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The Pillars of the Earth
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Series: The Kingsbridge Novels, Book 1
- Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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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.
What the critics say
"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)
"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)
Editorial Review
When the throne of England is left without an heir, anarchy reigns in 12th century England. In the midst of this political turmoil, the small town of Kingsbridge rises to undertake a massive project: to build a cathedral. Rather than focus on the technical aspects of the development of Gothic architecture, Ken Follett’s historical thriller describes the humans and the historical events which caused the people of medieval Europe to create this multitude of exceedingly expensive structures. Through the eyes of several inhabitants of the town of Kingsbridge, The Pillars of the Earth transports its listeners into a time of conflict, where noblemen and churchmen alike become conspirators and traitors. By the time Ken Follett wrote this historical novel, he had already received several awards for his previous works. Despite the fact that this first installment of the Kingsbridge series was his first non-spy thriller, Follett did not disappoint - The Pillars of the Earth became a best-seller in several countries and was adapted into a miniseries which was nominated for 3 Golden Globes. This audiobook version of the novel brings the intrigue to life thanks to John Lee’s masterful narration, which will keep you captivated for hours.
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What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Janders
- 2018-01-01
Fascinating
Fully enjoyed this book. I have a long commute and I fall asleep listening to books and couldn’t wait to do both, which is a testament to how good the book is if I can look forward to commuting! Love the history and drama. Well worth reading!
4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-05-14
Audio Glitches
Sad to see Audible letting so many audio errors go un-repaired. I now wonder if I made a mistake in picking Audible for my audiobooks. I normally don’t give reviews, but I feel someone should point this out. This is a great book ruined by sloppy handling by Audible.
2 people found this helpful
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- Caylynn
- 2018-09-20
Excellent!
Wonderful historical novel. Terrific story, interesting characters, great narration.
I had read the book several years ago and listening to the audiobook reminded me of that enjoyable experience. Wonderful to listen to when commuting or relaxing.
Highly recommended.
#Audible1
2 people found this helpful
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- Diana M
- 2018-05-15
Good but overlong
I have no objection to big long books, as a rule; in fact, I quite enjoy them. However, I must say that this one, although largely quite entertaining, accumulated a particular flaw as it lengthened. For some reason, the author seemed to feel that every so often we needed a recap of previous events, so one or another of his characters would fall into a reverie and tell us what had been happening since the beginning of the story. I found it a little annoying at first, but increasingly irritating as it was repeated. My husband suggested that perhaps, like the serial writers of earlier times, the author was being paid by the word.
<spoiler> I also spent nearly the entire book expecting the conniving Waleran to put Ellen on trial for witchcraft, and I still can't imagine why he did not - or why the conspirators didn't just kill her. </spoiler>
I did also begin to weary of the repeated and predictable cycle of crisis/averted/all is well/crisis/etc.
Still, the characters were engaging and I liked how the "good guys" didn't all get along but had some serious conflicts among themselves. And the historical setting was rich and immediate, especially at the end.
I liked the reader, John Lee, although I was puzzled by his pronunciation of "refectory", which he consistently pronounced "ref'ettry". I was prepared to believe it was an older, or more British, pronunciation, but I searched quite a number of dictionaries, including the OED, and could find no other pronunciation than the usual "refec'tory", except a passing mention in the OED that "the stressing re'fectory was at one time somewhat prevalent". In any case, other than that, I found his reading very good indeed. I loved Phillip's Welsh accent, and in general how well Lee managed to provide distinctive voices to the many different characters with mostly quite subtle shifts in his pitch and rhythm.
2 people found this helpful
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- sykorka
- 2020-10-29
Pleasantly surprised
I have read some of the Ken Follett’s spy and thriller books in the past and always linked him to that genre. As an avid reader of historical novels I was pleasantly surprised - the story grabs you and never lets go. I found myself thinking about it and wanting to know more, it was hard to resist pausing the narrative. I am definitely going to buy his remaining three books with a historical theme.
1 person found this helpful
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- David A. Lugo, SJ
- 2019-03-26
Wonderful
This book is a fantastic glimpse into daily life of medieval England. Follett masterfully weaves the political, economic, and religious intrigue of the time with the ordinary ambitions and relations of common life. Lee’s performance, too, is noteworthy, as the characters and story are brought to life.
