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

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

5.0

I was wary of this book despite a glowing recommendation as it was longer than anything I've read in years, so I put on a 10-hour Youtube video of medieval-sounding music and braced myself for a long slog. I needn't have worried - I was hooked from the prologue. I found the characters were easy to become familiar with, and whether they were drawn as 'good' or 'bad' archetypes or somewhere in between, their motivations were pretty consistent. I particularly enjoyed the self-assuredness of many of the female characters, and how much smarter than most of the men they are! Like other reviewers, I did find some of the graphic scenes of rape difficult to read, though they certainly serve to make the 'villains' utterly detestable. The plot is tightly woven - the ending ties up loose threads across the numerous characters' storylines. The amount of description was sufficient to establish a sense of place without needing to describe every feature, the pacing was good - I never found myself bored, even in the more sedate sections of the books - and the building of tension before more climactic events was masterful - I frequently found myself wanting to cheat and flick forward a few pages to know what would happen to the characters. The positioning of characters in the book at big historical events allowed these events to be conveyed with more immediacy, rather than always relying on hearing from messengers. I think it also helped to highlight the events at Kingsbridge and the trials of the characters there as a microcosm of the turbulent time it is set in, rather than being singularly exciting individuals. The central fixture of cathedral-building was also a nice insight into the developing architecture of the time. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and will certainly read the sequel soon to find out what happens to Kingsbridge next!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings