The Pillars of the Earth Review

This ambitious book has it all:  pious priests and evil earls, lovers and celibates, healthy harvests and fallow fields, prayers and curses, castles and whorehouses, with a mélange of war, rape, pillaging, forgiveness and unconditional love thrown in.  Oh, and they build a cathedral.  Whew! 

The Pillars of the Earth is an extraordinary story that took author, Ken Follett, 963 pages to tell.  Once you settle in to read, you can see why it's a #1 international bestseller and why Oprah chose it as her Book Club selection. 

The book begins with the riveting line: "The small boys came early to the hanging."  I don't know if that line will ever become as well known as "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times," but it sure had me hooked immediately. 

Although it's a huge book set in 12-century England, it is surprisingly readable and relatable and the pages flew by quickly.  Follett is a master of description - I almost felt as if I were watching a movie as opposed to reading a book.  The descriptions were just that well done.

If I have any issue with the book, it's that after a while it began to feel formulaic.  Good guy has ingenious idea; bad guy thwarts idea.  Good guy surprises bad guy with long shot idea; bad guy counters with violence.  Repeat as desired.  The first part of the book is an exciting chess game between the characters, but after awhile I found myself guessing the outcome and it lost its intended effect.  Sometimes, less really is more.

Overall, this is a terrific book for the long cold days of winter.  Now that I'm finished with it, I'll be reading the sequel, World Without End.  If it's anywhere near as long as Pillars of the Earth, readers may have to rename it Book Without End.