1 person found this helpful
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- Joshua
- 2022-05-06
Truly A Masterpiece
Sometimes you hear of A Great Book and then find, upon inspection, that it is Great to others, but not to you. Great if you're a teenager, a diehard fan of fantasy, a dedicated follower of the author, or some other, similar prerequisite.
Rarely is a book simply Great.
This book is, truly, Great.
It is elegant, endearing, and endlessly engaging. You will hardly believe me, considering its 40 hour length, but it is written with incredible efficiency. There isn't a wasted word.
I am in awe of this book and cannot recommend it enough.
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- Lorrie Morse
- 2022-04-03
a wonderful journey through time
Pillars of the Earth was an unlikely read for myself as I don't normally read such topics, however I decided to give it a chance and I am so happy I did. A wonderful story that describes different characters journey's through a harsh life. You feel their love, pain, suffering, revengefulness but also their triumphs as if it were your own. Along with all that you have some historical accuracy and beautiful descriptions. I can't wait to start the second book, a lovely read.
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- B. Helwig
- 2022-03-31
First Ken Follet experience…
I had heard so much from friends about Ken Fillet’s books. The hype was warranted! I was immersed in a world of his making. I listen while I walk the dog and have taken to longer walks! Lol
That should say enough! Great story. Outstanding performance! Excellent…
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- Laurel-Anne Gordon
- 2022-02-27
Engaging story, not for kids
A story about the church, but not a religious story. As a sensitive listener wanting a bedtime story, some of the passages were too violent to be bedtime material. Love scenes are only slightly less graphic.
So I had to adjust my listening schedule, because I was interested in the story all the way through.
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- Leslie
- 2013-03-12
It was very hard to get through this one
I am astonished at all the great reviews of this book. I thought it was terrible. The characters are cardboard and cartoonish. The good people are really, really good. The evil people are totally evil. And there is no one in between -- the place real human beings inhabit. The plot consists of an endless series of contrived catastrophes which befall the good people, usually at the hands of the bad people, with no apparent point other than to prolong the book.
The characters do no behave or have world views that are remotely like people of the middle ages. Maybe I'm too picky about this, since my undergraduate degree was in the history of medieval England. But anyone who thinks they are getting a genuine understanding of the medieval world is being sadly misled. For example, there are characters who say they don't believe in God. NO ONE in the middle ages did not believe in God. The entire concept of atheism would have been completely incomprehensible to the medieval mind. The endless talk about all people wanting "freedom" from kings or noble overlords is equally absurd.This kind of thinking comes from the 18th Century Enlightenment. People in the 12th Century just didn't think this way. These characters talk and think like 20th Century Americans, not medieval Europeans.
And, as others have mentioned, the long graphic rape scenes were just disgusting. Certainly a rape scene may be legitimately included in a book for artistic or plot reasons. But Follett goes way overboard. He tosses in multiple graphic rapes, plus an interminable and very graphic bear-beating scene, and a long scene where the bad guys try to stone a cat to death, all of which are completely unnecessary to the plot, and seem to be there simply to satisfy the author's interest in sadism.
Because of the glowing reviews, I kept listening in the hope that it would get better. By the time I realized it was not going to improve, I was so far in that I decided to just finish the thing. I wish I hadn't.
104 people found this helpful
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- Chris Bish
- 2007-12-28
Exceptional Book
The book is a compelling tapestry of colorful tales that together make the building of a cathedral whole cloth. The depiction of medieval life highlighted by the building of the cathedral is riveting and has stimulated me to read the books Follett mentions in the preface that he primarily used as the historical basis of his book.
The plot is never dull as one reader incredibly mentioned. It is loaded with adventure, history, love, cruelty, devotion, moral outrage, fealty; and has as many plot twists as a medieval cathedral has stones.
Other than being a great document about medieval life, Pillars of the Earth is a gripping work of literature.
94 people found this helpful
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- kg
- 2013-10-22
Disappointed in the sleezy content
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Way too much explicit language for my taste. I thought this was supposed to be a classic, I didn't realize it was classic soft porn that added absolutely no value to the stories, characters, plots or entertainment value. Disgusted and disappointed. This author is off my list forever.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
predictable
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
The premise was great
22 people found this helpful
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- Judith
- 2007-11-08
Couldn't Take My Buds Out
I thought, whew, 40 hours, but I really enjoyed it. One of those books that keeps you up late.
