The Pillars of the Earth

Rating:
Summary: His best IMHO
Review: This is one of my favorite books of all times. Everyone I know who read it, agrees.

Rating:
Summary: Great Tale Free of Historical Anachronisms
Review: As an amateur student of medieval history, I must say, I'm impressed. Follett's research is strikingly thorough and he manages to evoke what must be a vivid and accurate picture of the period, utterly free (as far as I can tell) of the historical anachronisms one would expect of a less demanding author. I found that my trust of Follett's perceptions allowed me to let go and really immerse myself in the story. While the extraordinary concentration of progressive 12th century thinkers in a remote corner of England may require some suspension of disbelief, who cares? It makes for a whopping good tale.

Rating:
Summary: an excellent piece of historical fiction
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The best book you'll ever read!
Review: I have read this book 3 times over the past 10 years. Crazy you say! I can't say I have ever read a novel that many times. It is truly a work of art. What makes this book so utterly enjoyable is the beautiful character development woven into the beauty of the cathedrals of the 12th century. This is a part of history that most don't have the oppurtunity to explore. The realization that generations of people spent there lives working on the same cathedral was enlightening. We, today, have no concept of what that process is like, especially in the US where we have nothing that old to appreciate. The power of the catholic church and the connection to politics was a way of life back then, and really shows you why separation of church and state is a good thing! I had the opportunity to travel to Spain and Portugal and visit cathedrals from this same time period. The historical information in this book helped me to be more than awestruck at the human sweat that went into these wonderful works of art. You will not be able to set this book down! I found myself being annoyed by having to put it down just to get some sleep. The disappointment was when I finished reading it the first time and realized I would probably never find it's equal. That search continues.....

Rating:
Summary: The Pillars of the Earth
Review: Pillars is raw human emotion. It is the most amazing book I have ever read. I can't remember ever crying that hard. It is well written and puts you on the edge of your seat from the beginging. I only wish there was a sequal.

Rating:
Summary: Truly captivating
Review: I must say that this has to be my favorite book of all time. The development of the story and the characters was beautiful and kept me enraptured throughout the entire story. I did not want this book to end. You'll laugh, cry, and yearn for blood with each of the characters. It definitely puts you back to a place in time that only Eco and Follet have seemed to master.

Rating:
Summary: Emotional, intriguing, involving
Review: If you like a book in which the heroes and heroines constantly struggle against powerful villains, and must use their cleverness to survive, you will like this book. The conflict is so well paced, it barely hits a lull. And there's enough about history and cathedrals to make it interesting, but not bog the story down. This book is well-crafted, and one of the most enjoyable and engaging I've come across in a while. Read it, if you want a look into the lives of people driven by their ambitions, their past defeats, their love and their vows.

Rating:
Summary: Fair
Review: This book was good. I wouldn't say it was one of the best books I've ever read, but it was worth the time to read it. I'm not going to be like you "oh boy! I'm going to be unique kind of people," and say this book is trash. It's quite simply a good book. Aventure? You'll get it. Drama? That too. Violence? Yeah. Romance? A bit too much.

Rating:
Summary: Ken is the best...
Review: I've never read a similar book. Reading this book I could feel deep emotions, I cried. I could live on my skin characters' experiences e I think it's fantastic. Sorry for my bad english but I wonted to say my opinion about the best book I've read in my life...Thank you Ken!

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece?
Review: While this isn't a bad book, it is not even remotely close to being a masterpiece. The characters are mildly interesting and the plot is extremely redundant. Basically the plot consists of a monk trying to build a cathedral but unfortunately keeps getting frustrated by two characters. Every time he finds a way around it and every time the two characters find a new way to try and stop him. It gets so tiresome by the end. Fortunately there is a plot twist in the middle but its not enough to warrent calling this book a masterpiece.

I did not think the book was horrible but I would not recommend it. Its almost a thousand pages of the same thing over and over again.