Enough people had recommended, nay, shoved this book into my hands that I greatly anticipated a good read to take me through the holidays. But the first hundred pages found me thinking, right, this is the scene where she's going to have the baby. . .now she's going to die. . .and he's going to end up with the girl he was attracted to earlier. . .whoa, she shows up in the woods and has sex with him the day after his wife's death?
Please. I think Follett was concerned that people wouldn't like his historial fiction and so inserted sex and violence at formulaic spots. Don't get me wrong, I like sex and violence, but the stuff in this book would have enthralled me when I was a teenager. Maybe that's the right audience. I pulled the plug on this medieval soap opera at 100 pages.

I never received the book. I e=mailed the sender but she never responded. I want my money back, and if this is the way Amazon operates, I won't be ordering any more books from them. Susie Johnson

What keeps you going through this book are the historical details, the remarks about classic architecture. If that sound like you, then this is your book because all the rest--the characters etc.--are solid and professional. But, if you're not a history addict, this might run a bit long.

Read the first bit of this book outside the bed, somewhere where you can work at it a bit, because the base is there at the beginning. It's hard reading at first, but if you force yourself to get into it, the reward will be there further on.

I debated over reading this book for a few months. The building of a cathedral did not sound too terribly compelling to me, but I couldn't resist. Ken Follett created characters so real, one almost forgets which characters are fictional and which are actual historical figures.

This book is 973 pages long. The author truly took the time to develop each and every character before jumping full-scale into the story. Each group of characters are introduced separately: Tom, Agnes, Alfred and Martha. Ellen and Jack. Then we have Prior Philip, Frances, Peter, and Waleran Bigod. Earl Bartholomew, Aliena, Richard, and William Hamleigh. As the story unfolds, eventually all the stories of these great characters intertwine - the result - one unforgettable novel!

Unfortunately, this book had a few historical inaccurcies. I will discuss the most obvious one. Aliena's father, Earl Bartholomew was accused of treason against King Stephen. In reality, his son would not have been allowed to remain behind at Shiring Castle. He either would have been executed along with his father, or he would have been thrown in the tower or held under house arrest for the rest of his days.

As for Aliena, she would have been forced into a nunnery or kept as a ward of the king. Richard and Aliena should not have been living at Shiring Castle after their father was arrested. The children of disinherited nobles posed a threat to medieval monarchs, so the king always took steps to make sure they would not find themselves in a position to continue their father's work.

I think Mr Follett spent too much time researching how to build a cathedral (sometimes the details are over two pages long) and not enough time researching 12th century culture. I didn't really feel as if I was reading a historical novel. Pillars felt too comptemporary for a novel set in the 12th century.

The book also contains plenty of explicit rape scenes (mothers pimping their teenage daughters for some extra money), murders of women and children, and animal cruelty. These were all facts of life in this time period. I'm hardly going to hold it against the author. I really enjoyed this book...flaws and all. If you are looking for a book to get lost in, look no further than The Pillars of the Earth. World Without End is definitely on my list of books to read.

I wish I had bought a hard copy and large print. It is a wonderful story. The giant paper back I have is uncomfortable to hold. you lnow it has over 1000 pages.
Maybe a story that long would be easier to handle split into 3 or four books.
A youngster would love this edition........... It is light print.
I read in bed......Hard to get situated. Oh........... I took that Oprah thing off right away. I do not watch telly. I do not like her. I thought well before buying.........just because her name was on it. That is like she picked it out for me to read. Yuk!

Ken Follette's novel is not without merit, but face it folks this a big storybook for adults. There are some stirring moments but this a "black and white" book with no gray areas. The good characters are good the bad characters are bad. As far as historical significance this is hardly a blueprint for the middle ages but does offer some insight to Christianity's hold economicaly and culturally on Europe and more specifically Great Britan. It's great fodder for a screenplay, Star Wars set in churches.

I read this book with no expectations. I was initially intimidated by the size of it, but after a few months of putting off picking it up, I sat down with the first chapter.

