The Pillars of the Earth Book Reviews

AUTHOR
Ken Follett
SCORE
4.5
TOTAL RATINGS
2,810

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Book Summary

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Oprah's Book Club Selection

The “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career—and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended.

“Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. 
 
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.
 
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

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Book Name The Pillars of the Earth
Genre Historical Fiction
Published
Language English
E-Book Size 32.82 MB

The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett) Book Reviews 2024

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Simplistic. One dimensional characters. Predictable plot. Simplistic writing. Hated it.

Penance. A dreary difficult book to read

Loved every page. This was my first Ken Follet book and I loved every second of it.

Great idea....drivel writing. Wow. I had hoped for something truly extraordinary and epic, but this was filled with cliches and felt that the author was envisioning a predictable Mel Gibson schlocky movie while writing it. Big disappointment. There are far more intelligent pieces of works out there.

Excellent. Very interesting story. Looking forward to the next book!

Captivating !. Remarkable saga of the Middle Ages, the church, the culture of corruption, the deplorable living conditions of the 1100's England. Fascinating study of the period and the building of great cathedrals, woven around the lives of a few flawed but dedicated individuals. Highly recommend.

An insightful look into 12th Century England. A well written historical fiction that explores the wide differences in class, rulers and the Church revealing all of the characters human failings as well as their perseverance through evil plotting and eventual victories over dark and powerful forces working against them.

Book Lover. I great read, I laughed, cried, but I could not put it down. One of the best love stores, and good over evil I have ever read 💖

Breathtaking!!!. A master piece done by the author. I couldn't stop reading...I love it. It's a book with a lot emotion; sometimes I can feel the pain while I was reading some sad passage so the book. A fantastic book.

Highly recommend. One of my favorites of all time - a tale of intrigue, romance, faith, endurance, betrayal, and so much more. Do yourself a favor and give this one a shot.

I’ve loved this book for 20 years. Today, along with the rest of this series, I found the physical version of Pillars of the Earth at my local foreign language book shop in Beijing. I have bought this book in every country I’ve lived, and even though I’m finishing it for the 3rd time here on iBooks, I’m tempted to purchase the whole set (again) before I go. This story is so much more than a story, I’m not even sure how to recommend it, other than to say it is officially the book I’ve read most in my life, and I hope others will continue to love it as much as I do, for the next 20 years.

Excellent. One of the best books I ever read.

Pillars of the Earth. Roller coaster of a page turning masterpiece!

Absolutely couldn’t stop reading.. In my top ten favorite books all-time.

Terrific read. I loved this book, a summer read, engaging, action packed and full of great details about people of the time. Recommend!

Pillars of the Earth. Superb! Wonderfully strong heroines. Enlightening.

Ok so listen you have to just try.. I seriously can’t believe i’m reading this book. By no means a story set In the 12th century about the building of a cathedral interest me whatsoever, at first glance. But I must say this is probably the most compelling book I have ever read. I’m 12% in..

A good read. This was a good book that several people had encouraged me to read. I thought it started slowly but definitely picked up as the story unfolded.

Pillars of the earth. Long read but worth it. .

One of the best books i ever read!. Beautiful story. Amazing characters. Would give a 10- star if possible!

Still A Chance. Enjoyed this story and writing immensely. It was a slower read for me as I felt the need to maintain character notes for reference. The story and characters were a lot of fun to get to know. Enjoyed the writing style enough to jump over to the other of Follet’s series “Fall of Giants”. I plan to work my way through both series, however I’ll make stops in between for simple reads for a break. We’ll done!

Outstanding!. I read this book 11 years ago for the first time and have reread it again. I didn’t think I’d like the time era for this book but there were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t put the book down. My friend was obsessed with this book so I purchased a copy and send it overseas to have the author sign it as a birthday gift. His sincerity made me love the book even more!

My first love. Fell in love with reading after reading this book, my all time favorite from KEN FOLLETT! My go to book reading it over and over again!

Entertaining - a great way to learn about Medieval England. I am happy this is the first Follett book I read as he seems to have some poor reviews on his earlier works. From the first page I was engrossed in this book. The way Follett takes characters in the 12th century and makes seem as real as if I spoke them yesterday is quite impressive. The book was almost too entertaining to be a novel labeled as historical fiction, so I began fact-checking. As near as I can determine, Follett appears to do his research. When you complete this book you will put it down wanting more, and luckily you can get that with the next book "World Without End." Also, you will find that you have actually learned history. You will know what it meant to be an Earl, the lands he managed, and the importance and power of the church. You might also find you suddenly know something about architecture in 12th century England. This will become more true after reading World Without End. Even if you only mildly enjoy history, chances are you will find this book entertaining.

