Los pilares de la tierra | Ken Follett

Los pilares de la tierra | Ken Follett | NOVELA HISTORICA!

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Los pilares de la ...

	Los pilares de la tierra Ken Follett Debolsillo, 2008 - 1408 pages average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Los pilares de la tierra es una novela histórica del autor británico Ken Follett ambientada en Inglaterra en la Edad Media en el siglo XII durante un periodo de guerra conocido como la Anarquía inglesa, aunque también recrea un viaje de peregrinación a Santiago de Compostela a través de Francia y España. El autor sorprendió con esta novela no sólo a sus lectores, ávidos de thrillers, sino también a sus editores con su contenido y longitud. Fue publicada en 1989, y se convirtió en el mayor best-seller de Follett. Su secuela se llama Un mundo sin fin.

El título ya de por sí es revelador.
Una catedral gótica y su proceso de construcción sirven de excusa para la articulación de una historia que transcurre en la Edad Media, época de caballeros y escuderos, pero con un contenido sin anacronismos, en el que se entrecruzan sentimientos atemporales, como el odio, el amor, la venganza, o el miedo.

El punto de partida es el ahorcamiento de un personaje extravagante, y la maldición que su mujer perpetra a sus acusadores. Por otro lado, Tom, un constructor, y su familia, comienzan un viaje sin retorno por los tortuosos caminos de Inglaterra, tratando de encontrar trabajo. Tom aspira a participar en la construcción de un edificio catedralicio, es su gran sueño. A partir de ahí, se sucederá una cascada de acontecimientos, y nunca mejor dicho. No tenemos ante nosotros un manual de construcción, sino un libro donde las vivencias de los personajes ocupan un primer plano.

Una vez uno se adentra en la trama, no puede dejar de leer.

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Una Obra Maestra

Magistralmente narrado, en una prosa que captura a través de las más de 1,300 páginas, "Los Pilares de la Tierra" es uno de los mejores libros que he leído. Desgarrador en algunos pasajes, inspirador en la mayoría, la historia del Prior Philip y la construcción de la catedral de Kingsbridge es una exquisita vitrina a la vida del hombre común en la oscura Edad Media, cuya problemática en esencia no resulta ser muy diferente de la nuestra: el amor como el valor supremo, el sentido inalienable del deber y la búsqueda incansable por la justicia son los ejes de la narración en "Los Pilares de la Tierra". No se lee la última página sino es con la melancolía de que la historia tenga que terminar. En definitiva, una obra maestra.

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NOVELA HISTORICA!

Debo admitir que ver este libro por primera vez me causo un poco de pereza, tiene más de 1400 pags, es increible la forma que tiene Ken Follet de narrar una historia ( muy parecida en algunos tramos a Cien maños de Soledad), donde cada personaje que nos presenta tiene su propia historia la cual es entrelazada con la vida de los otros personajes.

Aunque evidentemente el Prior Philip es el personaje principal, la historia de Tom, Jack y todos los villanos nos envuelven en una trama muy interesante y divertida que gira alrededor de la construcción de una Catedral.

El final aunque muy bueno, creo que el autor perdio la oportunidad de contar detalles muy interesantes sobre ciertos sucesos narrados . ( especialmente el viaje de Aliena en busca de Jack , definitivamente este se prestaba para hablar mucho sobre el Camino de Compostela).-

En fin, lo recomiendo el libro se deja leer, al final uno se entusiasma tanto por saber que sucedera con cada uno de los personajes, que las 1400 pags pasan muy rápido

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A RIVETING MEDIEVAL SAGA...

This is the Spanish text edition of "Pillars of the Earth", a masterful saga of life in twelfth century England and epic storytelling at its best. The author weaves a rich and colorful tapestry of people, places, and events surrounding the building of a magnificent cathedral in the medieval town of Kingsbridge.

Early twelfth century England was a country in a state of flux. King Henry I had died without a male heir. His daughter Maude was to be queen. The English barons, for the most part, however, refused to swear fealty to her. Maude's first cousin, Stephen of Blois, then usurped her rights and proclaimed himself king. This was to plunge England into a civil war that was to last for many, many years, turning England into a virtually lawless and tumultuous land, until Maude's son became King Henry II of England.

For most people, however, life would go on with every day concerns being paramount. The book tells the story of a number of these lives. One story is that of Tom, a master builder, whose life long dream was to build a cathedral. The lives of Tom and his family would intersect that of a humble and intelligent monk named Phillip who would become the prior at Kingsbridge Priory. The fates would intervene and provide Tom with an opportunity to pursue his dream.

Their lives would intersect with a number of other individuals, some good, some evil, who would have a great impact on their lives and their goals. Tom would lose his first wife, Agnes, by whom he already had two children, brutish Alfred and sweet Martha, due to complications sustained during the birth of another son. This son was to provide a connection between Tom and Phillip of which Phillip would long be unaware.

Tom would ultimately marry Ellen, a strong willed independent woman of the forest, perceived by many to be a witch. Her son Jack, a sensitive, highly intelligent lad, whose father was deceased, would grow to manhood. His dream would begin where Tom's had left off. In Jack's background, however, was a mystery surrounding his deceased father, a French jongleur. That mystery in some way involved Sir Percy Hamleigh, Waleran Bigod, and Prior James, the old prior of Kingsbridge before Phillip.

When Earl Bartholomew of Shiring makes the treasonous mistake of siding with Maude in the conflict with Stephen, he ends up on the losing side. Sir Percy Hamleigh and his son William, siding with Stephen, attack the Earl's castle, and take Earl Bartholomew captive. Imprisoned for treason, he loses his earldom to the Hamleighs. His young son and heir, Richard, and his daughter, the beautiful Lady Aliena, are left to fend for themselves, but not until William Hamleigh has slaked his thirst for revenge upon them. You see, William had been engaged at one time to marry the Lady Aliena, only to be spurned by her to his vast public humiliation. This was the moment for which he had been waiting. Aliena and Richard would ultimately migrate to Kingsbridge to begin a new life.

Meanwhile, the church itself was having its own political intrigues. Phillip was tricked by Waleran Bigod, an ambitious arch-deacon, into supporting him for the post of bishop. Phillip would later best Waleran and incur his enmity for a lifetime. Remigius, a spy for Waleran Bigod, was a monk at Kingsbridge Priory who saw his dream of becoming prior at Kingsbridge dissipate with the advent of Phillip. He would spend a lifetime undermining Phillip and plotting against him. Moreover, the fate of Kingsbridge and the building of its cathedral would always seem to hinge upon the political vagaries of the time. Its fortunes would ebb and flow with the political winds.

Ever present throughout the destinies of all these characters is the age old battle between good and evil. Complicating it further were those who sought to do good but did evil, believing that the end justified the means. Spanning over fifty turbulent years, this is a spellbinding story of love, hate, faith, betrayal, revenge, and triumph. Against a backdrop of civil war, the sharply drawn characters grasp the imagination of the reader. Twelfth century England is laid out in painstaking detail, providing an unforgettable backdrop for the lives lived within the pages of this memorable work of historical fiction. This book is simply riveting. Bravo!

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Best book I've ever read

I've read lots of books: good, bad, and every combination in between. By far this is the best book I've ever read. The story is engaging; all sorts of human emotions are depicted in the book (greed, lust, love, joy, etc) although it is quite repetitive. Lady Aliena is described a thousand times depending on the character looking at her; however, despite those flaws, Follet manages to blend history and fiction so well that the reader may think he/she is living those events.

reviews: page 1, 2

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