The Pillars of the Earth

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins

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)

Read years ago. It's even better now.

I read this tome years ago, but except for the basic plot I had completely forgotten it. Masterful storytelling. There is a reason this remains Ken Follett's most successful book. This is one you can lose yourself in for a couple of weeks.

Character development

This multi-generational story beautifully supports the book title.
I’d love to hear a modern day saga about characters of their stamina and integrity.

Excellent audiobook

Great story and very talented narrator. I’m like to listen to more from Ken Follett!!

pillars of the earth

I was kept listening by the repeated events of suspense in the story's hanging possibilities

Great Story

When I saw 35 hours of audio I thought I was in for something that would feel like forever but I was sucked in! I wasn’t expecting the detailed sexual abuse but can understand why it was necessary for the characters.

Great Story

This was a captivating and fun listen. The characters were well developed and I really liked learning about historical life.

A beautiful story

Beautiful, captivating and fun. A long book that I wish was even longer. I’m looking forward to watching the show now!

Great story

This a really great novel based on fascinating history. I greatly enjoyed it. I’ve read it twice.

Phenomenal narration for an incredible historical fiction novel.

Absolutely incredible! Listen to this 3 times now. Better each time!
Highly recommended! Start with the evening and the morning!

Good historical setting, but loose story.

I read this when it came out, because I was a graduate student of medieval history at the time, and now I've heard it on audiobook. Some aspects of the work are very impressive, others are rather simplistic pop fiction, but overall it's a rewarding book, and the performance is impressive, considering how long John Lee has to keep your attention with his reading.

The aspect of the book I loved most was the setting and the technical details. It recreates a medieval world, from the economy of the villages to the politics of the monastery, with intricate and impressive detail on the building of the cathedral and the changing architectural styles and challenges. That alone is worth the listen.

The story--as he himself has described it--is a series of melodramas over a couple of generations, some of which take the whole book to develop, some of which are settled as they go, much like a Victor Hugo novel, but without the great writing and complex insight. The tales themselves sound more like 20th century dramas than medieval lives. There are few of the moral dilemmas medieval literature dwells on, and you could just drop the same stories into modern England without much change beyond clothing and settings. Add a few cell phones and IPods, and you're good to go.

Overall, I recommend it. Four stars, because I can't give three and a half. The setting is worth the listen, and the melodramas are emotionally engaging even if not very medieval. It's long pop fiction with a more sophisticated setting. If you want a modern novel in a well-researched medieval setting, this is it. If you want historical fiction that recreates the emotional and intellectual psyche of the time, this is not it. Try Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" for that, I guess.