The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth , by Ken Follett
 
Here is the audio book CD version of Ken Follett's monumental tale of 12th Century England that was originally published as a book in 1989. It comprises 32 discs and totals 41 hours, so it is a commitment of time on your part. But as the nights become longer or your commute does too, this is the perfect epic story to slip into. It took this reviewer a trip to Pennsylvania and back plus much daily commuting to finish it. It certainly is worth the effort as a compelling story of life in the 1100s unfolds in all its passion, ambition, treachery, grubbiness and magnificence. A string of memorable characters such as Tom the Builder, Aliena, Prior Philip, Jack, Ellen the witch, William Hanley, Queen Maud, King Stephen, two King Henrys, Thomas Becket and a host of ecclesiastics all figure in this tale. Throughout the tale of hardship, murder, pillaging, and cruelty, the shining beacon is the construction of a Cathedral at Kingsbridge, a job that spanned three generations. If you thought you had a bad day, put yourself into any one of these characters places and see what they endured on a daily basis. Life was tough in the Middle Ages. Here's what Ken Follett himself has to say about this book and here's the skinny on a new mini-series currently being shot in Europe for airing in 2010.
-Wayne C.