pillars of the earth (possible spoilers)

[lucas9000]

i just finished this book last night. it was pretty good, but i think it was too long. about 3/4ths of the way through i was getting frustrated by the constant barrage of stuff going wrong with the people...not because i wanted some happy go lucky story, but just because it got a little boring.

also it just kind of fizzled out at the end, and the character who was possibly the most interesting in the whole book (ellen) was given short shrift. i also thought the story about jack's father was a let-down...it was pretty easy to figure out, and by the time waleran gave his dramatic confession it was already fairly obvious.

however it was a great story, and the character development was pretty phenomenal (with the exception of ellen).

thoughts/opinions?

[ChipWrecked]

I read it a long time ago, but I had no complaints. Thought it was great. I tear through any Follett I get my hands on now. Read 'Eye of the Needle'.

[sexdrugsmoney]

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i just finished this book last night.

thoughts/opinions?

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LOL, classic.

[lucas9000]

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i just finished this book last night.

thoughts/opinions?

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LOL, classic.

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i don't get it.

[StevieG]

Here's a definite spoiler, so I'm putting it in white.

<font color="white">Of course we knew much about Jack's father. Follett opened the book with his execution, and we had hints all along the way. But you guessed the reason he was so dangerous to these people, that he was witness to a planned coup d'etat? Seriously?</font>

Ellen may not have had character development because we already see her as the strong-willed, irreverant woman that she is throughout the entire book. But the revelations at the end give us insight into how she got that way. With that, her character gains a softening note of tragedy in her past, and we can look back at her relationship with Philip and see a much different side of it. That kind of "whoa, so that scene takes on a whole different meaning" is the ultimate in character development.

Yes, Follett does lay it on with the setbacks. However, part of what makes all of Follett's books so good is that the villains are cunning, powerful, and relentless. We believe his heroes are in real danger.

In "Pillars," that acute danger is somewhat replaced by blunt opposition, but that helps give the book epic scope. There are generations of people opposed to eachother thanks to the seminal events in the beginning. These are two fronts that grow in time opposed to eachother, precipitating in the book's climax.

It has to be that way. Philip is complicit in conspiracy in the beginning. It is the slow accumulation of injustice over time that lets him act as he does in the end.

[SL__72]

It was good. Probably the only 1000+ page book about building a church I will ever read, much less enjoy.

[lucas9000]

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Of course we knew much about Jack's father. Follett opened the book with his execution, and we had hints all along the way. But you guessed the reason he was so dangerous to these people, that he was witness to a planned coup d'etat? Seriously?

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i got rid of the white because the subject has a spoiler warning.

i didn't know the minute details (like that it was some barons who planned the ship sinking), but i'd figured out what the deal was: the ship was intentionally sunk to get rid of the powerful and high-ranking people on board, jack's father survived, was captured, and then framed/killed because he could be the only one who would be able to reveal the plot.

[lucas9000]

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Ellen may not have had character development because we already see her as the strong-willed, irreverant woman that she is throughout the entire book. But the revelations at the end give us insight into how she got that way. With that, her character gains a softening note of tragedy in her past, and we can look back at her relationship with Philip and see a much different side of it. That kind of "whoa, so that scene takes on a whole different meaning" is the ultimate in character development.

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i know this is kind of trivial, but we never get ANY explanation as to how she can curse people/marriages, other than some speculation that she's a witch. wtf? i guess we do get to see how she grew/changed by her coming to testify for phillip, but still i felt like the author kind of forgot about her in the end.

[Slow Play Ray]

I just bought this book for my trip to England. I needed something lengthy. I hope it's good.

[flatline]

Loved the book. It starts slow, just sticking with a single perspective for a while. Then, all of the sudden any person is fair game to have his/her own point of view told. The book pretty much rocks from then on.

BTW, if you like this, try Game of Thrones. Similar sturctures.