Book suggested by Pat D., meeting hosted by Carol M.Pat D. read this book previously and thought it was one of the best books she ever read. She also loves historic fiction, and this book takes place in a time period unfamiliar to her. She brought along printed pictures of different cathedrals and quick facts about medieval times to share with all of us.
The author, Ken Follett, is from Wales. He was raised in a very conservative family. This was his first historical fiction novel; all previous novels were thrillers. It took him 3 years and 3 months to write.
We all thoroughly enjoyed reading this book although the sheer length was a bit overwhelming at times. We liked the writing style and found it easy to read. The characters were woven together from start to finish, and he would give a little background on characters and their relationships when reintroducing them after a time which we really appreciated.
We loved the people in the book, but not William. Prior Phillip provided great guidance and vision. Aliena was strong and intelligent and was able to adapt to any situation. Jack had such artistic talent and unwavering love for Aliena. We never knew what Ellen was going to do next! The villains of this book, William, his boil-faced mother, Waleran, and Alfred, were great characters to read about (and dislike!). Watching Richard develop into a military leader was interesting and inventive.
The book seemed to be quite an accurate depiction of life in the 12th century. Life was so difficult, food, travel, disease, and natural disasters took such a toll and the church provided the only hope and sanctuary in an otherwise violent and, at times, depressing life. But we did love this book! We think it was probably our highest rated book ever!!
Watch for the eight-hour miniseries in production now.
The author's website: http://www.kenfollett.com
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