The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth (English original The Pillars of the Earth, published 1989) is a historical novel by Ken Follett set in 12th-century medieval England. The story of Salisbury Cathedral is considered the model for the novel. In the preface to the German edition of Jean Gimpel's non-fiction book The Cathedral Builders, Follett writes how this book helped him with his novel.

The novel covers a (real) historical period between the sinking of the White Ship (25 November 1120) and the murder of Thomas Becket (29 December 1170), focusing on a time of civil war called The Anarchy. The book charts the decades-long construction of a cathedral, highlighting the development of the Gothic architectural style from the preceding Romanesque. This is presented in the context of the lives of nobles, clerics, builders and ordinary residents of the fictional town of Kingsbridge, with detailed descriptions of the architecture and craftsmanship of the time interwoven with the largely dramatic novelistic events.

The sequel to the novel, entitled "World Without End", was published in English in early October 2007 and in German under the title "Die Tore der Welt" in February 2008.

In September 2017, the third part of the so-called Kingsbridge series was published under the title "The Foundation of Eternity".

The fourth book followed in September 2020 with the title "Kingsbridge - The Morning of a New Age" (English original The Evening and the Morning). The plot takes place in the years 997 to 1007, almost 140 years before the beginning of the events of "The Pillars of the Earth", and describes the first origins of the town of Kingsbridge.

Background

In 1135, the then English King Henry I dies at the age of 67 and, as his only legitimate son has died in a shipwreck, leaves only a number of illegitimate sons and his daughter Matilda to succeed him. However, the late king's nephew, Stephen, disputes her throne. His coronation as the new King of England and his non-recognition by Matilda lead from a war of succession to a civil war that lasts twenty years.

The aftermath of this civil war affects the lives of the novel's characters, including Prior Philip, builder of a cathedral, Tom Builder, his master builder along with his family, and the nobles Aliena, Richard, and William, whom the reader follows over nearly 50 years.

Part of the story is devoted mainly to the development of architecture in the construction of churches in the Middle Ages, which is presented very vividly and pictorially. At the beginning, the narrative describes the Romanesque in the massive construction and the typical round arches and barrel vaults. In the course of the story, the trend towards the more advanced Gothic style of construction is taken up, in which taller buildings with larger windows could be erected with less material expenditure - Abbot Suger of Saint Denis near Paris also appears in passing in this context. In addition, building techniques such as pointed arches and cross vaults are explained in detail.

Storyline (Overview)

Set against the historical backdrop of medieval England, the construction of a cathedral in the fictional southern English town of Kingsbridge is the focus of the novel, which is divided into six books.

Philip, a forward-thinking young prior, wants to make his dream of peace a reality with the help of stonemason Tom Builder: The construction of a new cathedral. However, in a long period of bloody conflict between the nobility, the clergy and the people suffering from exploitation and hardship, they must prevail against their adversaries Lord William Hamleigh and the power-mad Bishop Waleran Bigod until its completion with the help of the former earl's daughter Aliena.