The Pillars of the Earth
A cathedral takes a lifetime to build. Follett made you care about every stone. Almost a thousand pages and you want more.
Building Kingsbridge
Ken Follett's 1989 epic follows the building of Kingsbridge Cathedral in medieval England from the 1120s to the 1170s, against a backdrop of civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. The vast cast includes the builder Tom, the prior Philip, the noblewoman Ellen, and the villain Hamleigh family, all circling the great stone project that consumes their lives. Follett researched medieval architecture for years before writing a single page. The novel was initially rejected by his own publisher, who said no one would read a novel about building a cathedral. It has now sold over 26 million copies.
Reading The Pillars of the Earth
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"The most expensive thing in a cathedral is the faith that built it.
"Ken Follett
Follett had the idea for the novel after visiting Peterborough Cathedral and wondering how people in the Middle Ages found the faith and determination to build something that would take longer than a single human lifetime to complete.
Follett's own publisher, Pan Books, rejected the finished manuscript. It was eventually published by a different imprint and went on to become one of the best-selling historical novels ever written.