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Book Review of The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth
reviewed on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


The jacket was right...this is "a great epic tale". Although it took a while to get rolling, the plot was interesting and exciting - and I loved how the individual character's stories all weaved together around the building of the central cathedral.

My only negative comment is that the book as a whole is more depressing than I generally like to read. The characters were richly developed, relatable, and were put through so much suffering that it was hard to not put the book down in frustration. A little spoiler here...but even in the end, when you expect the evil characters to finally get what is coming to them, you're disappointed. More realistic maybe, but I was expecting a happier ending.