I liked the way the story moved. My only complaint was the repeaded rapes and the details of step by step sex, which, I personally find boring by most writers, I did >> a couple of times. I'm downloading the sequel now, so that tells the real tale. If you like family and political sagas, you won't be disappointed.
198 people found this helpful
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- Gina
- 2009-07-25
Epic story to be read by all!
I downloaded this book based on a review by another person who said something about how they couldn't believe a book about a monk trying to build a cathedral could be so interesting. Well they were right!
I just skimmed over some of the reviews here after reading the book and I can't believe some of these people and I read the same book! I personally was never bored with any of the parts. Many times I sat in my car once I got to work, just to hear out the rest of the chapter. Ken Follet is a brilliant writer and really drew me into his characters. I even felt true hatred towards the villains - I would come in from my hour drive home work ranting to my husband how much I hated so and so.
Some reviews here talk about the book being vulgar, that is not true. There are some sexual encounters in this book (some the good kind and others terrible), but they add to the storyline. I personally felt it brought more realism to book, but did not feel like the author overdid the frequency of encounters like some other books do.
I'm traveling to England this month for the first time and thanks to this book I've altered my itinerary in order to visit some cathedrals. I want to marvel at the architecture and imagine the trials and tribulations the builders went through.
I love historical fiction and enjoyed how the author brought in real events (that I could look up) and gave the ordinary people of that time a voice. I could imagine how hard life really was for them and the life and death effects of the decisions and whims of the rulers. I have a better appreciation for their struggles.
The narrator did a fabulous job. Some narrators can ruin a book, but John Lee brought all those characters to life. Sometimes I'd forget it was the same man voicing every character.
I do wish the author had given his comments at the end of the book, not at the beginning. It gave away some of the plot.
307 people found this helpful
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- Joseph
- 2010-01-09
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.
198 people found this helpful
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- NEIROL
- 2007-12-28
Great Story
I really enjoyed this story. The characters are rich, you are given a full range of people who could be literary "good-guys" or "bad-guys". Their choices are interesting and the plot is full of turns and even suspense. I would have given this book five starts except a few things bothered me. First the author used quite a bit of foul language in the characters speech. If you are not bothered by four letter words you probably wont notice and enjoy the book just fine. Secondly, to make the antagonist even more sinister the author included several rape scenes with the antagonist enjoying his cruelty. The imaging was disturbing and again, if you are not sensitive to these kinds of scenes it wont be a problem. Over all the story was fantastic and a really interesting read. The book is very long and satisfying. I thought I would get bored but it was great. The reader also does a great job of bringing the different characters to life with different voices.
90 people found this helpful
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- E. Danner
- 2007-12-24
Fantastic
I picked this book purely based on other peoples reviews, its really not the kind of thing that I am into but it was FANTASTIC! The narration is perfect, the story lines were a pleasure to follow. I was addicted to the book from the introduction onward, truly amazing.
50 people found this helpful
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- CynNC
- 2008-08-12
Captivating
This one sat in my wish list for a couple of months while I debated. The length did not bother me, that was why it ended up in my wish list to begin with ... but was not sure how interesting a story about 13 century cathedral building would be. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! I have downloaded close to 200 books in the past year and this one and the following "World without End" also by Ken Follett, which I downloaded immediately after this one, are definitely in my top 10 faves. I agree with others that it is a bit heavy on the sex but it was still a wonderfully captivating adventure.
100 people found this helpful
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- Nom De Guerre
- 2011-11-28
Case for ratings
I bought this book thinking that I was getting a critically acclaimed historical fiction book. I could not finish the book because it became so sexually graphic. It should be listed with adult novels.
9 people found this helpful
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- SL
- 2018-10-27
Oeuvre monumentale
Histoire passionnant du temps des cathédrales, les personnages sont fouillés et l'intrigue est prenante! Le rythme est soutenu, Ken Follett parvient à maintenir une véritable tension, sauf peut-être sur la fin qui accuse qqs longueurs (les 5 dernières heures de l'audiobook). Le narrateur est incroyable, on est totalement immergé dans le récit :)
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- dimitri sonier
- 2017-04-14
J'ai adoré ! I loved it !
Non seulement l'histoire est exceptionnellement prenante mais les personnages du livre sont brillamment interprétés par le narrateur.
Un grand roman. A great novel.