The Pillars of the Earth: Kingsbridge, Book 1

Can’t believe I waited this long to read this. Easily one of the best books I have ever read, the plot – someone really wants to build a cathedral in the Middle Ages– seems deceptively simple and dull. What is presented to the reader is historical fiction at its best. The book is close to perfection, I can’t think of anything that I would criticise or wish to change, though a couple of trigger warnings might help for a few people – this is about life in the medieval times after all.The plot, the story, characters, political intrigue, love, betrayal, lust for power, it’s all there, and it’s all happening. A surprisingly fast read, which could still take a while to read, given it’s over a thousand pages. And still leaves you wanting more.If you’re apprehensive about starting a series, don’t worry, this can easily be read as a standalone. The next book is set in a later time period, so you can stop here and get a complete story. And what a tale Ken Follett has written. A work of fiction with very real characters you will end up caring deeply for.

Really interesting book containing lots of interesting facts. I really enjoyed the story of the people weaving through each others lives, wanted to keep reading, a real page turner!

This is a long book. Blooming heck is it a long book! But it’s a great read!The book focuses on the building of a Cathedral at a priory in Kingsbridge and the corruption that goes on at high level as evil men attempt, and succeed, in thwarting these plans. But there is much more than this. In the background to the story, we have the Empress Maud (Matilda) and the 19-year war she waged for the throne of England which was rightfully hers. She had been nominated by her father, Henry I, as the heir to the throne, but Henry’s nephew, Stephen of Blois, claimed that his uncle had changed his mind on his deathbed, recognising Stephen instead as his successor to the throne, and the powerful English barons backed this claim.Henry’s eldest son, William Adelin, had drowned in 1120 when the Blanche-Nef (the White Ship) sunk in the English Channel, and this indeed plays quite an important part in Follet’s book, although it would be a ‘spoiler’ if I mentioned how.Stephen was more popular than Matilda, as she was viewed by most of the people as a foreigner, despite the fact that she was born in Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire. Stephen, though lacking ruthlessness and failing to inspire loyalty, was charming and a brave warrior. For her part Matilda was proud and overbearing, and her arrogant behaviour antagonised even her own supporters. Matilda (Maud in the book) never did get the crown, although her son, Henry II, did, and his reign is covered in the book.Henry II had started as the son of the Count of Anjou, but by the time he was 20, he had fought and married his way to become one of the most powerful rulers in Europe. Teenagers back then, just like today, were rebellious youths but too young for their inheritance. They’d tear off and rampage through Europe, learning the arts of war. At just 14 years of age, Henry commissioned a small army of mercenaries, landed in England and attacked Wiltshire. Imagine that. Half of 14-year-olds today start blubbering if someone misgenders them, but Henry II had built a blooming army!As to corruption by evil men, we’ve got William Hamleigh, a sociopath with absolutely no conscience and no moral compass. He thinks nothing or murder, rape – in fact he only gets enjoyment out of a woman if he can beat her while raping her – and Bishop Waleran, an absolute antinomian who absolutely believes there are no moral laws God expects him to obey. It’s clear that he firmly believes its his God-given right to encourage William or others to kill people, and then he offers them absolution to ensure their souls are okay!Just one example: Bishop Waleran encourages William to kill Thomas Becket (better known as Saint Thomas à Becket after his death), but William's concerned that killing an archbishop must be a terrible sin! ‘Don’t worry about that,’ says Waleran, ‘I’ll give you absolution.’It’s almost as if Waleran sees himself as a living God. No other philosophy in the world is quite as dangerous. But it’s William who is so well written. Although its only a fiction story, the reader actually finds himself detesting William so much, and rooting for his downfall.A strong book with a cast of unforgettable characters. If you don’t mind a long book, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

A must read if you like detailed historical fiction. You will feel that you were there! The pen of a great author!

The Pillars of the Earth is over 1,000 pages long and at times feels more like an installment in the Game of Thrones series than historical fiction. Set in the 1100s during The Anarchy, when civil war in England led to widespread violence, lawlessness and instability, it's epic in scale, spanning decades, and yet despite this things often seem to happen remarkably quickly - it's quite a rollercoaster ride.There are numerous different plot strands, all of which are connected, one way or another, to the building of a cathedral. To build Kingsbridge Cathedral is the burning ambition of Tom, a master builder, for whom the project not only represents employment for the rest of his working life and financial security for his family, but also the pinnacle of his achievement: to build a beautiful cathedral is all he's ever wanted to do. Philip, the Benedictine prior of Kingsbridge, wants to run a thriving monastery with a prosperous estate and the new cathedral will bring in much-needed revenue - he's a religious man but he's also wily and pragmatic, and finds himself increasingly embroiled in the politics of both church and crown. Aliena, the daughter of a disgraced nobleman, wants her family's lands back from the unequivocally evil Hamleigh family who have been given her father's earldom and revenge for the wrongs done to her and her brother Richard. Into that mix you can throw scheming bishops, warring noblemen, vicious outlaws, unlikely alliances, arson, famine and of course, the building of the cathedral itself and all that it symbolises.Follett has a clear, simple and unpretentious prose style and despite its intimidating page count The Pillars of the Earth really doesn't feel as long as it is. The fortunes of the Kingsbridge and its inhabitants can, and do, soar or plummet with smallest changes in luck or the whims of archbishops and barons, and there are plots, betrayals and battles galore. While Follett doesn't much go in for poetic description or subtle characterisation, he's excellent when it comes to throwing in historical detail in a way that makes the period setting feel vivid and real, cathedral-building and all, but also seems entirely natural and incidental. It's also a great example of a story which really brings home the impact of historical events on ordinary people - the ones we rarely hear about - and their lives. And while the characters are sometimes fairly black and white, that doesn't mean they don't feel real, and I felt fully invested in their lives from start to finish.There are some things wrong with this book - that simple prose is a bit clunky at times; there are scenes of rape which feel exploitative and would be far better happening 'off camera'; there are times when things are spelled out that we've already realised; there are a few laughably ridiculous references to a particular character's breasts which certainly remind you that this book was written 30 years ago and by a man.However, this is one of those books where I could see the faults but simply didn't care because I loved coming along for the ride. I loved the story, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the characters - Prior Philip in particular - and I was utterly immersed in their world from page one. Now I just need to decide whether to get stuck into the sequels or save them for my summer holiday.

Good read

Excelente narrativa de la vida medieval.Dentro del contexto de hechos históricos reales, la novela (ficticia) narra la vida de personajes muy interesantes, en la Europa de 1330.Las descripciones de costumbres, vestido, vivienda, comida, sociedad, leyes y vida en general, son muy ilustrativas e interesantes.GRAN LIBRO.

Um espetáculo de leitura. Interessante, difícil parar de ler.

Dévoré en 3 jours. Je ne me lasse pas du style de Ken Follett

Es uno de los mejores libres que he leído. Su trama te atrapa desde el primer minuto. Y los giros de la historia son impresionantes.

il libro è molto interessante, io lho già letto in lingua italiana, certo non è semplice per la costante presenza di parole attinenti al tema trattato quindi tutto ciò che occorre per costruire una cattedrale. Devo cercare la traduzione oppure rileggere prima il capitolo in italiano. Il libro come si sa è ambientato nel medioevo in Inghilterra