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A review by alliegator13
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
5.0
Intricate plot; it’s highly enjoyable to see how the cast of characters’ actions and motives influence each other and the course of their lives. I loved the premise- everything being tied to the construction of a cathedral. The political intrigue, romance, familial tragedy, betrayal, and secrecy was all fantastic and entertaining. Plenty of good guys to root for and bad guys to dread.
The female characters, while interesting, are very highly sexualized. The male characters are not, and it took me out of the story. I felt like, instead of reading a book by a third-party omniscient narrator, I was reading a story narrated by a straight man. I was seeing the female characters through the eyes of a straight man. It takes away from the engrossing story, the world building, and the immersion. Additionally, there was no need for the graphic depictions of sexual assault and rape. Much of that could have been done off-camera.
The female characters, while interesting, are very highly sexualized. The male characters are not, and it took me out of the story. I felt like, instead of reading a book by a third-party omniscient narrator, I was reading a story narrated by a straight man. I was seeing the female characters through the eyes of a straight man. It takes away from the engrossing story, the world building, and the immersion. Additionally, there was no need for the graphic depictions of sexual assault and rape. Much of that could have been done off-camera.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence