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Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett
Macmillan 1989 (republished by Pan Books 2010)
ISBN 978-0-330-53492-5
RRP $24.95
Target Audience: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
A Blue Dingo review by Scott Chambers.
In The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett has prepared a true literary degustation. Slip hungrily between the covers and you’ll find a little bit of everything you might enjoy in a great story; each piece painstakingly crafted, thoughtfully pieced together, and inextricably bound by a mortar of intricate, accurate detail. The end result is a masterpiece of epic proportion to make the mind’s eye weep in admiration.
As a highly acclaimed and accomplished author of thrillers, Ken Follett claims to have felt on shaky ground when starting this epic tale of historical fiction, but clearly he rose to the task magnificently – which is not to say it was without significant challenges. In fact, there are many parallels between the quest to get this story on the shelves and the quest of its main characters (who wanted to build a magnificent cathedral). Both projects, as it turns out, took well over a decade to complete from the moment of their conception and were undertaken with no small amount of risk. The story – itself superbly crafted – is one of architectural, social and political craftsmanship by the local Prior and Master Builder to achieve their ultimate goal. More significantly though, perhaps, the 1075 pages of this magnificent book – as well as the breathtaking cathedral it ultimately describes – stand as testimony to the great things that can happen if one is brave enough to follows one’s dreams – despite the apparent futility.
Apart from the period in which the story is set – well into the Middle ages, which I have always found fascinating – there were so many things that drew me deeply into this story: the full spectrum of human emotion it contains (love – hate, loyalty – treachery, hope – despair); the amazing descriptive detail that makes use of all the senses to bring Europe in the turbulent 12th Century AD vividly to life; and the intentionally blurred boundaries between fact and fiction – deciding to involve the main characters in the real life murder (martyrdom) of Thomas Becket (and everything leading up to this pivotal moment in history), was indeed a masterstroke.
The tale begins with news of King Henry’s legitimate heirs perishing suspiciously in the wreck of the White Ship in 1120 AD – which can only spell trouble. I mean, as if commoners at the time didn’t already have enough on their plates with famine and being at the mercy of uncompromising local Lords and Churches, the last thing they needed were battles over the royal succession the makings of anarchy. A trio of ambitious men then conspires to conceal the truth behind the tragedy at sea by silencing the sole survivor of the scuttled White Ship. Confident of their deceit, all three are lulled into a false sense of security while enjoying the view from a few ill-gotten rungs further up the social ladder. Meanwhile, two men (Tom Builder and Prior Philip), have a dream (ok, so they had separate dreams, but I’m a little pushed for space here): to build a cathedral. One of them succeeds. But before that King Henry dies and all hell breaks loose.
Before reaching its conclusion the tale spans an incredible 50 years. For those who can tear themselves away from the intrigue of cathedrals and their construction, among the stories many take-home messages are: (a) never get on the wrong side of a witch, (b) while God’s will may ultimately prevail, it doesn’t hurt to hedge your bets with a bit of hard work and thinking for yourself, and (c) sometimes you need to live a long time and suffer many injustices to see a complete bastard get what they really deserve – or, put more simply, Life isn’t fair.
In short, The Pillars of the Earth is an amazing tale of courage and perseverance, with more than a smattering of ambition, conflict, sadism, abject suffering, drama and political rivalry thrown in for good measure. It is also a wonderful tribute to the amazing Gothic Cathedral – each of which, I should add, stand as much in celebration of the ingenuity and achievements of some truly amazing people, as to the glory of God. All hail the pointed arch – and all the fiddly bits around the edges. Truly amazing to think what used to be possible without a computer or coffee machine.
The Pillars of the Earth was first published in 1989 and republished most recently in 2010. Apart from sheer populardemand, the most recent release has been to whet appetites. Some 12 years ago Ken Follett hinted at a sequel to this epic volume. I’m overjoyed to say that it, too, is on the shelves: World Without End. I’ve got my copy, hope there’s plenty left!
