The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth

By Ken Follett

  • Release Date: 1999-07-01
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 2,923 Ratings

Description

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Oprah's Book Club Selection

The “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career—and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended.

“Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. 
 
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.
 
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

Reviews

  • Enjoyed and Loved

    5
    By TLD2024
    I found the history and characters to be intriguing. An era in history that I was fascinated with. Follett does an excellent job of writing in great detail which paints the picture in your mind. Good vs evil and there was plenty of it.
  • Great story

    5
    By hdjkfncnc
    Great read!! Didn’t think it would be my type of book but really enjoyed.
  • Book Lover

    5
    By bdestep
    I great read, I laughed, cried, but I could not put it down. One of the best love stores, and good over evil I have ever read 💖
  • Pillars of the Earth

    5
    By mindful NP
    Roller coaster of a page turning masterpiece!
  • Masterpiece

    5
    By Rescue-loganme
    Genius book filled with history, love stories and fills your imagination of the era!
  • I’ve loved this book for 20 years

    5
    By no.youcantmakeme-stop
    Today, along with the rest of this series, I found the physical version of Pillars of the Earth at my local foreign language book shop in Beijing. I have bought this book in every country I’ve lived, and even though I’m finishing it for the 3rd time here on iBooks, I’m tempted to purchase the whole set (again) before I go. This story is so much more than a story, I’m not even sure how to recommend it, other than to say it is officially the book I’ve read most in my life, and I hope others will continue to love it as much as I do, for the next 20 years.
  • Penance

    2
    By Stretchmore
    A dreary difficult book to read
  • Still A Chance

    5
    By Still A Chance
    Enjoyed this story and writing immensely. It was a slower read for me as I felt the need to maintain character notes for reference. The story and characters were a lot of fun to get to know. Enjoyed the writing style enough to jump over to the other of Follet’s series “Fall of Giants”. I plan to work my way through both series, however I’ll make stops in between for simple reads for a break. We’ll done!
  • Pillars of the Earth!! A++

    5
    By ylovettlovett
    One of the greatest books I have EVER read. It was very realistic and terribly hard to put down. Even though this was the second time I’d read this amazing book!!
  • An insightful look into 12th Century England

    5
    By Appr50
    A well written historical fiction that explores the wide differences in class, rulers and the Church revealing all of the characters human failings as well as their perseverance through evil plotting and eventual victories over dark and powerful forces working against them.