sarah_kinkade 's review for:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

3.0

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For about the first 300 pages, this book was exactly the kind of book I enjoy: it had a complex plot with strong and vivid character development; I enjoyed all of the details and the changing flow of perspectives. However, the sense of plot then turned [trigger warning: multiple scenes of rape]. Not only were female characters, Aliena in particular, treated with violence, which would have been bad enough, but the sense of writing became very repetitive. I don’t know how often I read that a character had ‘their heart in their mouth’ when in a moment of panic and anxiety. The plot also began to feel extremely formulaic: there would be a goal or desire that someone worked towards, then a sense of tragedy/defeat, an alternative solution would be planned, only to have that dashed, for a different solution to be achieved and then have the opposition infuriated and plot to retaliate - this happened over and over and over again. While the sense of character and setting were strong throughout, and I enjoyed the moments when the focus was on the building of the cathedral, the repetitiveness and constant use of despair and violence left me with more disappointment than enjoyment.