Historical Fiction · EpicA prior sets out to build a great cathedral while England is torn by civil war
The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
A prior sets out to build the greatest cathedral of his age, in a country sliding into anarchy
In twelfth-century England, Philip, a devout and resourceful prior of Kingsbridge, is determined to build the greatest Gothic cathedral of his time. Tom, the mason who becomes its architect, is torn between loyalties, and Lady Aliena carries a secret shame. Around them a struggle between good and evil sets church against state, and the building of the cathedral becomes the center of an epic of ambition, anarchy and power.
More about this book
Who
Tom Builder, a mason whose lifelong dream is to build a cathedral. After his wife dies in childbirth, he leaves their newborn at a monastery cell run by Philip, a monk who will become prior of Kingsbridge. Also in the story are Aliena and her brother Richard, whose father, the Earl of Shiring, is threatened by a rival family, and Waleran Bigod, an ambitious cleric.
World
Twelfth-century England. The story begins after the sinking of the White Ship leaves King Henry I without a clear heir, which leads to the civil war between his daughter Maud and his nephew Stephen. Kingsbridge itself is invented.
What makes it different
Building a great church took decades, so the novel follows its characters across whole lifetimes. Follett, who was known for thrillers, drew on architectural histories and based his cathedral on Wells and Salisbury. It is divided into a prologue and six sections.
Feel
A long historical epic. It is Follett's best-selling book, the first of his Kingsbridge series, and was adapted into an eight-part television miniseries in 2010.
Page count and cover shown for: First edition
Behind the book
Follett says it began while he was reading about medieval architecture and became fascinated by cathedrals. Before long it occurred to him to turn that enthusiasm into a novel, and he knew it would be long: it took at least thirty years to build a cathedral, and most took longer.
Further reading
- The Pillars of the EarthWikipedia
- Ken Follett's Kingsbridge books in orderPan Macmillan