Can you ever try a bit too hard to be EPIC? Maybe so...
Ken Follett is an author that my father has enjoyed for years. Now typically, I don't enjoy spy mysteries, war and bloodshed sagas, or historical quests...Understandable then that I was not even slightly tempted to read Follett's work. That is until another mom at my daughter's hockey practice raved about Pillars of the Earth. She told me that this was her FAVORITE book of all time.
Now, FAVORITE book of all time is huge praise in my mind, so I started a quest to find this novel and give Follett as try. After about a month of looking for a second hand copy, I found it at my local Value Village for $3.99!!! (I love VV!!!)
Central plot summary: The Pillars of the Earth is the construction of a new cathedral in the fictional English town of Kingsbridge during the 12th century. But the story is really about the conflicts between the people building the cathedral and those who want to destroy it.
It is the early 12th century and England is about to erupt into civil war. The new prior of the monastery at Kingsbridge is determined to rebuild the current run down cathedral into one that will glorify God. He finds a young master builder who shares his vision of building the most beautiful cathedral in England.
Unfortunately, the local bishop is a power hungry man with other plans. He works to disrupt the prior's efforts at every turn. His frequent ally in this is a cruel and vengeful earl consumed by his own greed.
This novel is over 900 pages, and I have to say that I thought it was a bit drawn out. I like the character development and I also appreciated that Follett does create very strong female heroines. However, I did find it too long, and could have been shorter without loosing any of it's value. I would recommend this novel as an entertaining read. I have purchase the followup novel and plan to give it a read in the near future.
Ken Follett is an author that my father has enjoyed for years. Now typically, I don't enjoy spy mysteries, war and bloodshed sagas, or historical quests...Understandable then that I was not even slightly tempted to read Follett's work. That is until another mom at my daughter's hockey practice raved about Pillars of the Earth. She told me that this was her FAVORITE book of all time.
Now, FAVORITE book of all time is huge praise in my mind, so I started a quest to find this novel and give Follett as try. After about a month of looking for a second hand copy, I found it at my local Value Village for $3.99!!! (I love VV!!!)
Central plot summary: The Pillars of the Earth is the construction of a new cathedral in the fictional English town of Kingsbridge during the 12th century. But the story is really about the conflicts between the people building the cathedral and those who want to destroy it.It is the early 12th century and England is about to erupt into civil war. The new prior of the monastery at Kingsbridge is determined to rebuild the current run down cathedral into one that will glorify God. He finds a young master builder who shares his vision of building the most beautiful cathedral in England.
Unfortunately, the local bishop is a power hungry man with other plans. He works to disrupt the prior's efforts at every turn. His frequent ally in this is a cruel and vengeful earl consumed by his own greed.
This novel is over 900 pages, and I have to say that I thought it was a bit drawn out. I like the character development and I also appreciated that Follett does create very strong female heroines. However, I did find it too long, and could have been shorter without loosing any of it's value. I would recommend this novel as an entertaining read. I have purchase the followup novel and plan to give it a read in the near future.
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