I thought it would be a struggle to begin, but it was a smooth transition and once I was into the story, I never wanted to leave. I got anxious as I closed in on the ending of the book, as I had become in love with the characters and I wanted them to remain part of my life.

It is a fantastic and rich storyline. I am looking forward to forgetting parts of the story so that I may return to it again for all the emotions and excitement it offers. I highly recommend this book, I hold onto my copy for another day and I buy more copies for gifts every chance I get.

An amazing read, couldn't put it down. The characters are engaging, the story is gripping. Architectural details form the settings perfectly.

I picked up this book with some interest and expectations. I should not have.

Well, I didn't read it cover to cover, as I skimmed it. But what I read was enough.

This book assumes, as most moderns do, that the medieval ages was full of 21st century people, with 21st century mindsets, who just got raped and tortured more.

enough said.

The rape scenes are described in shallow, graphic, thriller detail... I suppose Ken figured enough modern people would buy the book to vicariously enjoy (or are entertained by--same thing) the gratuitous, graphic, entertaining rape and torture scenes....

trash. In every sense of the word.

____________________________________________________
This is like a modern version of the 19th century thrillers such as Quo Vadis, in all their anachronistic consumer glory. Both revel in the badness of the bad characters to the point of enjoyment. Both give an insincere nod to the religion of their day (between Nero&Co's revels, early christianity gets a nod. In Ken's book, feminist/modernist stuff gets a nod in between *entertaining* rape scenes of women). Yrch.

Hypocritical and disgusting.

I am not saying their isn't a place for graphic ugliness & barbarity in telling the human story. Doestoevsky is extremely disturbing--but it is there for a purpose, the readers are suffering/grieving for them. In Ken's book--its here for entertainment value. That is just WRONG.
________________________________________________________
(Moderns always smear the medievals, by making these ghastly fantasies that have nothing in common with the reality. Come on, people! There is alot of primary sources out there, translated into English, for anyone interested in the real people of that age. Its completely unlike our modern conceptions of them. for starters, ISBN 1551115506 0879071379 0951150308 9780140448993 [...] )

I picked up this book with some interest and expectations. I should not have.

This book assumes, as most moderns do, that the medieval ages was full of 21st century people, with 21st century mindsets, who just got raped and tortured more.

enough said.

The rape scenes are described in shallow, graphic, thriller detail... I suppose Ken figured enough modern people would buy the book to vicariously enjoy the gratuitous, graphic, entertaining rape and torture scenes....

trash. In every sense of the word.

(there is alot of primary sources out there, translated into English, for anyone interested in the real people of that age. Its completely unlike our modern conceptions of them. for starters, ISBN 1551115506 0879071379 0951150308 9780140448993 [...] )

After reading and loving Night by Elie Wiesel, I thought I'd try another of Oprah's book club picks. I had high expectations and was thoroughly satisfied with this book. It is a story that seems to go on endlessly as if you are reading a true history! Lots of accurate facts and descriptions to make you feels as if you are really there. At the end I was left with a feeling of sadness knowing it was all coming to a close. The sign of a great read!

The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club) Not your usual Ken Follett, but of the highest excellence. Gripping, informative, and thoroughly enjoyable. I bought the audio edition for my 89-year-old father who was a mason by trade. My 90-year-old mother, who consumes books like confections, will also be wrapped up in it.

Follett is a master who has created a work that, despite being set hundreds of years in the past, reflects the very sort of political shenanigans and manipulations that are going on today. Pillars of the Earth is rich in sensory detail, easily transporting the reader to the Middle Ages. The book is structured very well, telling the tales of the various characters in parts before knitting them seamlessly together to give us the whole.

Jack Builder is one of the most original and fascinating characters I've ever read, followed by his mother, Ellen. I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth and I'm looking forward to reading World Without End.

I'm not usually a fan of Oprah's books, so I was reluctant to read it. But once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Then my husband got a hold of it and we were racing to be the first to get our hands on it every night for two weeks. Whoever got it didn't come to bed until 2 a.m. It really is very entertaining, thought a bit far-fetched, but who cares when your turning pages this fast. Just a quick warning though: Follet includes some VERY racey sex scenes, oh my!

