Well, it is twenty years since I read it, but I don't think it bears much resemblance to either Diana Gabaldon's work or the biographies of Antonia Fraser.
I would probably say that if you are as ambivalent as you sound about it, give it a miss - there are lots of other worthwhile reads.

I so don't get the rave reviews for this book, and so don't get Ophrah's selection of it. If you liked Fraser (who I love) and didn't like Galbadon (and I don't) I don't know that you will like this one. I really expected to love this book - England in the Middle Ages, Building of CAthedrals, whats not to love? Oh my - If you read it, prepare yourself for cardboard characters who talk like they are living in this century, dry uninspired descriptions of how the cathedral is built, constant battles of good folks versus evil ones (oh the good ones know how to read, in the 12th century) but esp be prepared for very graphic violence, including two rape scenes that I wish I could erase permanetly from my brain (it was the second one half way through the book when I decided, there was no way in hell I'd finish it) I know others here will disagree, so take what I say with a grain of salt. If you don't have high expectations, you might well like it. As for me, well, count me as disgusted and disappointed

Sorry for the rant. If you'd like, I can tell you books about the same topic that I loved.

I read it when it first came out and then re-read it last month in case I decided to read his latest one which is supposed to be a sequel. It is a big book, and I did keep setting it aside to read other things, but did finish it.
I much prefer the book Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd with a similar topic and same time period about building Salisbury Cathedral.

Pat

If you like the medieval period and can take Follett's sex scenes with a grain of salt, you will like this book. I also re-read it a few months ago before getting his new book that follows it with a gap of a few hundred years. I enjoyed both of them.

I could handle the sex scenes between the mason and his wife, and other such. It was the graphic descriptions of the rapes that were not only unecessarily graphic, but gave me the feeling that the author was enjoying himself. Just creeped me out.

I read this book when it was first released and really liked it. Friends gave it to me for Christmas, they are devoted Oprah fans. I think they might have thought the book is a new one. Maybe some day I will read it again.

I really enjoyed the book when I read it years ago and again listening to it in the last month or two. The descriptions of building the cathedral were interesting to me and I liked the characters. As to the graphic parts -- I'm sure life was that way years ago. The killings bothered me more than anything but we hear very bad stuff all the time in the news that bothers me just as much. My opinion is that Follett very thoroughly researched the time period and was rather realistic in his writing. Granted, there were some modernizations that didn't quite fit but I could overlook them because the story was so interesting.

Yes, life was that way years ago, and it still it for many. And yes we hear about bad stuff all of the time. And in a book like this I would expect the same. But the graphic depictions of torture, massacres, rapes were totally unnecessary. Tell that they happened, but getting into intimate detail was just over kill (sorry). They pulled me out of the book and did nothing to forward the story.

BTW caveat - I volunteered for the local Victim Witness program. I may be just a little over sensitive to these things. But I gotta tell you, some of those descriptions in the book could have come straight from a police blotter. Anything good about the book for me was overshadowed by them.

I'm another that enjoyed the book overall. I was very glad to be forewarned by RP'ers about the violence. That allowed me to be watchful and do some skimming, tho I did find out more than I wanted to about the violence of the time. I found the details about the cathedral interesting. I do however agree that Rutherford's writing is much better. I just finished "Princes of Ireland". He is able to write realistically about the historical periods without wallowing in the violence.

Other writers who do a very good job with this time period are Dorthy Dunnet and Sharon Kay Penman.

I read Pillars years and years ago. And it was my first "exposure" to the Middle Ages. I enjoyed the book, although I must say that I do not remember the scenes that are mentioned above. I do remember the cathedral scenes and that is what sent me on a hunt to read more, fiction and non-fiction, on the Middle Ages.

Other Middle Ages books that I loved:
The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco (F)
The Middle Ages, Morris Bishop, (NF)
Life in a Medieval Castle, Gies - can't remember the first name, (NF)
Life on a Medieval Barony, same author, (NF)
The mystery series by Kate Sedley starring Roger the Chapman, (Mys, fic.) - I love the window into everyday life in the Middle Ages in this well-researched series.
And, of course, the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, (Mys, fic.)
Sarum, London, The Forest, Edward Rutherfurd, (fic)

And I would love to learn of other authors who set their fiction books in this era, or non-fiction books other RP-ers enjoyed.
PAM

Its funny, I thought I'd read Pillars of the Earth when it first came out and all I remembered were the cathedral scenes. So I was excited about returning to it and found a completely different book.

Joseph and Frances Gies wrote many very readable non fiction books about the Middle Ages that are excellent starting places. A few other non fiction works to try are Barbara Tuchman's Distant Mirror, and Wm Manchester's A World Lit Only By Fire. Some fiction:

>Judith Tarr Queen of Swords, about the first crusade told through the eyes of those living in the Byzantium Middle East at the time. You get some spendid scenes about Eleanor of Aquitane leading the troops, as well as a look at the civilization that the crusaders wanted to destroy.

Speaking of, Amy Kelly's Eleanor of Aquitane and the Four Kings is a wonderful non fiction read about the queen and her times. Its a good book to read before reading Penman's Time and Chance, which is about her and Henry II

Somewhere below is a whole thread on the middle ages. Lemme see if I can track it down (I wish there was an easier way of locating old threads!)

