A review by lestanley48
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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

3.25

I’m torn on this one- I found this book hard to put down and loved the aspects about the cathedral, the management of the priory, and the historical details about daily medieval life. 
However most of the characters are one dimensional and the book relies heavily on brutal sexual assault and rape to move the plot along and flag which characters are evil. 
If you can stomach the rape scenes, the roller coaster plot, and the very basic good vs. evil conflict than I’d recommend it as a lightweight, fast paced historical fiction epic.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings