Who recommended The Pillars of the Earth?

5 people have recommended The Pillars of the Earth in the interviews, articles and reading lists we track, including Oprah Winfrey, Chris Fralic and Joe Hill. Each name links to their full reading list.

Is The Pillars of the Earth worth reading?

5 people we track recommend it. It is best for: a history teacher preparing a lecture on medieval England who wants vivid scenes and personalities to spark classroom discussion; the book supplies theatrical episodes that map to social and institutional themes; a reader with a long trip or stretch of free time who wants to disappear into a single multi-day novel; the length and episodic chapters reward binge reading; a book-club host looking for a volume that provokes argument about ethics and power in a premodern setting; the novel’s intertwined lives create clear moments to debate motives and outcomes. It may not suit: you'll likely put it down when the middle section settles into long technical detail about building and repeated interpersonal conflict — that stretch tests patience; annoying if you prefer tight plots and quick payoffs: the novel repeats themes and relies on melodramatic reversals that feel over-long; lose interest if you dislike very large casts and many viewpoint changes; the narrative hops between characters often and can dilute emotional focus.

What books are like The Pillars of the Earth?

Readers of The Pillars of the Earth also turn to 11/22/63, The Tiger's Wife and The Color Purple, based on the lists and recommenders these books share.

The Pillars of the Earth: Recommended by 5 People

Name: The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett

If you liked the Century Trilogy, you_x0092_ll love the _x0093_extraordinary...monumental masterpiece_x0094_ (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett_x0092_s already phenomenal career._x0093_Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,_x0094_ extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the histori...