Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance.
But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

Das Buch macht sich in wenigen Wochen als Ray auf die Reise. Hier die vorläufige Liste, weitere Anmeldungen sind natürlich jederzeit gerne gesehen:

1. Oedde
2. QuentinUsher
3. Liondancer
4. LilyKlip
5.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Begibt sich per Post auf die Reise.

Got it! Thank you, simy911!
I received a whole pile of books over the Christmas holidays so that I have way too many books on my TBR right now. So please be patient with me! I'll hurry.

This was an entertaining story but not what I had hoped it would be. Too much happening, no time to breathe, think, build up expectations. I didn't really like any of the characters either. Maybe it's because after reading "World without End", I sort of knew what to expect. And many of the characters in these two books are very much alike, I felt cheated!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This is going to QuentinUsher next.
Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for taking me into the bookray, simy911, and thanks for sending the book, Oedde! I am looking forward to read it. I know only one of Follett's novels so far.

Follett is a really skilled writer! Above sex and crime the reader can enjoy the gloomy atmosphere of the Middle Ages. The violence was sometimes disgusting but you cannot avoid that if you want a realistic description of the life of knights etc. For me the focus on church life was especially interesting.

The book will travel to 'Liondancer' next.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I brought the book to the post office just a few minutes ago. Travelling to Liondancer at last.

Vielen Dank für den Ray und fürs Schicken :o) Das Buch ist heute gut angekommen.

A great novel. At first I thought it too ambitious to have a 1000-page chunk to read as first book in English after yeeeears but then I found way rather easy. At first I wondered whether to lay my dictionary aside the book but I guess I would have ended in turning more pages of the dictionary than of the novel and decided to jump over the words I didn't know and try to understand from the context. And, afar from some technical terms it worked pretty well. By the way, I'll have to look up 'buttress' since it was crucial to the construction...

All in all, it was a great deal of reading, no wonder it gained a third rank in "The Germans' most favored books" according to ZDF. I learned something about architecture as well as medieval everyday life, the family stories were as thrilling as the story of the construction and the struggles about political power. Thanks to simy911 for sharing :)

Finally got round to reading it and have to say I was a bit disappointed after all the praise. I was tempted to put it away more than once but got through it in the end.

It's not a bad book but at times I felt like reading a soap opera. Things were going well for the "good" people, than one of the (always the same three) "baddies" came along and conspired against them - but of course the good people always won in the end and then it started all over again. I also didn't see any development in the characters. The first impression you get for all the main characters are right. If you think they're an idiot that's what they are for the rest of the book; if you think this one's a good person that's what they are and always will be.

It's still a good and gripping story but I wish the characters would have been a bit more interesting.