Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A family member recommended this book and when I asked what it was about she said, 'building a cathedral."  Well, that did far from interest me, but I read the book summary and decided I would give it a try.  I am so glad I read this epic novel!
I think people either liked it or hated it.  No in betweens!  I loved it!  I think it is probably my top 5 favorite novels.  I have been to Europe and have seen some of these ancient cathedrals and so maybe the building part didn't bother me so much.
I know some people didn't like the explicit sex/rape scenes. I will be honest, they weren't my favorite, but because it wasn't the majority of the novel it didn't bother me enough to turn it off.  I guess I can also understand why Ken Follett put the explicit rape scenes in the book.  I think it helped the reader realize how awful and ruthless William was.  I don't know if the rape scenes were taken out if the reader would understand how terrible William's character was.
I loved how strong and determined Aliena was!  I loved how she always had the courage to get up and fight again.  I also loved the determination Prior Philip.
I sometimes get annoyed when stories go on and on forever, but it is pretty obvious if you look at the number of pages this book has that this book is going to go on and on for a while.  It had just as many peaks and lows as a series of books that would be the equivalent of 900 pages.  I personally would rather read one great big long book than a series.
I can't say enough about how wonderful book this is!  I loved it and I would highly recommend this book.


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