I finally stopped reading this book about 3/4 of the way through. I just kept plugging along waiting for it to "grab" me. I finally stopped the struggle. I read two to three books a week and enjoy Follett, but I found this story boring and the pages never-ending...

I read this for book club and wondered whether I would get through it at all. After the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. It is fun reading and hard to put down.

How this book made Oprahs list is beyond me. Obviously she never read it. Follet obviously has some pre-teen girl rape fantasy issues, because that's what he seems to dwell on the most in great detail. Even better, the final conclusion drawn by a main character is that her childhood raping is what made her a successful woman. Hows that for womens lib?

Follets knowledge of the timeperiod is limited to snippets of info inserted almost verbatum from other sources. There is very little in his characters that embody aspects of medieval life or philosophy. It's a simplistic, obvious story with no real twists or turns, and it could be transported to any time period simply by changing a few words here and there. I'm embarassed to have read it.

If you like poorly researched medieval porn, this is certainly the book for you.

Pillars of the Earth was an exceptional novel. Every character in the book becomes extremely developed as Ken Follet brings you into their world. If you don't have the time to read this book in a short period, don't worry the characters stay with you and it never takes long to pick back up where you left off. This is an excellent read for a long trip or vacation where you do have the time to put in to get to know the characters. The storylines are separate for most of the book and really begin to intertwine from the beginning. I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction or who loves to be facinated with extremely developed characters.

I found this book to be incredibly interesting, but also disturbing. I am a reader who loves to escape from reality in books and this book definitely gives a harsh dose of the reality of medieval times. The descriptions of cathedrals are lovely and overall there are some fascinating relationships between characters. But there are instances (rape) which are graphic and not for everyone.

As the other reviewers detailed the story for you, my review is simply to state that I truly loved this book. It's not the type of story I'd generally be interested in, but so many other reviewers spoke so highly of it, that I decided to give it a try. I read it in a few days and it was a book that I couldn't put down. If you're looking for a thrilling read that is a real page turner, then buy this book and you won't be disappointed!

This book was one of the best reads ever. I fell in love with the characters, and felt like I lost my friends when the book ended. Follett is a master with the written word. This book going down as one of my all time favorites!!!

I read this book in paper and not Kindle, but loved it. In fact, both my husband and I loved it, which is one of our tests for universal appeal. Romance, human drama, historical information and lots of action.

This book is delightful. It has everything one could want in a story; romance, adventure, thrill and suspense, good vs. evil, sadness, and excitement. I highly recommend it for a fun journey into your imagination with a good dose of accurate history (which I love). This book had me going to wikipedia to look up some of the characters just to see what the rest of their story was in real life! One of my new favorite books.

After reading the reviews here, I couldn't wait to read this book. I don't know what I expected, but I have read better historic fiction. Yes, there were a lot of twists to the story, but I was never surprised and sometimes I felt there were twists just to have a twist in the story. The violent acts in the book were depicted in great detail and other sections were so sparse in detail, it was difficult to know what was happening. A much too long book for the story, I found myself skimming pages just to get through it.

I should have known if Oprah thought this was a great book, it probably wasn't.

1. Historically an a+ as to my opinion, being no medieval scholar.
2. Plot, predictable and complex at the same time. You know so and so is going to get it, you just don't know how or when, but the alternatives suggest themselves.
3.WORDY my GOD it is reminiscent of Dickens, who according to someone I know wrote in installments and so got "paid by the word". It was a good book, but I scanned whole paragraphs at a time to avoid the tedium of reading them and find out what the flip happened. To the books credit, again, I DID want to find out, but, it was hard going. It would have been a great book if it were 2/3rds shorter.

