This is a long read, but it flows well and the verse is economical and simple in the best ways. Folletts writing style is very minimal, but used to great effect. It took me a bit before I realized how brilliant it was. This book is unlike anything I've read before, and has many elements that make it a remarkable achievement in modern literature.

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kirstar's review against another edition

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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

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cheazcakeguy's review against another edition

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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 rped 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.

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sarsaparillo's review against another edition

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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.

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krosa's review against another edition

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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.

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