Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

23 reviews

fanchera's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ricksilva's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Epic ensemble drama set over a fifty-or-so-year period around the building of a (fictional) cathedral in the (fictional) town of Kingsbridge in (nonfictional) England. Set between the (nonfictional) sinking of the White Ship and the (nonfictional) killing of Thomas Becket.

The story focuses on Prior Philip, who is helped into the leadership position of Kingsbridge Priory by Waleran Bigod, a scheming priest who soon goes on to become bishop of Kingsbridge and one of the book's main antagonists. The other heroes of the story are Tom Builder, a master mason, his stepson Jack, and Aliena, the dispossessed daughter of a fallen Earle, who becomes a prominent businesswoman in Kingsbridge. The other main villain is William Hamleigh, the son of the family that caused Aliena's downfall.

And I do mean villain here. Follett's heroic characters are interesting and likeable. He goes out of his way to make his villains despicable to the point where it becomes heavyhanded. The only things they ever seem to do is to plot to make the lives of the heroes miserable.

It does not help matters that rape is used repeatedly as a plot device, particularly with William, who spends most of his on-screen time contemplating sexual assault when not actually committing it. Most of this isn't necessary to the plot, as it's pretty clear from the start what sort of man William Hamleigh is.

I don't feel like I'm qualified to make issue of the historical accuracy of the setting. I felt like it worked well, and that Follett's love for cathedral architecture shone brightly through the story. The architectural and economic challenges of getting the cathedral built were fascinating, and the backdrop of historical events generally worked well, although there were a lot of times when the ongoing civil war for the Crown was at a stalemate and Follett had a hard time making that interesting.

The ending, which placed a couple of the main character right into the thick of the Becket murder actually felt a bit rushed, which was weird given the length of the novel, but the resolution was a clever callback to the opening of the story and the final scenes were handled well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Sexism

lbewley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

twonky's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It’s hard for me to imagine holding on to hatred as long as these characters do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, and War

There’s a LOT of violence, bit it’s the Middle Ages.

linda_wolf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

diduzza's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Blood

aether_seawo1f's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Glacial pacing for the first 600 pages, the last 400 are decent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sohva's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Great book, wonderful descriptions of the environment and cathedral building. A bit too many descriptions of boobs, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent

sonygaystation's review against another edition

So many parts of it are boring and when they’re not boring they’re exceedingly graphic. Sex scenes are wholly unnecessary and always written with the male gaze so the woman’s perspective is so unrealistic. I can’t deal with the graphic rape, assault, and abuse; the graphic descriptions of stoning cats; the unrealistic and boring “love” between Tom and Ellen; and the weirdo random anti-semitism sprinkled here and there throughout. I LOVE fantasy but I don’t understand how people can stomach this book and find it not only read-able but actively enjoyable. Y’all have suspect taste

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

siniandi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

I understand that this is one of Follett's most beloved works. It is a densely packed work spanning several decades; the plot is nicely interwoven with historical elements and makes one reflect on power structures and injustices that in some form persist to this day. I honestly loved most of the characters and the way the flaws of even the "good" characters reflect in the story. Follett makes sure to create a strong female protagonist, which I love. She seems believable and strong and wields power in ways realistic for the era.

The description of women and sex scenes are a quite male gaze-y though (as is usually the case in Follett's work) and the ending comes a little abrupt and too neatly, as if he really wanted to finish after 1000 pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism