The Pillars Of The Earth

Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but
his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a
twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the
greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known. Everything readers
expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate
romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the
time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the
building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude,
flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests,
the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar
landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven
backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the
master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives
of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom,
the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip,
the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman
of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to
imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life. The building
of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled
stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the
construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which
begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the
humiliation of a king. At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an
epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of
the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece.