A Book Review of

The Pillars of the Earth

Submitted by Nikki on Sun, 01/13/2008 - 22:27

• Historical Fiction
• Ken Follett

Buy the book "The Pillars of the Earth" from Amazon.com.

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The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is a book you can't put down! I became completely engrossed into it and was depressed when I finished it. I just couldn't get enough of it.

Pillars of the Earth may look a bit intimidating based solely on its size but not to worry; this book is, without a doubt, a fabulous read.

I have always noticed churches for their exquisite beauty, size, and finite detail. However, having to read about them was a different story. In fact, it made me a bit nervous.

Pillars of the Earth was recommended by a friend, and so collectively, we agreed to read this book for our book club. Personally, I would never even have looked at Pillars of the Earth as something I would have actually chosen to read. Opening the cover page I kept thinking that I am going to have to suffer through reading this. As I nervously turned to the Prologue and read the first sentence “The small boys came early to the hanging”, I was instantly hooked. This was not just going to be about cathedrals or churches or even religion.

Religion can be such a touchy subject for most people. Naively, I also thought that Religion would be forced on me in huge gigantic waves. Quite on the contrary, it slowly dripped an appreciation for it through the lives of each character as they unfolded before my eyes.

Ken Follett did a brilliant job introducing the characters. The characters in Pillars of the Earth ended up being heroic, strong, and intelligent. But what was most appealing as a reader was that the characters hardly started out that way. Each character started out as young and naïve. And as each character grew before my eyes they became so vivid to me that I actually felt like I could have actually been friends with them if I had had the chance.

The characters of Jack, Aliena, Tom, Ellen and William Hamleigh are intriguing and spellbinding and is owed to the great story telling ability of Ken Follett. The most notable character for me is Prior Philip. Prior Philip was in the middle of everything in the life of Kingsbridge while still remaining down to earth and practical. He had a sincere and genuine concern for each soul that he came upon. He did not abuse his power within the church and took frugality to a whole new level. Everyone he came across prospered because of him. Of course, with the exception of his arch enemies. And his enemies, being who they were, was quite a surprise. This twist in the story made the plot unpredictable, unique, and adventurous.

As powerful as all the characters were, the cathedral was at the center of their world. It drew them all to it. It became something like an entity in the book. Not a living breathing thing or anything like that. But it too became a strong presence in the story that you ultimately wished for success. The author did a remarkable job in giving a better appreciation as to why a cathedral or “the church” was such a life line for so many people during those times. I never conceptualized the “why” before. The church and cathedrals were the reason for the literal survival of so many.

Pillars of the Earth is definitely a book that I could not put down, nor did I want to. I was actually disappointed when I finished the book. The story was brilliantly told and the author's use of words gripped you and would not let go. I can only hope that you as a reader will enjoy this fabulous piece of literature as much as I did.

The Pillars of the Earth character list

 

Through my research I found a fantastic website (www.the-pillars-of-the-earth.tv) that provides great descriptions for the The Pillars of the Earth characters. This Pillars of the Earth character list really gives you a good synopsis for each character as well as information about the person playing the part in the mini series.

You may not have a problem with navigation on the TV website but It took me some time to figure out the navigation so that I could see all of the characters. Below are links to each group of characters found on the TV website:

• Shiring Nobility
• Builders and Peasants
• Monks at Kingsbridge
• Royal Court

 

 

Book Club Discussion Questions

 

If you are in a book club and would like to have some discussion questions to follow, I have provided a list for you below. If you have any questions that you think should be added to this list please leave a comment below.

1. Why did you choose to read The Pillars of the Earth? Now that you have finished Pillars would you say that the book was definitely worth reading? Would you recommend this book to others?

2. What were some of the most memorable scenes of the story and why? Many people have said that some scenes, particularly the rape scenes were too graphic and felt that much of that type of information was unnecessary. Would you agree or disagree? Do you think the story used too much description or was it what made the book a great story?

3. There were a lot of characters in the story. Was there any one particular character that stood out the most for you? If so, could you identify with that character? What was it about that character that intrigued you the most?

4. The Kingsbridge cathedral was the lifeline for so many people. Especially for Tom, Prior Philip, Aliena and Jack. What has the Kingsbridge cathedral given to each of the characters? How have they used the cathedral to give them what they want? How does the cathedral affect the lives of some of the other characters in the story.

5. Which of the characters do you think are the strongest leaders? Which characters are the weakest?

6. In history, war has always crippled and decimated the economy, let alone devastate the country's morale. Aliena and Philip helped fight to bring about a change. Can you think of other people in history that have succeeded in the fight for change? Who comes to mind when you think of someone repairing the damage and destruction left by war?

7. How would you compare and contrast the Kingsbridge we knew in the beginning to the Kingsbridge we have come to know at the end?

8. Understanding who you are as an individual and your knowledge base, would you see yourself being able to survive at Kingsbridge? If you were to choose a character in Pillars that was most similar to your own character and personality, who would that character be?

9. Do you see any similarities between the world of Kingsbridge and the world of today? How are they similar? How are they different?

[see more questions]

Buy it!

Buy the book "The Pillars of the Earth" from Amazon.com.

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More about "The Pillars of the Earth"

Below you will find more details about the book, including,

• In the Movies/on TV
• Book Jacket Summary
• About the Author