Written by Ken Follett
I usually try to avoid Oprah Book Club recommendations…if, for no other reason, that I don’t need her (supposed) validation to enjoy a book.
Or…is it that I’m worried everything she chooses would qualify as chick-lit? Not that there’s anything wrong with chick-lit (if you ever get your hands on the brilliant British novel The Secret Life of a Slummy-Mummy, you’ll understand why)…
But I shouldn’t have worried in regards to The Pillars of the Earth…for it is, without a doubt, a work of complete and total genius.
It’s historical fiction where the terms “rich” and “textured” are severe understatements. Dozens of characters interact — dozens of plotlines & personal issues intertwine — to such a monumental degree, and with such surgical precision, that it leaves other historical epics face down in the dust. Frankly, the author must have used a flow-chat the size of a football field in order to keep ALL the characters and stories moving with any logical progression. At times, the interactions between so many fascinating, repulsive, and adorable characters will leave the reader shocked & disgusted. At other times, the mood is triumphant and joyous. An emotional journey over the course of decades, it is told with such deftness that Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code looks more and more like a colouring book by comparison.
But plot isn’t the only lesson Mr. Brown could learn from Mr. Follett. The use of history — the fine details, the fascinating segues, the real-life soap operas of the ruling class — it’s all on display without a single info dump, without a single long digression into dull academia. From the details of cathedral construction to the power politics of the Norman/Plantaganet conflict, this is a book where history teaches and instructs by simply being a living, breathing part of the story itself. It’s not window dressing, and it’s not used as the opportunity for a mind-numbing university lecture…it’s the very crux of the book, in service to the characters in the most satisfying way imaginable.
As a side note, I found this aspect of the novel a powerful nostalgia button, as the memories of the great cathedrals and bustling market towns I visited during my journeys to England came flooding back with each and every page I read.
The Pillars of the Earth pushes 1000 pages…but if you have a couple of days, you will fly through it. When you put it down, your brain will demand you pick it up again. It has the excitement and enjoyment of a prime-time soap opera, but dressed with the dignity and sophistication of Shakespearean theatre. It’s one of the most satisfying novels I have read in years, and if it doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve participated in the journey of a lifetime, then you might as well stick to Danielle Steele novels.
Best of all…the Oprah Book Club sticker peels off the cover with remarkable ease. :D
