Reviews tagging 'War'

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

39 reviews

kirstar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense slow-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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and War

cheazcakeguy's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I only finished this because I read it for a book club. Way too much unnecessarily explicit SA & pedophilia (just because it's "historically accurate" does not mean I want to read full details of a 14-year-old being r*ped by someone twice her age), characters were mostly one dimensional and often more like caricatures, and the pacing was uneven. The plot and the character Philip were the only things keeping me going, as it is ultimately a good story. The descriptions of the cathedral and the building process were also great. However, all of the tension and story beats ended up feeling super repetitive and recycled, and for the last couple hundred pages I was rolling my eyes at the dramatic twists and turns which felt contrived and meaningless at that point. I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately it was unremarkable. Hard to recommend, unless you like to read soap operas with one-note characters and you're okay with repeated graphic SA. I suppose if you *really* like drama and architecture, and have extreme patience, this is the book for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Stalking

Moderate: War and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, and War

sarsaparillo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad 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? Yes

4.5

I had been looking for a new historical novel series and this one seemed to come up a lot in recommendations. My previous favourite was Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle and so that's a point of comparison for me.

Firstly, this is simply a cracking good story, well told. The language is very plain and simple. No artifice or flowery prose or  show-off vocabulary. No clever tricks. It's just a compelling drama with compelling characters.

Unlike Stephenson's often morally fluid characters, this book is pretty clear about who the heroes and villains are, and the plot is a some what straightforward rollercoaster of victories and setbacks, coming at at such regular pace that it never gets boring or off-putting.

I really enjoyed and appreciated the attention to detail in the world-building. Follet clearly enjoyed researching the time period and filled the book with details about the economics, social stratas, lifestyles, diets and day-to-day concerns of a broad swathe of mediaeval English life. Religion was a huge art of their mindsets and despite not being religious myself I was able to sympathize even with the most devout monks, which make up a large part of the story.

And there is a central theme arousldnt he cathedral building concerning perfection of craft, practising a trade, having grand ambitions and innovatingsl, which is very heart-warming.

If I had to criticise something it would be that the to-and-fro of struggles between and good guys and bad guys went on perhaps a bit too long, and the graphic violence and particularly the sex can be a bit on the nose. But such scenes and few and far between. Most of it is just an ode to good stone masonry and simple peasant table fare. Sweet stuff.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, and Murder

krosa's review against another edition

This book is clearly trying to be a more nuanced story about medieval history but it can't seem to avoid the "rape is realism" trope seen in so many similar books. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Death of parent, Animal death, Child death, Rape, and War

breadwitchery's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Pedophilia, and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Confinement, Fatphobia, and Alcohol

sophiaoquias's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Violence, War, and Emotional abuse

ringopingo's review against another edition

adventurous informative inspiring tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, and Rape

katieluvs2read's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: War

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, and Antisemitism

gretabeta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Torture, War, and Violence