M

The seller was very quick to ship my order. In fact, if I had known my book would arrive signigicantly earlier than they had predicted online, I might not have cancelled the order since I was on a short timeline. I cancelled my order a couple minutes after I placed it because I would not be able to receive the book soon enough to read it in time, but Amazon did not convey my cancelled order to the retailer who sent the book anyways in very short time.

I am not a huge Ken Follett fan. That being said, I thought this book was fantastic.
I picked it up not expecting it to grasp me the way that it did. It was detailed and took you on a journey. The lives of different people and how they all relate to this one spot, building and place in time.
It reminds you how the decisions you make affect not only you later in life but others on the same (though not always seen) path
I highly recommend, such a fantastic read.

Did anyone else spot Tom Builder's mistake? He rose at dawn and set out two stakes in the direction of the rising sun and used these as the axis of his new cathedral, believing that they pointed due east, as a church should be oriented. Sorry Tom, the sun rises in a different place every morning, and in Kingsbridge's northern latitudes it is never due east. Otherwise a wonderful book and I cant wait for the sequel.

With so many reviews and 90% of them are 4 or more 5 stars, what else can be said? This is indeed storytelling at its best. I am not sure and I don't care if it is a literary masterpiece or if it will ever be a classic, but it is very entertaining and revealing.

I just have a few comments about the book's structure.

***PLEASE BE AWARE. THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW***

In my opinion, the first act is the book's biggest strength. Not only most of the action is here, but the rhythm of the writing is amazing. Every scene has a built-in suspense (Tom and his family in the forest, the son's birth and Agnes's death, the second family coming in, Tom in the city and the killing of the pig thief, William taking over the Earl's castle, Aliena in the city looking for money and his father, Aliena ascent, William in the battle and, finally, William's attack on Kingsbridge and Tom Builder's death). It is one of the unusual cases when there is no shortage of description with fast paced action. It is not easy to achieve that.

The second act goes more or less from Tom's death and Jack travel to Spain. The writing became less descriptive. As an example, the number of pages dedicated to William's second attempt to attack Kingsbridge is way less compared to the previous attempt.

The conclusion is from Aliena's trip to the continent until the end. I expected Jack's trip and Aliena's chase to take longer. The suspense became rarer and the story more predictable. I soon realized that I was just at the wrap-up stage.

Nevertheless, I totally enjoyed this book. I wish that the second and third acts were as powerful as the first one and that's why I am giving 4 stars. It could have been 4 1/2 stars if that was possible. Eventually I will try "World Without End" (even with its mix reviews).

I usually read non-fiction, but this book has changed that. I loved this book and couldn't wait to get back to reading it when I had to put it down.

I picked this up on a friend's recommendation, and read it over the space of several days. I'll not try to summarise the plot, because that would be well-nigh impossible, with so many twists and turns. I sometimes have difficulty with much shorter books in remembering just who everyone is supposed to be, but there's no such problem here. The characters are strongly delineated, very memorable, and spread across a wide spectrum of society at that time. A period in which England was in a state of civil war, and your future could depend upon which side you supported.

It's against this background, and over the space of several decades, that a man of God tries to build a cathedral as a monument to him, but the more he tries the more he is frustrated, until he almost gives up. If this story has a moral it is that "God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform". If you can concentrate on one subject for some time, do not need to have basic building terms explained to you, and can use a dictionary to find the definition of the occasional unfamiliar word then this book should keep you enthralled.

I lived in England for two years and spent nearly every weekend touring cathedrals and attending evensong services in ancient gothic churches, so this book appealed to me on several levels. Obviously there's the history, which was really well researched. Then there was the story.

Ok. So. The story. It's an epic, in the tradition of Roots or something like that, which follows people for a lifetime. We watch the characters grow up, grow old, and their story mirrors that of the development of the cathedral in Kingsbridge, a fictional English town (yes, there's a real Kingsbridge near Cornwall, but that wasn't where this one was set - it was meant to be fairly close to Winchester). It was also interesting to see how the period known as The Anarchy affected ordinary people (it's one thing to read about the political intrigue of the time - quite another to think about how average people would have been affected by all that intrigue).

