A review by basbleu_dans_labiblioteque
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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

1.0

im a huge fan of historical fiction, especially medieval historical fiction. I was really excited for this book, because it was in a setting I find fascinating and was clearly accurate and well-researched, but this guy did not pull it off. Some of the book was boring, and there was quite a bit that was downright painful to read.
Also, that bearbaiting scene absolutely did not need to take around 5 pages!
I couldn’t care about any of the characters, and the book was so. Repetitive.
The “good guys”(Aliena, Jack, Phillip, etc.) would do something good, Waleran Bigod would make a plan, Hamleigh would show up, murder some people and rape somebody, and we’d be back to the beginning.
For 975 pages. All in all, I ended up reading it out of obligation: I felt like I was already into it so I might as well finish.
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