The Pillars of the Earth Reviews

The Case — Ken Follett is known for his thrillers. He loves to write the spy stories! But with The Pillars of the Earth, Follett ventured from his normal venue of espionage and intrigue and took the historical fiction world by storm. It was a daring move. As Follett himself has said, "In the book business, when you have had a success, the smart thing to do is write the same sort of thing once a year for the rest of your life...I should not have risked my reputation writing something out of character and overambitious." — Pillars could have been lauded as the biggest mistake of… read full 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… read full review »

A co-worker lent me this book to read, and it took me a little while to get time to read it. When I was finally able to sit down and read for long periods of time, I fell in love with this book. It kept me wanting to read more since the characters are so detailed and Follett makes the reader feel like they are right there with the characters. The story wrapped up perfectly, and I can't wait to read the sequel.… read full review »

Reading the Pillars of the Earths is going back in time in a time capsule, because the way it´s written takes you to that time and makes you feel like a character in the book. — Every page you turn, the necessity to keep reading grows and your sense of participating in the trama becomes part of your experience in this wonderful book. — Ken Follet has produced a novel that will be come classical as it´s publicity is from mouth to mouth and for every recommendation made probably the outcome is bound to be in the library or the local bookstore. — You become an… read full review »

A must read for fans of historical novels.  While "Pillars" is rather long, and the sequel longer, its worth the time.  Many novels of the Middle Ages tend to be written from the viewpoint of the upper class of the era.  While Follett  does present the  view of an earl he also shows the same  events from the eyes of a monk, a poor  working man,  and the displaced daughter of an earl.   Less time is spent on the earl and more  on the lives  of the others.   The author doesn't hold back on the difficulties  of the… read full review »

This is one of the few novels I have read multiple times - it is that good!  I think it's interesting that Oprah has endorsed it with her book club pick - I first read this back in the early 90s and have read it every few years since then.  I don't need to go through all the details of the book (there's another fantastic review with all of that information!) - I just wanted to let everyone know it's a page-turner and it pulls you in so you feel you are there with the characters.  Read it - you'll love… read full review »

  I am not usually a historical type of book reader, I am thoroughly enjoying this book however.  It is very hard to know or try to figure how the next thing is going to take place.  Follett has done a superb job of showing how corrupt and how determined the church was.  The monks in their priories are shown how innocent they are also.  I am really enjoying this book and will be finished with it in a couple days.   I have been reading it for a week.  Best of the page… read full review »

I saw this book on Oprah's favorite things episode and oohed and aahed because audience members received autographed copies.  My husband took the oohs and aahs to mean I wanted the book (I was actually oohing and aahing over the autograph!) and he gave it to me for Christmas. — I began reading it in mid-January and had difficulty putting it down!  I'm enthralled by the characters, the settings and the plot line(s).  Truly a page-turner! —… read full review »

FABULOUS!!!! I am a voracious reader. I can't put down a good book and this was by far, one of the best. I'm sure that some would find a 1000 page novel a bit difficult to "really get into" but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying Pillars. Follet is a master weaver of characters, details and history.... both fictional and non. You'll enjoy it from the first to the last page. Despite the length, it was very engaging and not a difficult read. … read full review »

I read this book several years ago, when it was first released. I really enjoyed it as I like historical novels, that aren't of the "ripping bodice" or "softly yielding body" type. I think this has been re-released because Follett released a follow up and there was just too many years between the releases. I've still got my copy, I'm thinking of refreshing my memory, then I'll see if the follow up is as… read full review »

I have read this book three times and purchased it four times. I have passed copies on to friends who in turn have passed it along to others. I am a hobby genealogist with an interest in early England. Ken Follet wrote a tale of the cathederal builders that took me back in time. I was sorry when the book ended, but have now informed everyone of the follow-up book (World Without End). —… read full review »

Don't let the size of this tome intimidate you.  Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth is fabulous from end to end.  With its subtle, moving narrative and its engaging characters, you'll be drawn in to the story and kept there for the duration.  It's hard to believe, but by the time you've finished you won't want it to… read full review »

this is one of the best books i have read in months. i finally got some time away from the kids so i started reading it. it felt as if i was there. i stayed up all night just reading it. i couldn't put it down. then i had to in the morning and that night i had to pick it back up just to find out what happens next.… read full review »

Ken Follett out does himself in this book. I could not put it down. It was a great read and I am looking forward to his next one. Follett knows how to capture the readers attention nd hold it throughout the book. His characters and plots are rich and descriptive. —… read full review »

Amazing read.  A definite for a long cold winter.  Ken Follett's foray into historical fiction is epic in… read full review »