I thought it was interesting that all of the king's names stayed the same, but he changed the name of Matilda (the real woman who was a leader of one side of the civil war) to Maud. I wonder why the change?

The book is nearly 1000 pages. This was a challenge for me because I wanted to read the story quickly so that I didn't drag it out over weeks and weeks and then forget what had happened in the beginning (I read it in under a week, and as it was the early battles kind of blurred together). The problem with reading it so quickly, though, is that every night I was having bizarre dreams where I was a knight setting fire to random towns and riding my horse around cathedrals. I was completely obsessed with it for the week I read it. I think that's the way you've got to do it, though. Otherwise I think it would take forever to slog through.

And yeah, there were definitely pages that I skimmed over, deeming them filled with needless bits of pointless information. I would have liked to see some more editing.

All in all, though, it's a great book and I can see why you-know-who recommended it.

I was somewhat dismayed upon reading this book. I had heard so much about it that I couldn't wait to buy it. The author was on the Oprah show. Oprah and the audience led one to believe it was the best book ever written. Maybe it is just me, but it just wasn't my "cup of tea".
The story is o.k. but not even close to the hype that came out about it. I won't even bother buying the sequel, "World Without End". It may be my fault for thinking it was so great from listening to the Oprah show. I have bought other books she has recommended and have been disappointed. So maybe I should have known better.

I guess with all the hype, I expected more. At times it was a very boring read.

I couldn't believe how uncreative this story was. After hearing gushing praise from you know who I expected something better...much better. I found this story boring and predictable. I'm offended when an author can't create drama in a female story line other than repeatedly raping her. It doesn't pass as depth, drama or creative...and it doesn't get a free pass from this reader. Don't bother waiting for it to get better.

When I finally came to the conclusion that I was to read the Pillars of the Earth for my summer reading, I was rather skeptical that a near thousand page book, dealing with the construction of a cathedral could keep me inspired enough to read it. I was ineffably mistaken.

Ken Follet introduces the book in a scene that feels abruptly tossed at us, but is nevertheless a phenomenal foundation to the plot. Follet chooses to write the chapters, deviating from character to character. By the time you finish the first chapter, your enticed by one of the main characters, Tom. You simply cannot wait to know what follows the end of chapter, so naturally you'll eagerly begin to read the subsequent chapter and notice that the perspective has changed to another character. "What's this?" I couldn't help thinking angrily. I continued turning the pages, impatiently waiting for mention of the character that I just formed a bond with, and to my surprise, I quickly realized the current character is just as eloquent written and genuinely admirable as the previous. Follet uses this tactic throughout the novel that you ultimately come to understand and appreciate all the characters on some deep level, from Tom to Prior Phillip, William of Hamley, Aliena, Jack, Richard, Ellen, and Waleran Bigod.

The plot also becomes as gratifying in its authenticity as it's characters. The beautifully vivid world of 12th Century England becomes as genuine as today's society is to us. After reading a copious number of pages, it takes some effort to snap back to our 21th century society. Follet balances, although some may argue, the unfortunate events and the elations of the novel perfectly. It's the sorrows that characters experience that give us such powerful, jovial feeling when something finally goes right. Although it stands as the basis of the novel, the Cathedral of Kingsbridge stands for so much more. It's what continuously caused admiration and despair, till Jack's motivational ardor constructed the most magnificent cathedral in all of England.

The only negative thing that I can bring up about the novel is the incessant malevolent acts Bishop Waleran commits. His never ending plots to destroy Prior Phillip, although understandable to some level, become tiring by the last 20 pages of the book. I understand it as his personality, but it's terribly infuriating when the man simply won't quit. All the better I suppose, for the satisfaction of the conclusion.

Far from the trite novel that I was expecting, The Pillars of the Earth has actually given me insight on certain inscrutable things about life. I will inevitably, I'd think, always admire the characters and words descended me within another world. This truly is epic.

I'm only part way into reading this book - but it's one of those that I can't put down. Not only is it well written, but it is also a fascinating study of the period and a well developed cast of characters. I'm thoroughly enjoying Pillars of the Earth.

