_The Pillars of the Earth_ by Ken Follett
This is a book I have heard a lot about and an author who has gotten a lot of attention, yet I have never really paid any attention to either one. However, when a friend at work read another book by him (don’t remember the title), I thought I would try this one since I had heard it mentioned many times.
Usually I try to know what the book is about before I start to read, but in this case I merely went off of title, name and fame. π
It was written in historical fiction style with elements of a fantasy novel, but not fantastical in any way. I suppose one might say it is set in medieval times or at least early medieval times when religion, kings, knights and small villages were the norm.
The story revolves around the characters of Prior Phillip, Tom Builder and his family – Alfred, Jack, Ellen, Martha -, Aliena and her brother Richard, and Bishop Waleran Bigod. The names are interesting as they relate to the characters with common names in today’s world and ones that are representative of the character’s personality.
As is common in many contemporary stories, there are a lot of overlapping incidences and what one might call coincidences of events in the lives of the characters that bring them together. Their world is indeed small, so feasible in reality, yet also dramatized for the sake of the story.
Overall, it was an entertaining read and definitely not one I probably would have chosen had I paid attention to the content. So, it was a good new kind of novel for me and I will consider future Follett books later. π Most interestingly is that there is a mini series of this novel and as I was reading it, I kept thinking – this would make a good movie or TV drama…. So, I will be looking for it to watch later as well!
-T π
