Cathedral

By: Ben Hopkins

Narrated by: Malk Williams, Sophie Roberts

Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping story about obsession, mysticism, art and earthly desire.

At the centre of this story is the Cathedral. Its design and construction in the 13th and 14th centuries in the fictional town of Hagenburg unites a vast array of unforgettable characters whose fortunes are inseparable from the shifting political factions and economic interests vying for supremacy. From the bishop to his treasurer, from local merchants to lowly stonecutters, the fate of everyone, both Gentile and Jew, is affected by the slow rise of Hagenburg’s cathedral, a holy building growing over an often unholy city.

Around this narrative core, Ben Hopkins has constructed his own monumental edifice, a choral novel that is rich with the vicissitudes of mercantilism, politics, religion and human enterprise. Ambitious, immersive, a remarkable feat of imagination, Cathedral deftly combines historical fiction, the literary novel of ideas and a tale of adventure and intrigue.

Fans of authors like Umberto Eco, Elif Shafak, Hilary Mantel, Ken Follett and Jose Saramago will delight at the atmosphere, the beautiful prose and the vivid characters of Ben Hopkins’ Cathedral.

©2021 Ben Hopkins (P)2021 W F Howes

Critic reviews

"Cathedral is a brilliantly organized mess of great, great characters. It is fascinating, fun, and gripping to the very end." (Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha)

"A thoroughly engrossing, beautifully told look at human frailty." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

Artful weaving!

I thoroughly enjoyed the intertwining of the characters stories. The sharing of the story between the church, the Jews, etc. became more and more infixing with each passing chapter. The insight into the brutality of the times makes one shudder.

I Truly Love This Book

Just the right amount of character development. Wonderful progression of humanity through the cathedral from conception onward. Great choice of narrators as well.

Excellent, sweeping yet taught

Thought this was great - long and rich, with a diverse cast of characters; practical motives and a believable plot that brought out an intense empathy you rarely feel for the cast of a typical historical novel. Couldn’t recommend more.

Excellent historical fiction

I’m not a religious person, and not Christian, either, but I have visited many cathedrals (and large churches that are not cathedrals) in Europe (and some not in Europe) and am often totally awed by the beauty of the architecture, the detail, the massiveness. I know that many of these took centuries to build, that it took many laborers, and much money that might have been, at the time, better spent to help the poor, the sick, the orphaned and widowed. And yet, those buildings that still stand are there for all of us to enjoy, often these days as concert halls with great acoustics more than as places of prayer. Given that appreciation of such structures, I was totally engrossed in this book, which immerses us in the time when these architectural gems were constructed. Hopkins brings us a cast of characters, well-developed, giving a picture of the variety of types of people without whom such a building could not have been built, as well as the people who are affected by all that surrounds it. The story also includes the intrigue and competition of religious functionaries and nobility, and tells of the involvement of Jewish residents of the medieval city. I highly compliment Hopkins on his treatment of the Jewish characters, their authenticity, and his careful research about their world. I am quite knowledgeable of Judaism and Jewish history, and most times I cringe when people attempt to include such characters and background. Hopkins clearly did his research, and included some details that most people would never have known (and probably few people would appreciate as I did). The narration was also superb (though a few times Williams mispronounced a Hebrew word - in this too, though, he was better than most narrators when they deal with words they are not familiar with). I heartily recommend this book.

Thoroughly engrossing

My son recommended this to me, as he knows of my passion for all things medieval.
Thank you, thank you, dear son!
I saw every scene, came to know every character, and learned so much.

Interesting description of life in the Middle Ages

Tracing the fortunes of a family from its humble beginnings as shepherds to its rise to wealth and power, we meet a variety of characters, Bishops, Lords and ladies and learn about their sufferings and successes. A wonderful collection of stories of the Middle Ages.

Engrossing, illuminating, moving

Construction of a cathedral in medieval Germany: sounds dry to you? Not at all. This panoramic historical novel is peopled with such nuanced characters, and paints such suspenseful events, that you don't even realize you're getting a detailed history lesson. I was moved to tears by the wistful, hopeful, sarcastic, bereaved and striving characters, whose highly individualized narrative voices made them so real from childhood to old age. Calculating church officials, greedy merchants, shepherd boys are brought to life.

The utter corruption of the Catholic Church is the big takeaway: Rome as a hotbed of crime, competition and ambition; European bishops taxing their subjects to death as they each vie to build the most glorious cathedral; the shameful exploitation and victimization of 'heretics' and especially the Jews; the gullible nature of the public in any town. A rising tradesman class and decadent nobles struggle to dominate lands and resources, alternating bloody armed clashes and bureaucratic chicanery.

It's quite a story. The narration is flawless and evocative.

Great presentation of developing history

I enjoyed the interaction of characters that built development of society through the 12th century. Reviews the most likely roles that the church and aristocratic strain of society played their roles to create early Europe.

A yawner

I’m disappointed this is more about personalities than about architecture and actual history. Usually I adore historical fiction but 3 hours I have to bail.

Misleading title

This book was not for me. The story has little to do with the building and life of a cathedral. There were too many characters, not enough plot. I sloughed through it hoping it would come together. In the end, I didn’t care about any of the characters. If came off as a social history of the classes in medieval Europe.