Many people, myself included, were dismayed when we learned that the Cathedral of Notre Dame was burning. Even reading the words of medievalist Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman, who wrote “church buildings… are not static things,” was not completely comforting. (Full disclosure: I work with Jennifer.) When we love something — even something we haven’t seen — we often want to preserve it. Yes, things change, but we don’t always find that truth easy to swallow.
However, Jennifer’s response to the fire reminded me of a book I’d been meaning to share here: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. This 983-page historical novel spans a period of about fifty years… and much of the action revolves around a cathedral.
In the simplest terms (I’m leaving out a lot by summarizing things this way), the book tells the stories of Tom Builder, his family, and Prior Philip, Tom’s employer and the adoptive father of his youngest child.
When we first meet Tom, he is traveling with his two children and pregnant wife, searching for work. While Tom wants to provide for his family, he also yearns for a specific sort of work: He wants to build a cathedral. When the cathedral at Kingsbridge burns down, Tom gets his chance.
There’s a lot to love about this book, but what I enjoyed most were the ways in which many of the characters pursue satisfying work. Philip is determined to reform and improve Kingsbridge Priory. A character named Aliena becomes a successful wool merchant as she tries to support her brother. And Tom dedicates his life to building a cathedral.
[Tom’s wife, Agnes,] could not comprehend the irresistible attraction of building a cathedral: the absorbing complexity of organization, the intellectual challenge of the calculations, the sheer size of the walls, and the breathtaking beauty and grandeur of the finished building. Once he had tasted that wine, Tom was never satisfied with anything less.
I’m hardly the only person who has loved The Pillars of the Earth. The book has inspired a television miniseries, three board games, a video game, and even a musical.
Follett has written two sequels to The Pillars of the Earth, neither of which I’ve read. But you don’t need to worry that starting this hefty book will commit you to the series. This story of love and ambition in medieval England stands well on its own.