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finfoski's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
maxamoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An 806-page book spanning almost half of a dark-age century centered on the construction of a fictional cathedral- actually, more like THREE cathedrals . That doesn't sound like a page turner to me. Yet it so, entirely is. It's an over-used metaphor to describe a well constructed plot, but Follet's Pillars of the Earth truly is a masterfully woven tapestry of characters, intrigue, motive, backstabbing, violence and more.
It can be a brutal book. There are portions, of considerable page count, where it feels nothing goes right, where the villains- and these are villains, there are few "grey" characters in this story- find ways to take more from the protagonists than I could possibly foresee. In truth, this can almost detract from the read, as it is hard to imagine one persevering in the face of such hardship. Graphic violence, physical, sexual, emotional, even spiritual, accompanies each setback. Yet the characters, particularly the older generation, in my opinion, react to the setbacks in just the right way, neither too despairing, nor too unaffected, that even after such a slog of defeat, I continued to be hopeful and admiring of their struggles.
Most of the characters spin a distinct gear in the cogs of medieval society, and most of them are passionate in their roles. Follet translates these passions to writing fantastically, even those of the villains. The original architect of the cathedral so central to the novel, for example, simply oozes love and knowledge for constructing his monument to god, and the prior destined to run it is admirable in his devotion to both god and the project, as well as the wellbeing of his fellows.
The cast of characters are the true stars of the novel, the cathedral simply the knot that ties them together. Most of them are extremely well crafted, flawed, and most of them grow. A few get lost in the plot, particularly a character named Martha who is just... around. She starts off seeming like she will grow into an important character, molded by struggling through extreme hardship at a young age. She instead hangs around the main cast, and is rarely even mentioned. I also found one of the main characters of the younger generation to be rather boring. He falls into the trope of too-smart for his setting, young and therefore innovative, destined for greatness because everyone can see it in him, not because he actually does much to earn it. Yet it is forgivable, especially because his love interest is my pick of the bunch.
And one last thing, if you are sensitive to violence in writing, this may not be the book for you. There are several particularly brutal and graphic acts of sexual assault, so make sure you are okay to read such passaged before jumping in.
It can be a brutal book. There are portions, of considerable page count, where it feels nothing goes right, where the villains- and these are villains, there are few "grey" characters in this story- find ways to take more from the protagonists than I could possibly foresee. In truth, this can almost detract from the read, as it is hard to imagine one persevering in the face of such hardship. Graphic violence, physical, sexual, emotional, even spiritual, accompanies each setback. Yet the characters, particularly the older generation, in my opinion, react to the setbacks in just the right way, neither too despairing, nor too unaffected, that even after such a slog of defeat, I continued to be hopeful and admiring of their struggles.
Most of the characters spin a distinct gear in the cogs of medieval society, and most of them are passionate in their roles. Follet translates these passions to writing fantastically, even those of the villains. The original architect of the cathedral so central to the novel, for example, simply oozes love and knowledge for constructing his monument to god, and the prior destined to run it is admirable in his devotion to both god and the project, as well as the wellbeing of his fellows.
The cast of characters are the true stars of the novel, the cathedral simply the knot that ties them together. Most of them are extremely well crafted, flawed, and most of them grow. A few get lost in the plot, particularly a character named Martha who is just... around. She starts off seeming like she will grow into an important character, molded by struggling through extreme hardship at a young age. She instead hangs around the main cast, and is rarely even mentioned. I also found one of the main characters of the younger generation to be rather boring. He falls into the trope of too-smart for his setting, young and therefore innovative, destined for greatness because everyone can see it in him, not because he actually does much to earn it. Yet it is forgivable, especially because his love interest is my pick of the bunch.
And one last thing, if you are sensitive to violence in writing, this may not be the book for you. There are several particularly brutal and graphic acts of sexual assault, so make sure you are okay to read such passaged before jumping in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Miscarriage
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