Pillars of the Earth
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett may look a bit intimidating based solely on its size; but not to worry, this book is a fabulous read.
I have always noticed churches for their exquisite beauty, size, and finite detail. However, having to read about them was a different story. In fact, it made me a bit nervous.
This book was recommended by a friend and so, collectively we agreed to read this for our book club. Personally, I would never even have looked at Pillars of the Earth as something I would have actually chosen to read. Opening the cover page I kept thinking that I am going to have to suffer through reading this. As I nervously turned to the Prologue and read the first sentence “The small boys came early to the hanging”, I was instantly hooked. This was not just going to be about cathedrals or churches or even religion.
Religion can be such a touchy subject for most people. Naively, I also thought that Religion would be forced on me in huge gigantic waves. Quite on the contrary, it slowly dripped an appreciation for it through the lives of each character as they unfolded before my eyes.
Ken Follett did a brilliant job introducing the characters. The characters in Pillars of the Earth ended up being heroic, strong, and intelligent. But what was most appealing as a reader was that the characters hardly started out that way. Each character started out as young and naïve. And as each character grew before my eyes they became so vivid to me that I actually felt like I could have actually been friends with them if I had had the chance.
The characters of Jack, Aliena, Tom, Ellen and William Hamleigh are intriguing and spellbinding and is owed to the great story telling ability of Ken Follett. The most notable character for me is Prior Philip. Prior Philip was in the middle of everything in the life of Kingsbridge while still remaining down to earth and practical. He had a sincere and genuine concern for each soul that he came upon. He did not abuse his power within the church and took frugality to a whole new level. Everyone he came across prospered because of him. Of course, with the exception of his arch enemies. And his enemies, being who they were, was quite a surprise. This twist in the story made the plot unpredictable, unique, and adventurous.
As powerful as all the characters were, the cathedral was at the center of their world. It drew them all to it. It became something like an entity in the book. Not a living breathing thing or anything like that. But it too became a strong presence in the story that you ultimately wished for success. The author did a remarkable job in giving a better appreciation as to why a cathedral or “the church” was such a life line for so many people during those times. I never conceptualized the “why” before. The church and cathedrals were the reason for the literal survival of so many.
Pillars of the Earth is definitely a book that I could not put down, nor did I want to. I was actually disappointed when I finished the book. The story was brilliantly told and the author’s use of words gripped you and would not let go. I can only hope that you as a reader will enjoy this fabulous piece of literature as much as I did.
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Here is a link to the author, Ken Follet’s web site
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I just bought this. It sounds good.