews

Book 1 of 3 in the Kingsbridge Series

See all 84 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$25.49

$19.84

$0.12

Paperback, Import

"Please retry"

$17.32

$6.79

$0.15

Audible, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Mass Market Paperback

"Please retry"

$8.57

$4.51

$0.01

Audio CD, Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$43.31

$30.09

$16.50

Multimedia CD

"Please retry"

—

$23.93

$47.80

View our Ken Follett feature page.

Learn more about The Pillars of the Earth miniseries on Starz.

A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, this historical epic—a twelfth-century tale of the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral—stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity

The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel (Kingsbridge)

$8.57 FREE Shipping on orders with at least $25 of books. In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently Bought Together

Total price: $25.98

Buy the selected items together

This item:The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel (Kingsbridge) by Ken Follett Mass Market Paperback $8.57
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
World Without End by Ken Follett Mass Market Paperback $9.92
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett Mass Market Paperback $7.49
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Ken Follett

2,920

Mass Market Paperback
$9.92
Ken Follett

7,063

Mass Market Paperback
$7.49
Ken Follett

7,003

Mass Market Paperback
$6.60
Ken Follett

10,382

Mass Market Paperback
$7.48
Ken Follett

1,206

Mass Market Paperback
$7.99
Carol Willis

20

Paperback
$19.92

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 12th-century England, the narrative concerns the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through 40 years of social and political upheaval as internal church politics affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists. "Follett has written a novel that entertains, instructs and satisfies on a grand scale," judged PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A radical departure from Follett's novels of international suspense and intrigue, this chronicles the vicissitudes of a prior, his master builder, and their community as they struggle to build a cathedral and protect themselves during the tumultuous 12th century, when the empress Maud and Stephen are fighting for the crown of England after the death of Henry I. The plot is less tightly controlled than those in Follett's contemporary works, and despite the wealth of historical detail, especially concerning architecture and construction, much of the language as well as the psychology of the characters and their relationships remains firmly rooted in the 20th century. This will appeal more to lovers of exciting adventure stories than true devotees of historical fiction. Literary Guild dual main selection.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Start reading The Pillars of the Earth on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product Details

Series: Kingsbridge
Mass Market Paperback: 983 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books (July 9, 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451166892
ISBN-13: 978-0451166890
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.6 x 6.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5,005 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #497 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Thrillers
- #1169 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Family Saga
- #1650 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Spies & Politics

Customer Reviews

5,005

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		70%
4 star		15%
3 star		6%
2 star		4%
1 star		5%

Write a customer review

See all verified purchase reviews

Top Customer Reviews

Best historical novel I've read in 10 years

BySuzanne Crosson November 3, 1999

Format: Mass Market Paperback

I've never been a fan of Follett, and picked this book up with some misgivings - anyone these days can try to do an "historical" novel with some quick sex, some fake archaic new-speak, and a TV-movie-miniseries concept of history. While there are some minor flaws in this book, its sweep, characterization, tensions, and love of its subject are simply riveting. I could not put the darned thing down and have lost sleep for a week compulsively page-turning. Follett, unbelievably, seems to have made little splash with this book when it first came out - more shame to the critics who missed a "Gone With the Wind" from a conventional thriller author.
His primary strength in the book is his magnificent characters. By the end, Prior Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Richard, "Witch" Ellen, William of Hamleigh, Waleran Bigod, and a host of supporting characters are as real as people you know. Their strengths and weaknesses feel as sound as earth. I've just reached the part where the Cathedral is finished, and its magnificent image, built in love, hardship, and devotion, colors the whole book like light through stained glass. And I suspect the ending will be as immensely "right" as the entire rest of the book in its proportion in spinning out complicated human lives and emotions.
Follett manages to write of an age of religious devotion without tumbling into the two pits - making fun of medieval Christian faith, or uncritically adopting it. An IMMENSELY satisfying read.
I could quibble with what I feel is some gratuitous sex, some slightly contrived plot twists, but that's like complaining about some flotsam in the river as you're going over Niagara.
DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK if you love wonderful story-spinning and history.
Well done, Mr. Follett!

