Reviews

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

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shangrila's review against another edition

3.0

Ok so in a nutshell if I had to describe the book and the process of reading it:

You’re building a cabin out of Lincoln logs( basically deyassified LEGOs) and every 15 minutes or so, some little boy stomps on your Lincoln logs and you have to start over. Meanwhile, you are zoning in and out of consciousness because of the godforsaken 7 AM school start time. However, your last sliver of consciousness is spent listening to the faint white noise of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.

cpwithcp's review against another edition

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emotional relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

gfs0619's review against another edition

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1.0

DNF. Highly recommended book but just could not get into it.

walruz's review against another edition

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3.0

A bit too long, especially the repetitions of William's sadistic predilections and Phillip's self-doubts, but a worthy beach read.

harriett4's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

shandyt's review against another edition

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4.0

4.25 stars.

Epic and surprisingly emotional for the extended timespan it covers—a rollercoaster of triumphs and defeats against the backdrop of cathedral building in 12th-century England. The technical and historical facts are woven in without dragging the story down, and only the book's simple, blunt prose and flirtation with melodrama prevent it from achieving the majesty of the cathedral described therein.