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  • The Pillars of the Earth

  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (35,179 ratings)

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The Pillars of the Earth

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's summary

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.

©1989 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)

"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)

Featured Article: The Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks


Often based on real people, events, and scenarios, historical fiction gives us the opportunity to learn about worlds and times we will never experience while introducing fascinating characters and stories set in their midst. Sometimes, the genre can even give us a peek into hidden storylines that routinely go unmentioned in traditional history books, showing us that those of ages past are perhaps not so different from ourselves.

What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Narrator John Lee

He is one of the very best! I had read this book years ago and enjoyed this reading very very much. And will probably listen again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Favorite Book of all Time

I’ve read Pillars twice before, but listening to the audiobook is wholly refreshing and I highly recommend it. Follett’s story is perfectly narrated by John Lee, who never seems to be rushed and has, to my taste, just the right British accent and intonation to make for pleasant listening. I will likely listen to this audio book again later on, as it is very imaginative and relaxing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A strong and compelling plot with good naration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Pillars of the Earth to be better than the print version?

No nothing is better than a book in your hand but if you need an audiobook it is among the best.

What other book might you compare The Pillars of the Earth to and why?

The Silmarillion. It is more about character development and story telling than action but still puts the reader on edge.

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

Tom builder

If you could rename The Pillars of the Earth, what would you call it?

A Temple of Albion

Any additional comments?

Well worth the read. Don't fixate on the rape scenes. They are great for character development if you take them as such.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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great story excellent 5 🌟

saw the movie so wanted to hear the story excellent coverage of history in both

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this story, plot, & performance!

This was another amazing story rich with historical relevance to the church. Amazing character development as always with Ken Follett books, and an extremely entertaining performance! Thank you for this book?

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth the read!

You learn a lot of things in this book as you are carried along by the lives of the characters for a span of 50 years or so. It is hard to believe that that much time has passed because the story is so fluid. In my opinion, the explicit details of the rape scenes and love scenes could have been left out without sacrificing the quality. Lots of nail biting and waiting in this story, but it all works itself out in the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

What can I say besides "thank you Ken Follett" it's a wonderfully consuming world that he paints. And the narration is perfect and easy to understand even during a noisy car ride.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wowza!

One of the best books I've ever read! Utterly fascinating, engaging, eventful and well written!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Beautiful, Epic Tale!

I am so sorry I waited so long to read this book. The moment I started listening to it, I was in love. The description of the book doesn't quite do it justice so I wasn't quite expecting the amazing story that unfolded. It is so well written and the characters are thoughtful and complex. I felt so close to many and positively loathed several. Halfway through I downloaded the sequel knowing I would want to continue the story. It reminded me of the song of ice and fire series. I highly recommend it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exciting and Captivating!

Where does The Pillars of the Earth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I've listened to in a long time, each time i can't wait to get back to it!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish i could!

Any additional comments?

Great story line weaved through so many characters. I can't wait to read more of Ken Follett's material.

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