The Pillars of the Earth
The Kingsbridge Novels (abridged), Book 1
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The Pillars of the Earth
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Narrated by:
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Richard E. Grant
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By:
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Ken Follett
About this listen
Abridged edition, narrated by Richard E Grant (Withnail and I)
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.
© Ken Follett; (P) Macmillan Publishers LtdCritic reviews
"Richard E. Grant's virtuoso vocal characterisation is a shortcut to establishing the colourful variety of the enormous cast. If you become addicted, you can follow it up with the just-released sequel, the even longer World Without End, also read by Grant." Christina Hardyment (The Times Books)
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Margaret Murray
- 06-25-10
Pillars of the Earth
A great author that took me along the journey of hardship, sadness, relief, anger, cruelty, self obsessed people, generous people, heartache, determination and survival. The book ending was a slight anti climax and seem to end before it should have but I think that about good movies I want them to go on forever.
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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
- Patrick
- 01-04-22
a story to get lost in...
5th time listening to this epic tale.. might just have to listen to it a 6th time!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Colin
- 03-22-08
Cinematic
Ken Follett writes with such vivid prose it's impossible not to drop into his world as he projects the story directly onto your imagination. Whilst the ending is a little rushed it is a deeply satisfying tale full of adventure, courage, loss, retribution and the full melodramatic palette. There is also screeds of fascinating information of time, place and matters architecture.
Highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- Morgan A.
- 10-29-18
brilliant and engaging story
Ken Follett is a master...vivid story telling and brilliantly pieced together tale. Also, this narrator is phenomenal! it was hard to tear myself away
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Michelle
- 11-29-08
poorly abridged
No doubt a good book but spoiled by being poorly abridged - and of course no unabridged version available in my geographical location!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- DIANA GILLATT
- 08-01-09
Long and heavy
Well this certainly killed time in the car, but how it drags on. Not my best read of the year.
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