• The Pillars of the Earth

  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (34,733 ratings)

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The Pillars of the Earth  By  cover art

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)

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What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    26,264
  • 4 Stars
    5,899
  • 3 Stars
    1,558
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Held my attention, even thru 40 hours of audio

Would you listen to The Pillars of the Earth again? Why?

Doubt I'd listen again because of its sheer length, but did enjoy going thru it once.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pillars of the Earth?

The violation of Aleana.

Which scene was your favorite?

The hanging of William Hamley.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The birth of Tom builder's son.

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyed it. Will likely listen to other similar novels by Ken Follett.

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

Interesting

What made the experience of listening to The Pillars of the Earth the most enjoyable?

Follett is not a great writer. His prose is mundane and his characters stock. But this was an excellent book to listen to while driving; especially if you are interested in English history.

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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

Fascinating and gripping

What made the experience of listening to The Pillars of the Earth the most enjoyable?

I never thought a story about building a church could be interesting, but Ken Follet is brilliant at bringing history to life in a tale of corruption, politics, and religion. Plus, John Lee is the best narrator, hands down.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

John Lee is a master at storytelling. His voice is soothing, easy to listen to, and he excels at capturing the various accents, voices and nuances of the story. I am a big fan of Lee's and this is my third book I've listened to that he has narrated.

Any additional comments?

If you love a good yarn, then pick up this audio book. Great characters, wonderful stories. It's all here!

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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

Very well done n stays interesting throughout the story

Well developed story and interesting characters. It's a long but interesting journey. Some details cud be shortened a bit, but overall a great book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen!!

Excellent book- very engrossing story. The narrator did a wonderful job on the character accents and his pacing was just right.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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one of my favorite books

Great narrating! Wonderful story and character development. I have recommended this book to many of my friends.

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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

A trap!!

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

Number 1!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pillars of the Earth?

William HAMLEY finally being hung for all his evil doings!

Have you listened to any of John Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Only this and world without end both amazing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Never a time without love and romance.

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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

Brutal but what a story!

I have never felt so beaten, with each plot twist taking me down a dark path, only rewarding with small victories and glimmers of hope. On the other hand, I have never felt so rewarded by the perseverance of the characters and the beautiful narrative of their journey. I'm a little glad the 40+ hours of listening are over and I need a break before moving on to the next book in the series, but I would not trade the experience for anything. This is a masterpiece.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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AMAZING!!

My favorite book of all time! I loved the narrator also. I couldn't put it down.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Love these books

Well thay got a be pretty good this is my third go around on them. keep up the good work. So now write again on the same do called path. You said u wrote one way it didn't work, do it this way it works out great . Thanks Deb

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