Ken Follett’s 1989 novel Pillars of the Earth is mesmerizing. I happened on the made-for-TV series, episodes 1 & 2, and went to the Kindle book. I love all things medieval, and a novel about building a cathedral is a find. Sadly, as Follett acknowledges in the Preface, he doesn’t believe in God, he barely tips his hat to the devotion that inspired medieval builders and artisans; also, his characters are totally modern, not medieval, personas. I don’t recommend the book for other reasons. It’s a great story and Follett a great craftsman; plot drives it more than character and you won’t find literary beauty in its pages.