2121 comments 1,585 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

an excellent piece of historical fiction

Byjames g. mooseon April 10, 2000

Format: Paperback

I actually listened to this book on tape, while my wife read the paperback. Both of us loved it. I not only recommend the book, but also urge people to rent the Book on Tape version, narrated by David Case, whose acting and narrative talents shine through, bringing the various characters to life. (But still purchase the book from Amazon!) I came to Pillars of the Earth after spending about two solid years reading, in my spare time, nothing but medieval histories, with a focus on fourteenth century England and the Plantagenet kings. I had never before read a book by Follett, who I had assumed mass-produced pulp spy fiction. I only chose the book because of of my interest in medieval history. To my delight and surprise, I discovered the book to be a true work of literature, which might well still be read in 100 years. I found myself amazed by Follett's ability to create an extremely complex and compelling plot, with compelling characters, against a backdrop that seemed true to the histories I had been reading. The early twelfth century is a period neglected by us moderns; but it's one that's inherently interesting. Who, today, has even heard of King Stephen (who preceded the famous Henry II, immortalized twice by Peter O'Toole in the 1960s movies Beckett and Lion in Winter)? Because, in England at least, Stephen's reign was a time of virtual anarchy, Follett was able to use the period to create characters who demonstrate the brutal lengths to which people can go when unconstrained by law and an effective legal order. At the same time, though, he has created religious and other well-meaning characters who, if alien to us because of their belief in Hell and a God intervening almost minute-by-minute in human afairs, display courage and the best of intentions in the harsh face of barbarism. This juxtaposition of the brutal and the well-meaning makes for an interesting meditation on human nature and on the hope for the gradual further civilization of our species. His ultimate message is encouraging, though he certainly doesn't shrink from depicting the nastiness of which humans are capable. In short, the book is a marvelous piece of fiction, in which Follet has done an excellent job capturing the feeling of a distant and neglected period of history.

77 comments 388 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Not an Oprah follower, but I love this book

ByM. Phippson November 14, 2007

Format: Paperback

Personally, I don't place a lot of stock in Oprah's book club lottery. The instant stardom that placement on this reading list bestows authors isn't always, in my opinion, justified. That being said, this is a wonderful book.

Pillars is complex, moving and informative. The research was excellent, the characters are engaging and the story moves at a surprisingly quick pace for a novel of this length. The descriptions of the scenes, the completeness of the political interplay and the twists of the plot make this one of my favorite books of all time. Normally, I have little patience for historical fiction unless it brings something new or truly engaging to the table. Pillars certainly does that and more.

In other words, while there is no such thing as the perfect book, this one comes very close. My advice is simple...READ THIS BOOK -- YOU'LL LOVE IT!

But do yourself a small favor, go to the used bookstore or the library, this is not a new release and you can enjoy Follett's favorite work for a fraction of the cost. A quick search of Amazon shows dozens of options that don't have the Oprah name or any other bells and whistles that I'm sure are unneeded to enjoy this spectacular piece of fiction

2323 comments 543 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Customer Images

See all customer images

Most Recent Customer Reviews

A decent vacation read

This book was highly recommended by the owner of the bookstore I frequent. Another customer noticed I was holding it in my hand indecisively and declared it was the best book...Read more

Published on August 20, 2000 by Valerie Mutton

Enough with her breasts already

I'm no prude, but the author's fascination with the breasts of his heroine reaches levels that you don't often see outside of erotica, or anime.

Published on September 15, 2011 by Maeve Sawyer

Beautifully written, historically rich

****SPOILER ALERT*** (Tiny little spoiler of something that happens early in the book but you never know what people will get miffed about.Read more

Published on July 23, 2010 by Kathleen Valentine

Don't let the jacket fool you

My parents recommended this book years ago. But after reading the jacket, I really had no interest in it.

Published on June 1, 2005 by Col Kev

A MUST AVOID!

I am an avid reader (English and history teacher) who loves to dig into a juicy historical novel. Sadly, ths one is like a piece of dry, overcooked steak.Read more

Published on July 7, 2008 by Rebecca

Easier to build a cathedral than finish this book

As a lover of historical fiction and 'Eye of the Needle', I was really looking forward to this book. More than disappointed, I was stunned.Read more

Published on April 4, 2008 by Bartelby

Thunderously Diasppointing

If this book could have lived up to the promise of its cover design, it would have been literature; as it is it's a cartoonish artless mess.Read more

Published on July 12, 2008 by John Edwards

Plot a bit juvenile, but worth it for the history

I looked for this book on the recommendation of a friend, and on the strength of the glowing reviews, bought it. I read it on a ten-day vacation in Florida.Read more

Published on March 30, 2004 by GordoP

A RIVETING STORY OF LIFE IN TWELFTH CENTURY ENGLAND...

This masterful saga of life in twelfth century England is epic storytelling at its best. The author weaves a rich and colorful tapestry of people, places, and events surrounding...Read more

Published on February 2, 2003 by lawyeraau

Why I hated - flat out HATED - The Pillars of the Earth

*There may be subtle spoilers - if there is such a thing in this boring book!*

Note: I have read 29% of this book and cannot stand to read anymore but as it is a darn...Read more

Published on November 18, 2014 by Farnoosh Brock

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel (Kingsbridge)

Set up a giveaway