I really enjoy listening to audio books to and from work and was really looking forward to this one. I had asked for it at Christmas because there were so many rave reviews, it was a longer book and this would keep me involved for some time. There were so many times I almost gave up on the book and listening to the last CD, I realized how relieved I was to be done with it. Although there was finally some positive experiences for the characters towards the last remaining quarter of the book, the reader is in for a long haul of poorly developed characters that had no depth and the brutalization of them throughout their history. I couldnt fall in love with any of the them, couldnt feel nor sympathize with any of their passions or pursuits, basically had a hard time caring. It is really hard to know about a character who answers a question with "Yes", but it is described as saying Yes in an elaborate way... If I were playing a drinking game like "High Bob" that we played many years ago in college, I would have ample opportunities for a swig if we took a gulp every time a charater thought to themselves "and he/she realized she was about to die". GEEEEZZZZ! I was absolutely put off by the very brutal and violant acts that were played out in such detail... unfortunately, this is the only place where details seemed to be so graphic. Maybe this is unfair. There is some detail with building the church. But I was left thinking...so who cares? Unless you can already visualize what it takes to build a church, the dragged out details are lost on you.

I read this book first as an older teenager/early twenties and loved it. Since then I have mentioned it as one of my favorites. However, I recently thought to re-read it some 15 years later.
While it remains a wonderful story, well told and vast in its epic scope, it hasn't worn the years as well as I would have hoped. I continue to recommend it to those who, like me, love historical fiction, but I don't think I'll include in on my favorites list any longer. It is overly long and the last part seems unnecessary. Some things are not terribly well expained and some in far too much detail. It retains through-out a twentieth century version of history feel to it. However, I remain a fan of the book and of Follett.

This is a good depiction of every day life for a myriad of characters and social classes in England. The book touches on aristocracy, union labor, clergy, kings and vassals, battle life, locally harvested resources such as a quarry, village life, clergy hierarchy/currpution, and basic trade markets.

The book also touched on these themes: relationships between spouses, social acceptance of violence, law enforcement, money lending and feudal requirements, succession and a tug of war between political factions and monarchs.

The large cast of characters have clear, realistic and common motives- all intertwining. The characters are real in their flaws, failures, successes and goals. The virtuous characters have long journeys of self realization. The self involved characters experience their own epiphanies- creating their own anguish. But the book doesn't wrap up happily ever after which is refreshing.

WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON... the architectural and structural details are woven in successfully. As you continue to read you begin to understand weight loads, buttresses, the integration of Moorish architecture based upon Geometries. This theme may parallel the characters own weight loads.

I want to stress that the book is an ongoing, epic, emotional voyage. Often touching on dark realistic elements of common life. It is an investment to read this book.

Personally, it was book of interest but difficult to continue and push toward it's conclusion. Sluggish with detail at times, the historical value kept me plugging away until I finished the book with a relieved sigh. It has to be a book you are in the mood for... Happy Reading.

I picked this up at the library and read the first page out loud to my hubby and kids. I thought it was soooooo impressive that I was sure I'd love it. If you read the first page (you can do this online) and you love it, I promise, it's worth your time. If you don't love the first page, you may not love it.

It's long, yes. It's also worth it. You won't read a chapter and wonder why it dragged out, hoping it 'came back around' later. It's wonderful. All of it.

I will say that there are rape scenes which normally I find pointless and uncomfortable and evil. There is nothing worthless or pointless in this book. It all comes around, long before it ends. And even in the end, its worth the journey.

I recommend this book to a lot of folks. I loved it and wish I could read it for the first time again.

I came to this book because it was an Oprah Book Club selection and her choices have been hit or miss over the years for me. This one, a hit. I still can't get over how Follett manages to make the intricate details of building a cathedral interesting and not boring. Intermixing it with the historical drama helps. This book is filled with a wonderful, beautifully written story of great characters. I consider it a must read!

