The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

"This book tells the tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earthextraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece."

It took me a while to get into this book as it starts off rather slowly. However, I am glad that I decided to read on as this book is an enjoyable read.

This book is historical fiction though I believe it is based around some historical facts. As someone who is not interested in the historical facts, I was ignorant to these.

The good: The story is carried out over a period of thirty years, which allows the reader to see characters develop, and become attached to them.

A sense of 'good will thwart evil' can be taken from this book. This is nice, considering the amount of wrong-doing that occurs throughout the book.

The bad: This book does incorporate a few scenes of rape, which I found uncomfortable to read. Women are generally treated badly in this book, althought this is understandable as it is set in the 11th Century.
I also disliked the length of the chapters, though they may have just seemed longer as I read the majority of this book on my computer. I dislike finishing reading in the middle of a chapter, but I found myself doing so frequently with this book since the chapters were so long.

Overall: I was impressed by this book, as at first I thought it would be boring and focus very much on the historical side of things. This is not true. The book focuses more on the characters and their lives. I liked being able to see the whole of the characters lives, since the book is spread over thirty years. I would definitely recommend this book and give it four stars.

This book also has a sequel, World Without End, which I am yet to read.