Here it is

Here is a link that might be useful: What About the Middle Ages

cindy,
THANK YOU! I hope fellow RP-ers add even more to the Middle Ages thread.

And what age was I living in when that was originally posted? I didn't even contribute! I've been trying and trying to recommend Kate Sedley's mystery series for YEARS and would not have normally missed the chance to mention her on a thread. (p.s. there are now 16 medieval mysteries in the Sedley series and has a new one coming out next year, The Green Man.)

PAM

Here is a link that might be useful: Kate Sedley bibliography on Stop You're Killing Me

I read The Pillars of the Earth many years ago and remember enjoying it very much. I don't recall the graphic rape scenes but remember liking the descriptions of the cathedral building. My DH gave me World Without End for Christmas and I hope I will not be disappointed.

I'm halfway through Pillars and I am really enjoying it. I like the depth and background he gives to each of the characters. I have always been sensitive to violence so I learned to skim through parts like that a long time ago. I also am enjoying reading about how they are building the cathedral. I feel like taking it to my planning department and shoving it in their face- see these people didn't even having drawings or engineers or architects and the damn things have stood for hundreds of years! They actually rejected one of our drawings because a light switch was 2 inches farther done the wall then it should be! But I digress....

it is amazing to think that these building were built with so much unskilled labor and most of the plans in the heads of a hand full of people and that they still stand today. What a marvel.

Another two series set in this time period:
Margaret Frazer's "Sister Frevisse" and "Joliffe" series. Two series, but there is a tiny bit of overlap of characters. I enjoy them both very much.

Here is a link that might be useful: author's page, stopyourekillingme.com

Just finished. It was OK. Not sorry I read it. I want to read more on Thomas Beckett. Must have been asleep in school when he was discussed. Will I read the sequel? Not right now. Thanks for all the input.

For a well-researched yet very very readable treatment of the Henry II-Becket situation, I recommend Sharon Kay Penman's Time and Chance. It is the second in a proposed trio-the first is When Christ and His Saints Slept . Penman has had health issues and the third is still being written, but each does stand alone.

I tried to get into this last month, and gave it up. I adore that time period and the part about the cathedrals was interesting. However, I was quite put off by the shallow characterizations, IMHO. Maybe I will go back to it again, some day....

I have also read Sharon Kay Penman and enjoyed her work.

Beckett- I recently saw a movie about Beckett on TCM with Richard Burton as Beckett. It was pretty good.

Called 'Becket', also stars Peter O'Toole as Henry II. (that is an actor who can do no wrong in my very humble opinion). Its been ages since I wanted it, but that final scene when they are together is one of the most moving I've ever seen.

Cindy, I agree. This film is unforgettable. Very long, but well worth it.

I saw the original stage production of Becket in London in about 1961/62. As a play it was over-long and the Aldwych Theatre old and uncomfortable but I'm glad I had the chance of watching it.
Has anyone seen the very noir 'Murder in the Cathedral' by TS Eliot? Quite 'up to the moment' when considering the recent comments/discussion by the Archbishop of Canterbury on sharia law and the over-heated response from the UK public who seem to feel that he should make no 'thoughtful' comments on anything. All taking us back to Plantagenet times and the arguement of whether the Law of the Land be separated from Church Law .. . as with Henry II and Becket.
Eliot wrote of a Becket who knows he will be killed but is more concerned that he will win his place in heaven because he has become a martyr even though he may not believe in the cause of his murder.

The movie with O'Toole and Richard Burton is A Man for All Seasons. One of my top 5 movies of all time.

I haven't seen Murder in the Cathedral but studied it in a college lit class. It is powerful, as is A Man for All Seasons.

The original 1966 Fred Zinnerman film of A Man For All Seasons starred Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw. In its day a very forceful movie. Another strong king clashes with a stubborn subject but who wins?

i stand corrected! It is one of my favorites-why am I remembering a different cast? old age.

Man for all Seasons was about Thomas More, who dared to go against the wishes of Henry XII re his divorce from Katherine. He lost his head for that. Same cast was in Beckett. I saw both movies at about the same time, and to this day have to look up Man for all Seasons to make sure thats not the Becket film....So I understand the confusion :)

and we watched both of them in an English history May term course I took in college-one month, one course, cool British professor who loved movies!

I have recently heard on another website that the third of the Penman Eleanor/Henry books is called The Devil's Brood and is due out in autumn (for you Northern Hemisphere readers).

I just checked her website. In March she said she would be finished with it this last fall, and it would be published in 2008. I just wrote her to see if she could give a date. Crossing my fingers - I so want to read that book! (and hoping her health is good enough that she can continue to write more)

That would be good news, on both points, Cindy. Do let us know if you hear back-hopefully, there will be lead time to reread the first two!

I got the info from someone who is quite close to Sharon Penman, so would think it accurate.

well, I finally finished Pillars, all the kids happened to be away from home for the whole weekend at the same time (that doesn't happen too often!).......

I did enjoy it, it kept me interested but I don't think it was terrific. I am not inspired to read the sequel. For me, it was overly descriptive, a bit dragged out. I did like Phillip. I thought Follet did a good job of describing how men of God were driven to do the things they did in the name of God as they believed.

I think I'll read something light next.