This book is way too long. The information about the cathedral is probably historically accurate, but the account of the characters is from a totally 20ieth century sensibility. This is another example of "shoving the present into the past".

I have mixed opinions about this novel set in 12th-century England and centred about the decades-long project to build a cathedral in the fictional village of Kingsbridge. It is tightly plotted and, for the most part, moves along well. It is easy to read. It is frequently entertaining. It appears to be well-researched, with interesting details about life in that time and place. On the other hand, it is very long (I have read, though, that Follett wanted it to be long to mirror how long it took to build a church). There are sections, especially early in the book, where characters wander the countryside without much else happening. There is perhaps more architectural instruction than is necessary, but then the church-under-construction _is_ the central plot point. The small group of main characters are all geniuses and manage to devise all manner of economic and technological innovations. The novel's climax comes almost out of nowhere, bringing to centre stage some real-life political events that were in the background for 90% of the book. But the thing that annoyed me the most was the very modern tone of the language and the modernity of the characters. Part of reading historical fiction is expecting a style that adds a little historical flavour. Follett's vocabulary, his grammar, his story-telling technique, were all 20th-century. His characters seem to have modern attitudes to technology, sex, religion, and politics. This story would not seem out of place in a prime-time soap opera like "Dallas" or "Dynasty": the bad guys try to thwart the ambitions of the good guys, who time and time again manage to find a way to carry on. There are a handful of truly dramatic and moving moments, and Follett did manage to surprise me once or twice. So, like I said, a mixed review. It's a good story, but it could have been better.

I concure with momoe, this is an excellent read!

Excellent book!! I don't know why I didn't hear of it sooner! I really enjoyed the history aspect and it made me realize how difficult it would be to live back then. I am waiting anxiously to read the sequel to this book which brings you back to Kingsbridge two hundred years later.

I have belatedly become aware of this book (almost 20 years after it was originally published). I was terrified of the brutality of the 12th century, but loved the characters and the drama that filled their lives. I ended up loving the story and I am looking forward to World Without End.

This is a great book to read!!

I love this time period in history! It sparked a desire to find more novels from this era. I did find the book kind of long in some areas - the topic of architecture was interesting enough, but the minute detail made for longer reading - I could have done without it.

Book much better than the made for TV mini.

This almost 1000-page novel which spans fifty years of British history during the 1100s, covers the lives of master craftspeople, townspeople, royals, monks, and the politics involved during the building of a cathedral. I found some parts of this book interesting, such as the social history of the time, and because events in the book were not always predictably written. Overall, I found the book much too long and felt forced to finish to the end after having invested so much time in reading. (July 2004)

I felt as though I was living in the time, walking the streets, breathing the air and couldn't get enough of the characters! Loved the DVD's as well