This is the BEST book I have ever read. I am on my 3rd or 4th copy because everytime I loan it out it doesn't come back. I read this intially in high school and it is the standard that I subconsciously compare all other books to. It was one of the inspirations to my studying Medieval History in college and graduate school. For those who say that it is too modernly written, this is when the things in society were starting to change and guilds were being born the church was at the height of its power, but the "little people" were trying to survive better than they had been earlier. Sex and violence were part of everyday life, Where do you think Grimm's Fairy Tales came from? This time period in European history! Anyway this is a great story, and I have to admit the sequel was good too, but not quite as good as the best book ever. If you like this book, then I would also recommend Katherine by Anya Seton, as it is almost as good.

Excellent book. I am really enjoying it.

Loved this story so much I've read it 2x, seen the series & visited multiple chathedrals in UK because of this book. St Magnus on Orkney - amazing.

a very good read

A great story. My reason for giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is that there was too much detail for me. I found myself skimming over parts near the end in order to get to the substance. The description of architecture and how one builds things might be good for some people, but for me, I was more interested in the characters and their interactions. Perhaps I was a little disappointed as my friend told me it was her favourite book, so my expectations were extremely high. Overall, though, I recommend the read.

A complete dream!

Not a book for the sensitive and impressionable to read before bedtime!

Some have commented on the length of this book as if that were relevant. It was a huge story, told in characters rather than facts. I think Follett is a master of character. I was deeply interested in all his characters from the beginning, and was only sorry that the book came to an end. Of course, "World Without End" made up for that. Follett is my favorite English author. Lately, I am unfazed by long books, as I have set myself to reading the works of James A. Michener, whose work I greatly admire. In length, at least, some of Michener's books make "Pillars" seem like a pamphlet.

This book is way too long. The information about the cathedral is probably historically accurate, but the account of the characters is from a totally 20ieth century sensibility. This is another example of "shoving the present into the past".

I have mixed opinions about this novel set in 12th-century England and centred about the decades-long project to build a cathedral in the fictional village of Kingsbridge. It is tightly plotted and, for the most part, moves along well. It is easy to read. It is frequently entertaining. It appears to be well-researched, with interesting details about life in that time and place. On the other hand, it is very long (I have read, though, that Follett wanted it to be long to mirror how long it took to build a church). There are sections, especially early in the book, where characters wander the countryside without much else happening. There is perhaps more architectural instruction than is necessary, but then the church-under-construction _is_ the central plot point. The small group of main characters are all geniuses and manage to devise all manner of economic and technological innovations. The novel's climax comes almost out of nowhere, bringing to centre stage some real-life political events that were in the background for 90% of the book. But the thing that annoyed me the most was the very modern tone of the language and the modernity of the characters. Part of reading historical fiction is expecting a style that adds a little historical flavour. Follett's vocabulary, his grammar, his story-telling technique, were all 20th-century. His characters seem to have modern attitudes to technology, sex, religion, and politics. This story would not seem out of place in a prime-time soap opera like "Dallas" or "Dynasty": the bad guys try to thwart the ambitions of the good guys, who time and time again manage to find a way to carry on. There are a handful of truly dramatic and moving moments, and Follett did manage to surprise me once or twice. So, like I said, a mixed review. It's a good story, but it could have been better.