
The Pillars of the Earth
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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Ken Follett
About this listen
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.
©1989 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)
"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)
Featured Article: The Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks
Often based on real people, events, and scenarios, historical fiction gives us the opportunity to learn about worlds and times we will never experience while introducing fascinating characters and stories set in their midst. Sometimes, the genre can even give us a peek into hidden storylines that routinely go unmentioned in traditional history books, showing us that those of ages past are perhaps not so different from ourselves.
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Story
D-Day is approaching. They don’t know where or when, but the Germans know it’ll be soon, and for Felicity "Flick" Clariet, the stakes have never been higher. A senior agent in the ranks of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) responsible for sabotage, Flick has survived to become one of Britain’s most effective operatives in Northern France. She knows that the Germans’ ability to thwart the Allied attack depends upon their lines of communications, and in the days before the invasion, no target is of greater strategic importance than the largest telephone exchange in Europe.
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Disappointing
- By vxdvxn on 10-25-10
By: Ken Follett
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The Evening and the Morning
- Kingsbridge, Book 4
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined.
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I was really waiting for this book!
- By Firebolt on 09-20-20
By: Ken Follett
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Night over Water
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Tom Casaletto
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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On a bright September morning in 1939, two days after Britain declares war on Germany, a group of privileged but desperate people gather in Southhampton to board the largest, most luxurious airliner ever built - the Pan American Clipper - bound for New York.
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Fun Listen
- By Daniel McAfee on 07-11-08
By: Ken Follett
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Never
- A Novel
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding story that transports listeners to the brink of the unimaginable.
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I'll NEVER get through this one
- By Georgia on 11-11-21
By: Ken Follett
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The Stand
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 47 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides - or are chosen.
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My First Completed Stephen King Novel
- By Meaghan Bynum on 02-20-12
By: Stephen King
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The Man from St. Petersburg
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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His name was Feliks. He came to London to commit a murder that would change history. A master manipulator, he had many weapons at his command, but against him were ranged the whole of the English police, a brilliant and powerful lord, and the young Winston Churchill himself. These odds would have stopped any man in the world - except the man from St. Petersburg.
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Riveting historical fiction
- By Thomas P. O'Connor on 04-14-21
By: Ken Follett
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Swan Song
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 34 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Facing down an unprecedented malevolent enemy, the government responds with a nuclear attack. America as it was is gone forever, and now every citizen - from the President of the United States to the homeless on the streets of New York City - will fight for survival. In a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, earth's last survivors have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil, that will decide the fate of humanity.
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Simply an Amazing Story
- By Amanda H. on 06-21-12
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Whiteout
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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A missing canister of a deadly virus. A lab technician bleeding from the eyes. Toni Gallo, the security director of a Scottish medical research firm, knows she has problems, but she has no idea of the nightmare to come. As a Christmas Eve blizzard whips out of the north, several people, Toni among them, converge on a remote family house. All have something to gain or lose from the drug developed to fight the virus. As the storm worsens, the emotional sparks—jealousies, distrust, sexual attraction, rivalries—crackle; desperate secrets are revealed; hidden traitors and unexpected heroes emerge.
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Ken Follett goes Danielle Steeel
- By B. W. Larsen on 01-27-05
By: Ken Follett
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The Key to Rebecca
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Tim Downie
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A brilliant and ruthless Nazi master agent is on the loose in Cairo. His mission is to send Rommel’s advancing army the secrets that will unlock the city’s doors. In all of Cairo, only two people can stop him. One is a down-on-his-luck English officer no one will listen to. The other is a vulnerable young Jewish girl....
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Christ the Savior
- By camille hobbs on 03-23-21
By: Ken Follett
What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth
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Overall
- Joseph
- 01-09-10
Good historical setting, but loose story.
I read this when it came out, because I was a graduate student of medieval history at the time, and now I've heard it on audiobook. Some aspects of the work are very impressive, others are rather simplistic pop fiction, but overall it's a rewarding book, and the performance is impressive, considering how long John Lee has to keep your attention with his reading.
The aspect of the book I loved most was the setting and the technical details. It recreates a medieval world, from the economy of the villages to the politics of the monastery, with intricate and impressive detail on the building of the cathedral and the changing architectural styles and challenges. That alone is worth the listen.
The story--as he himself has described it--is a series of melodramas over a couple of generations, some of which take the whole book to develop, some of which are settled as they go, much like a Victor Hugo novel, but without the great writing and complex insight. The tales themselves sound more like 20th century dramas than medieval lives. There are few of the moral dilemmas medieval literature dwells on, and you could just drop the same stories into modern England without much change beyond clothing and settings. Add a few cell phones and IPods, and you're good to go.
Overall, I recommend it. Four stars, because I can't give three and a half. The setting is worth the listen, and the melodramas are emotionally engaging even if not very medieval. It's long pop fiction with a more sophisticated setting. If you want a modern novel in a well-researched medieval setting, this is it. If you want historical fiction that recreates the emotional and intellectual psyche of the time, this is not it. Try Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" for that, I guess.
