Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
"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 is a beloved favorite of countless readers, standing as a testament to Follett's unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. A spellbinding epic set in twelfth-century England, 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.

Rating : - Another great Follet Book!
I own all of Ken Follet's book and for the most part adore all of them. I have read and re-read them over and love the long stories and many interweaving characters of his plots. I like his WWII novels better because that is what I studied in college, but this book is great as well. Some authors I have read before have 2 or 3 main characters-- Follet nevers does that. With him, you get story among story among story, but he does it in a way that is not confusing and makes the story rich and colorful. I do have one pet peeve with Follet. His women heroine never makes a first good choice-- she always marries or is in a relationship with someone at the beginning or sometime during the novel that is a cad, a bad person, or simply not for her. Sometimes he goes out of his way to make normally very intelligent women characters not have any sense when picking their mate. These women are smart and successful with every other aspect of their life, but when it comes to picking someone to marry, they will sacrifice what they know is right for something they know will make them miserable. I would just like one of his main female characters to make a good choice about love the first time around, just once. I know novels need conflict, but because I own all of his books, I see the same thing in EVERY novel, and that's what bothers me. Besides this little thing (that happens in all of his books) I love his books and he is one of my favorite authors.