This applies to both "Pillars" and its sequel, "Ends of the Earth." I won't repeat much of what I've read in many of the other reviews, but just say that an atheist/agnostic writing a book like this is like a man whose never seen an elephant trying to describe one. Follett puts the tail where the trunk should be and vice versa just because that would "make sense" to someone who has never seen an elephant. His characters are "works" driven and are hoping what they are doing will please God and earn his favor -- if they really care about God at all. There's nothing about grace and little about faith. I guess you can't write about something you don't understand. It certainly makes little sense to a non-believer. (I was once one, so I know.)

Tit 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

An interesting read but if you want to learn something about Christianity, this is not the book. You will learn a lot about the author's perception of Christianity.

I will add to the comments about the gratuitous sex. Not only does it stop the narrative of the book in its tracks, but it is repetitive and lacks imagination. All of the characters seem to have sex in exactly the same way, with the exception of the violence.

"The Pillars of the Earth" is everything you would expect from a thriller writer turned historical fiction writer - a gripping story, but lacking when it came to prose. I had trouble taking the book seriously when phrases such as "What a woman!" came up in the text. The modern words and names belied the novel's antiquity, which I can imagine helped some readers with accessibility - it was rather a turn-off for me. Still, such a complex and satisfying narrative deserves four stars.

Bought it for my book club. Wasn't sure if I'd like it based on initial review, but I was hooked after the first few pages. Loved all the characters and story lines. Couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Overly detailed on the architecture, but I did learn an appreciation of beautiful churches.

Kindle Version -

Organization is good, chapter navigation is easy. Illustrations were present and as good as they get on the Kindle - decently clear but very small.

Narrative -

This book is very slow for about the first 5 chapters and then the pace really picks up. It is well written, the characterizations are excellent, and the pace - once you're further into the book - is fast enough to keep you reading much longer than you intended [one more chapter and THEN I'm going to bed...okay, just a few more pages... and suddenly it's 3AM and you're wondering how you're going to function at work the next day... and STILL you only put it down grudgingly].

I really enjoyed the architectural detail, and the historical detail - whether or not perfectly correct - certainly helped to set the tone and give the reader a better feel for the characters and their struggles.

It has far murkier characters than one would expect: The good guys are quite flawed - some of them to the extent that if they weren't on the side of the good guys they would be bad guys. The bad guys - well they are still nearly entirely 'evil'.

The only tough part about the book is that given it's length and the number of characters... when minor characters are re-introduced later in the story you have to go back to figure out who they are and how they figured in to begin with. In addition the characterizations of the minor characters are somewhat fluid - as though the author didn't know which side they were going to fall on until much later than they were introduced into the story.

Other -

The book is long so you need to pay attention and/or use bookmarks if you plan to jump around a bit.

Summary -

Overall I can see why the book has had such a long and successful shelf-life.

I read this book long before it was popularized by Oprah. If she had already endorsed it back then, I would have stayed away from it because I never seem to agree with her selections. I picked it up at a bookstore on a week-long trip to Tahoe, at the recommendation of the owner.
I have no problem delving into long books when the substance is necessary to the plot, but this book dragged on....and on...and on. There were several instances where I could have sworn I read the exact same paragraph several hundred pages before. Where was the editor on this one??
The characters were largely two dimensional. Tom Builder was utterly unlikeable. The building of the cathedrals may be interesting if you enjoy architecture, but far too technical for this reader.
But the thing that put me off of this book the most was the sex (not consensual sex, but violent rape) and violence. I'm not a prude, but the descriptions in this book were purely nauseating. Even several years later, I'm still sickened by the thought of those images. The graphic nature was completely unnecessary, and could easily have been moved on from sooner while still getting the point across.
I only finished this book because I didn't have another to read while I was sitting on the beach for a week, but I have never been so happy to put a book down.

The story unfolds in a 30+ year span and you really get to know and like -and dislike- the characters. Unfortunately it has several very unnecesary details on sex and violence...

no one understands the human element better than Ken Follett. What a great story.