Love this series!. Totally hooked now and am loving this Follett series!

A very looong story. I like Ken Follet's writing, but this story is just waaaay to drawn out. And the worse thing about it is that it doesn't seem to go anywhere! If you are an architect with keen interest in cathedral design then i would suggest this book, otherwise steer clear..

I’m just going to say this — he is an amazing author!!!!. I absolutely love all of his work, and appreciate all the details he puts into it.

Didn't want to put it down. Just an excellent read. Follett really knows how to develop his characters in such a way that you feel as if you know them. Very interesting information on building a church during the Middle Ages. I'm looking forward to reading the next in this series.

Excellent. This is an excellent novel. I loved the plots, twist and turns and the historical information. I loved this book and I didn’t want it to end. Do read this book. This is Ken Follett at the top of his story telling. He is one of the greatest writers of all time.

Absolutely wonderful. Loved this book and its sequel is just a riveting!

Masterpiece. Genius book filled with history, love stories and fills your imagination of the era!

Captivating. Really loved how everything is connected and every character is linked. The entire plot is really well planned it is aesthetically pleasing. The ending attempts to discuss bigger topics but feels a bit out of place. Overall, a great read.

Outstanding historical novel. Well written and captivating. A great account of human character and good vs evil told through the lives of various people living in Southern England as Europe emerged from the Dark ages.

Nice easy read!. Great historical content!

Pillars of the Earth. One of the best books I've ever read along with the following in this series (and I have read thousands of books). I don't think Ken Follet could write a book that you would be able to put down easily. He is a most impressive writer. His details are meticulous putting you right into the story along with his characters. You are there!

A Masterpiece. Congratulations Mr. Follett, you’ve written a classic book of American literature. It’s easy to bond with the characters and the history of that era is eye opening. Brutally and beauty combined into a book you read well into the night. A job well done sir.

Follett’s best ever. Follett’s absolute best...

Epic. Best book I have ever read. Couldn't put it down. Totally worth every penny.

Great story. Great read!! Didn’t think it would be my type of book but really enjoyed.

MASTERPIECE. I have read thousands of books. This will forever be my favorite.

Everyone can overcome a setback. I really felt the devastation when all seemed lost time and time again, and then the excitement when someone found a plan and the courage to overcome the setback.

The best book I have ever read.. This is the most riveting books you will read in your life. The story ensnares you until the very last page. Highly recommend!

Unbelievable, astonishing, remarkable. This world and the people in it will become part of you. Once the story ends you will want to begin again and live among your friends again and again. Love, hate, heartache and life happen in this book. Do yourself a favor and get lost in THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH. My favorite book of all time.

Brilliant. A masterpiece! A tour de force! Exquisite!!

Pedestrian writing and plot. Too plodding and predictable—I felt like each paragraph was religiously written from an outline. I got halfway through and just decided I didn’t care anymore.

Spectacular!. One of the finest books I have ever read. Brilliantly crafted over the course of decades with characters full of depth. The frustrations and triumphs during the build of the cathedral and the trials and tribulations of those involved in it's construction kept me deeply invested in this novel from beginning to end. Utterly incredible read!

Pillars of the Earth!! A++. One of the greatest books I have EVER read. It was very realistic and terribly hard to put down. Even though this was the second time I’d read this amazing book!!

A bit slow at the beginning.... But give it a chance. There are characters that will outrage you and others that will empower you. You'll fall in love. Any book that can create such strong emotions in its reader, whether negative or positive is a must-read in my eyes.

Pillars of the Earth. Ken Follet has done it again! A long book with intriguing interplay of history and fiction and characters that always make one want MORE!

All time favorite book!!. I could read this a million times and will still love it!!

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Words painted on the pages like art.. Spread over generations, filled with passion and details of another time. A classic!

The Pillars of the Earth. Great book...it ended WELL... In that time in history there is no GOOD to end with.... So well is good.

Surprisingly engaging. Rarely does one find a book of this length so difficult to ever put down. Not only was the plot so engaging but the prose was so literary without being stilted.

Great read. This story is a great read. I couldn't stop reading! I look forward to reading more of this authors books.

Pillars of the Earth is amazing. Years ago I bought a copy of this novel in paperback form. I read it, my mother read, then my visiting grandmother read it. She returned to England with it and my aunts and uncles and cousin read it. It travelled to Spain for more relatives to immerse in the historical fiction of Tom Builder and the people of Kingsbridge. The novel has made a crusade through many minds and captured many hearts with its indelible story of good versus evil.

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Summary of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The The Pillars of the Earth book written by Ken Follett was published on 01 July 1999, Thursday in the Historical Fiction category. A total of 2,810 readers of the book gave the book 4.5 points out of 5.

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