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214 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Reviewer A
- 12-28-07
Great Story
I really enjoyed this story. The characters are rich, you are given a full range of people who could be literary "good-guys" or "bad-guys". Their choices are interesting and the plot is full of turns and even suspense. I would have given this book five starts except a few things bothered me. First the author used quite a bit of foul language in the characters speech. If you are not bothered by four letter words you probably wont notice and enjoy the book just fine. Secondly, to make the antagonist even more sinister the author included several rape scenes with the antagonist enjoying his cruelty. The imaging was disturbing and again, if you are not sensitive to these kinds of scenes it wont be a problem. Over all the story was fantastic and a really interesting read. The book is very long and satisfying. I thought I would get bored but it was great. The reader also does a great job of bringing the different characters to life with different voices.
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93 people found this helpful
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Overall
- E. Danner
- 12-24-07
Fantastic
I picked this book purely based on other peoples reviews, its really not the kind of thing that I am into but it was FANTASTIC! The narration is perfect, the story lines were a pleasure to follow. I was addicted to the book from the introduction onward, truly amazing.
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52 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Joyce
- 11-27-07
good listen
My only criticism is that the book is perhaps a bit too long. Not a lot too long...just a bit. There was a time towards the end that I felt it dragged. This is a wonderful example of historical fiction at it's best. Well researched, I learned a lot about the day to day life of 12th century England. The author manages to involve the characters in important historical events of the time. I recommend highly.
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20 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 11-08-07
Pillars of the Earth
I have over 250 audiobooks in my library. This is by far the best book to which I have listened. It has all the elements that make a book exceptional. John Lee's reading makes you feel you are right there in medieval England. The characters are so real I never wanted the story to end. How lucky I am there is a sequel.
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18 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Karen
- 02-12-09
Don't give up . . . outstanding
While I'm not a huge Oprah fan (I don't think I've ever watched her show), the Oprah's book club isn't a bad place to start when looking for good novels to read (or listen to). As dull as the description of this one sounded (I'm really not into historical dramas), I gave it a chance mostly because of the Oprah recommendation AND because it was ridiculously long (at 40 hours). I have become addicted to audiobooks (the longer the better) because of a very long commute. I admit this is a slow start one--a little too much background to cover before the real story can begin--but don't give up. A few hours in, you are HOOKED. This is the kind of audiobook that you arrive at your destination and sit in the car a little while because you just CAN'T turn it off. Historically accurate (although with definite dramatic license), occasionally uncomfortably graphic and sexual for some tastes, but very, very good character development. You get to KNOW these people, and care deeply about then.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall
- B-Charlotte
- 12-11-07
Captivating
This was the best book I've ever listened to . I would come up with chores to do just so I could put my head phones on and listen. I finished Pillars last night and just downloaded World without End. I'm going to be seriously depressed when I finally have to leave the amazing world Ken Follett has created. Enjoy.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Scott
- 02-29-08
Dark Age Intrigue
This is *not* just a book about pretty buildings. That would be dull. Follet writes thrillers. So this is a book about *lives* of the people who were all needed to create the towns that built the central cathedral to this book . There is the suspense involving wicked earls and evil bishops to hiss at as well a breathtaking love stories occurring around the building of the cathedral which takes nearly a lifetime. The narration is spot on including a nice brogue for the main monk. You get real insight into what life was like in "dark ages" when so many more people truly feared and revered God. There are so many elements, (this is a *full on novel*) but there *isn't* a single dull page! Follett carefully intertwines all his characters ending with a true historical event making it all the more realistic. There is a reason this is his best selling book, this is Follet's masterpiece. His reason for writing a book so out of his usual style is explained perfectly in his prologue. It has become a "word of mouth" success. Well, here are my words to encourage you. We audio book lovers can't get enough truly *good long books* since we listen as often as possible. Many have said, they "can put it down or "can't wait to listen to more". I felt the same. For all it delivers, the drama, the history, the insight and commitment it takes to build such a building, and the evil that threatens to stop it.... all make this book is a real value.
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Me
- 11-05-07
Take a chance
I took a chance on this book. I almost let the dry sounding title, and the thing about the cathedral scare me off. This is a very entertaining book, and well narrated. It's less about monks and cathedrals, and more about the things people do, and the things that drive them. This is different than the usual Ken Follett, but then this is better than his rest. I am glad there is a sequel and am looking forward to it. I guess some authors can tell a good story regardless of subject. Enlightenment or edification, maybe not, good listen, yes.
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Bonnie
- 07-31-08
A dark view of the dark ages
If you are looking for light reading, go else where. If you are a history buff, and can deal with the horror of England in it's dark age, this is for you evil and goodness at every level. I enjoyed every word of this unique story. Brilliant.
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10 people found this helpful