New Height Books

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2nd Only to Atlas Shrugged

Posted by cappy on November 12th, 2007

"Tom turned to Jack. 'It's about time you said something, lad. What do you want to do with you life?'

"Jack had never thought of that particular question, but the answer came out with no hesitation, as if he had made up his mind long ago. 'I'm going to be a master builder, like you,' he said. 'I'm going to build the most beautiful cathedral the world has ever seen.'

"The red edge of the sun dropped below the horizon and night fell. It was time for the last ritual of Midsummer Eve: floating wishes. Jack had a candle end and a piece of wood ready. He looked at Ellen and Tom. They were both gazing at him, somewhat nonplussed: his certainty about his future had surprised them. Well, no wonder: it had surprised him too."

Ken Follett is famous for his gripping, fast-paced spy novels that show his readers a small, enticing story within the broader scale of historical context. Most are set in or around the Second World War and, though the principles are broad, the conflict is always one man against another. In Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett takes us back to the last years of the Middle Ages, to a time when great cathedrals became the inspiration and the goal of the pious, the ruthless and the capable alike. He reveals to us a world blossoming into a new era of technological progress, but still entrenched in the corruption of warring monarchs and greedy lords.

In the span of nearly three generations, Follet introduces a humble, intelligent monk, a proud, capable mason, a princess thrown to the street, a bishop willing to commit any sin in the service of God, and a Lord driven nearly to madness by his own lust for retribution. The characters are brilliantly executed, the plot matches the pace of his best spy novels, and the scope covers all manner of Man.

If you aren't religious, like me, don’t let yourself get turned away by the religion in this book. Although one of the major characters is a good, God-fearing prior named Philip, Follet makes it clear that the source of true heroism lies elsewhere. Not in the lip service to dogma, but in the indomitable spirit of men who will not submit to evil.

This book is my second favorite. "Atlas Shrugged" is my first.