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The Pillars of the Earth
- Kingsbridge, Book 1
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
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The Pillars of the Earth
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Editor reviews
Award-winning novelist Ken Follett is at his most magnificent in Pillars of the Earth, Book 1 of the trilogy series by the same name, narrated by professional voice artist John Lee. This incredible book has been voted in the top 100 of Britain’s Best Loved Books in the BBC The Big Read. The scope of detail in this audiobook is unparalleled. Its intricate plot is weaved with history, religion, politics, love and dishonour. It is an all-encompassing saga, delicately capturing the very core of existence in 12th-century England. Available now from Audible.
Summary
An epic, spellbinding tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.
A Mason with a Dream
It is 1135 and civil war, famine and religious strife abound. With his family on the verge of starvation, mason Tom Builder dreams of the day that he can use his talents to create and build a cathedral like no other.
A Monk with a Burning Mission
Philip is the church prior of Kingsbridge. A resourceful man, he knows that if his town is to survive at all, it must find a way to truly thrive. He decides, then, to build Kingsbridge the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.
A World of High Ideals and Savage Cruelty
As the prior recruits his mason, so begins a journey of ambition, anarchy and the struggle for absolute power. Facing enemies that would thwart them, they will stop at nothing to fulfil their grand plans of Kingsbridge. Soon build tensions between good and evil, turning church against state, and brother against brother . . .
The Pillars of the Earth is the first in The Kingsbridge Novels series, followed by World Without End and A Column of Fire.
Critic reviews
"Enormous and brilliant...this mammoth tale seems to touch all human emotion - love and hate, loyalty and treachery, hope and despair. This is truly a novel to get lost in." (Cosmopolitan)
"A historical saga of such breadth and density.... Follett succeeds brilliantly in combining hugeness and detail to create a novel imbued with the rawness, violence and blind faith of the era." (Sunday Express)
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What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 06-06-21
Fantastic story and narration!
This didn't seem at all long, because the story gripped me from start to finish. It's a sweeping historical masterpiece - a family saga that covers both the details of ordinary lives and some of the most significant political events of a turbulent time, all set against the building of a cathedral, at a time when such buildings seemed beyond the natural capabilities of men. I'd enjoyed the TV drama, but found the audiobook much more compelling.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 03-12-20
Did not want it to end!
Was really invested in all the characters. Made me laugh, cry, squirm. Absolutely loved it and I didnt want it to end, just love how they're numerous plots and they all fit in to place
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-06-16
Ace!
I absolutely love this epic story and read it many years ago. I was a bit dubious about downloading it in spoken book form, worried that the magic would be spoilt. How wrong could I have been? This production is ACE you must buy it now.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Brian
- 16-04-16
Loved this book
This book has been a great companion on the long road to work. A great read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- steve rowlands
- 18-09-16
What a book!
A long book but brilliant from start to finish and the narrator bought the book to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR C G ELKINGTON
- 18-10-16
Excellent story.
Excellent storyline with lots of twists and turns with great narration and very difficult to put down.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- TIM
- 24-10-13
Great setting, fairly simplistic plot & characters
For me the main strength of this book is how well it conveys what is was like to actually live in 12th century Britain. The setting, atmosphere & integration with historical fact is done exceptionally well.
However I think in an effort to get this aspect of the book perfect, the author fell a bit short on everything else. Don't expect the complex inter-woven plots you'll find in a great thriller, nor is there any real character development to speak of. Lose plot ends are wrapped up in an untidy fashion, and the plot as a whole is quite repetitive.
All in all then it's an easy, unchallenging listen - popcorn stuff - narration is fine but nothing special. Despite this I still found this book very enjoyable because of how well the historical aspect is done, so well in fact that for me it overrides the books other shortcomings.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- FAP
- 09-04-13
Well worth a listen
A mammoth listen but well worth the time, a story that develops and draws you in to the lives of the characters. I really enjoyed this, have already downloaded the sequel and can't wait to get listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tracy Walker
- 20-07-15
A story of life in medieval Britain
Would you consider the audio edition of The Pillars of the Earth to be better than the print version?
John Lee reads this book beautifully. Having read the print version many years before I was sceptical as to whether I could enjoy someone else reading this story.... I need not have worried.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I really believed in Tom the Builder and his life long dream to build a cathedral.
What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
John Lee really allowed me to immerse myself fully into the story; he manages to bring life to the characters.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I didn't want this book to end.
Any additional comments?
I loved the print version of this book and I really enjoyed John Lee's story telling. It's a book that I will read (or listen to) again and again...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- richard
- 29-02-12
The Pillars Of The earth
This book by ken follett is something eles starts off a bit slow but after 45min just wait it gets really really good quick, such a good middleage story,
this book is on for about 40+hrs and its worth every min, and leaves you wanting more, The best Ken follett book by far
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