Books: The Pillars of the Earth

Published 2:09 am Friday, July 25, 2008

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH | Ken Follett



Last fall’s release of “World Without End” ended a long wait for fans wanting a sequel to Ken Follett’s 1990 “The Pillars of the Earth.” For many readers, the fanfare for “World Without End” was an eye-opening moment: Ken Follett is known for writing thrillers such as “Jackdaws,” “The Hammer of Eden,” “The Modigliani Scandal.” Many folks were surprised that amidst those thrillers, Ken Follett wrote an epic novel focusing on a savvy monk’s decades-long effort to build a cathedral in 12th century England. But that is essentially what “The Pillars of the Earth” is about. Yet, it is about so much more, and Follett applies the same page-turning suspense to this book as he does to his contemporary novels. “The Pillars of the Earth” opens with a hanging and a woman’s curse on a knight, a priest and a monk. It continues with the introduction of a builder, who dreams of designing and constructing a cathedral, and his family; the woman who made the curse and her son; a monk who was raised as an orphan in a monastery; the daughter of a doomed earl; a young man whose venal nature sours to arrogance and then ruthlessness; a man of the church who believes his greatness will be a reflection of God. Readers follow these characters through the years as a cathedral rises slowly and inexorably on this ancient English soil. Follett provides twists and turns, political wrangling and battles, horrors and triumphs throughout his characters’ lives and the hundreds of pages of this epic novel. His characters come to startling life. Don’t be daunted by the thickness of this book. It’s well worth the time.