Pillars of Earth

[meganbmoore]

Youtube trailer for upcoming mini:

Can anyone who's read the book guess at my likely level of like/annoyance? I actually don't know much about it, Ken Follett's books not normally being my thing and all.

Comments

[cofax7]

Well, this is one of the few instances where it's quite likely to be better than the book. I bought the book from Audible because it had hundreds of enthusiastic reviews, and I wanted something long.

My GOD is the book long. And in desperate need of an edit. (Please note I haven't finished it yet: I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and have started skipping forward, which is tough to do with an audiobook.) Could be 1/3 shorter without losing any of the content. It's a very (very very) detailed look at life in rural England during the war between Stephen & Maud (same period as the Cadfael mysteries, actually).

The characters are broadly drawn, not particularly complex: Ian McShane is the venal and ambitious Bishop Walleran, Matthew MacFaddyen is the well-meaning but politically naive Prior Philip. Not sure about the rest of the cast.

The main character, inasmuch as there is one, is a skilled but parochial mason who wants to build a cathedral; the non-building arc involves the mystery surrounding his common-law wife, a ridiculously modern and omnicompetent knight's-daughter turned forest scavenger named Ellen. Oh, and remarkably beautiful, with golden eyes. One must not forget the golden eyes.

Based on the cast and the melodramatic story, it's probably going to be entertaining. I don't know if it'll actually be good.