lesthemess's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jjmann3's review against another edition
3.0
“The boys despised everything their elders valued. They scorned beauty and mocked goodness. They would hoot with laughter at the sight of a cripple, and if they saw a wounded animal they would stone it to death. They boasted of injuries and wore their scars with pride, and they reserved their special admiration for mutilation: a boy with a finger missing could be their king. They loved violence; they would run miles to see bloodshed; and they never missed a hanging.”
The insular accidents of history that mold our present day fascinate me. What if… an Eastern Roman Army didn’t follow the Saracens to Mu’tah? … Lincoln didn’t send Lamon to Richmond? … Benedetti didn’t bump into Wilhelm at Bad Ems?
The White Ship Disaster is one of those ‘accidents of history’ that laid the foundation to our today. English King and Duke of Normandy, Henry I secured a solid alliance between his realm and the Count of Anjou and the King of Jerusalem, much to the lament of the French King Louis.
Brexit anyone?
The epic tale’s characters at first came across a bit one dimensional — the talented yet similarly uni-dimensional Oliver Pötzsch could be it’s narrator. Yet, thank’s to its complexity and detail, the end Pillars is awesome and memorable.
This book is for the more patient reader. It is to be enjoyed over time and not gobbled up on a beach weekend. A friend commented to me that that she remembered Pillars of the Earth as a story in which “the same thing happened again and again.” In a way, that is true, but I think my friend missed Pillar’s magic. Pillar’s is a story of our oftentimes wretched humanity and history: its keystone is our ancestor’s individual and collective resilience against extreme heartache and loss. Amazingly, even though it is nearly 1,000 pages long, the end of Pillar’s seems hurried and shallow compared to the first 800 or so pages. Maybe it could have been better, but I still consider it an excellent tale that is very much worth your time.
That said, William is a really bad dude.
The insular accidents of history that mold our present day fascinate me. What if… an Eastern Roman Army didn’t follow the Saracens to Mu’tah? … Lincoln didn’t send Lamon to Richmond? … Benedetti didn’t bump into Wilhelm at Bad Ems?
The White Ship Disaster is one of those ‘accidents of history’ that laid the foundation to our today. English King and Duke of Normandy, Henry I secured a solid alliance between his realm and the Count of Anjou and the King of Jerusalem, much to the lament of the French King Louis.
Brexit anyone?
The epic tale’s characters at first came across a bit one dimensional — the talented yet similarly uni-dimensional Oliver Pötzsch could be it’s narrator. Yet, thank’s to its complexity and detail, the end Pillars is awesome and memorable.
This book is for the more patient reader. It is to be enjoyed over time and not gobbled up on a beach weekend. A friend commented to me that that she remembered Pillars of the Earth as a story in which “the same thing happened again and again.” In a way, that is true, but I think my friend missed Pillar’s magic. Pillar’s is a story of our oftentimes wretched humanity and history: its keystone is our ancestor’s individual and collective resilience against extreme heartache and loss. Amazingly, even though it is nearly 1,000 pages long, the end of Pillar’s seems hurried and shallow compared to the first 800 or so pages. Maybe it could have been better, but I still consider it an excellent tale that is very much worth your time.
That said, William is a really bad dude.
sugarsprinkledtar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
carrieredd's review against another edition
5.0
I get all of my books through the library. Every once in a while I love a book so much that I go out and buy a copy just to keep the characters close to me. This is one of those books.
jinbin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
thatweirdlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I have read since having my son. It took me 2 months to finish but was so worth the time. The book was wonderfully written in such a way that I was yelling about characters to my husband as if they were real. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction, love stories and architecture.
princessfabulous's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
schnarlie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Torture, Murder, Misogyny, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Alcohol, Slavery, Pregnancy, War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Minor: Racism, War, Abandonment, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and Infertility
jessicaone0's review against another edition
5.0
I only heard of this book through pure happenstance. I was sitting at a bus stop reading another book and got to talking with a gentleman there about books. We talked about Game of Thrones and then asked me if I'd read Pillars of the Earth. I told him I had never even heard of it. He went on at length about how much he loved it and by the time he was finished I was thoroughly convinced I had to read it. I picked up a copy and can honestly say I truly loved it. At almost a thousand pages it's big, but there's practically no filler in it and the characters are all unique. I'm so happy I discovered this book and now I can't wait to read World Without End. If you are a fan of epic books this is a true must read.
books_n_plans's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0