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A review by karingforbooks
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
MISOGYNY CENTRAL.
Look, it’s a treatise on cathedral architecture with some characters thrown in. Think moby dick for cathedrals in medieval England and you’ve nailed it. Except moby dick wasn’t so heavy on the anti women front, which says something because it’s 100 years older than this book. I liked the setting, Jack, Aliena, Elizabeth, and sally. Martha got forgotten which is sad. Tom was oblivious but nice enough. I desperately hate William and alfred for *reasons* and the pacing is not there. It’s so slow in the first half then gets better at the end then slows down but speeds up simultaneously in the last hundred, which is not great. I did like the historical context in which it occurred (white ship, Henry ii) but thought there was just a bit too much close connection with real historical figures. Course that could be because by halfway through I was just angry at the book in general
Look, it’s a treatise on cathedral architecture with some characters thrown in. Think moby dick for cathedrals in medieval England and you’ve nailed it. Except moby dick wasn’t so heavy on the anti women front, which says something because it’s 100 years older than this book. I liked the setting, Jack, Aliena, Elizabeth, and sally. Martha got forgotten which is sad. Tom was oblivious but nice enough. I desperately hate William and alfred for *reasons* and the pacing is not there. It’s so slow in the first half then gets better at the end then slows down but speeds up simultaneously in the last hundred, which is not great. I did like the historical context in which it occurred (white ship, Henry ii) but thought there was just a bit too much close connection with real historical figures. Course that could be because by halfway through I was just angry at the book in general
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Antisemitism, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Abandonment, Violence, Sexism, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent