Los pilares de la Tierra [The Pillars of the Earth]

Las descripciones ambientales llegan a cansar.los personajes están bien definidos pero hay referencias que reiteradamente se mencionan( color del pelo de Jackson y del nuevo rey ) que no se entiende su introducción

Es una historia que empieza un poco densa por toda la explicación que da el autor para ponernos en contexto pero luego no puedes parar suceden hechos uno tras otro que es imposible hacer un alto. Muy entretenida

Excelente! Una lectura perfecta para aquellos que nos gusta distraernos pero sin desperdiciar completamente las neuronas! Una trama ficticia situada en un contexto historico real. Lo recomiendo 100 por 100!

Es un libro muy bueno, que trata de la construcción de una catedral en la época medieval, lo que hace involucrarse mucho con los personajes y entristece al momento de morir alguno de los queridos y alegra al momento de triunfar otro. Muy recomendable

Philip el nuevo prior de Kingsbridge sueña con construir una catedral, Tom Builder, maestro constructor sueña con edificarla para la gloria de Dios. Seres mezquinos en las formas del obispo Waleran y la familia Hamleigh tienen otros planes y se dedican a entorpecer el sueño del prior. Durante años, piedra a piedra, a medida que la construcción va tomando forma los obstáculos van siendo mayores y se van multiplicando. Ataques sorpresas, hambrunas, guerras civiles, caprichos reales, intrigas, traiciones, falta de liquidez y la muerte de muchos seres inocentes ligados directa o indirectamente al priorato van retrasando el sueño. La justicia y la verdad prevalecen al final, los culpables pagan con creces su maldad, los inocentes son premiados por su virtud. La catedral ya terminada puso a todos en su lugar bajo la protección de su sombra.
Novela extensa e intensa, llena de descripciones arquitectónicas en la que el autor recrea un período convulso de la Edad Media en Inglaterra llena de condes levantiscos y traicioneros, guerras civiles, abusos feudales e influencia del clero en todas las facetas de la vida humana. Trama en la que el amor entra en conflicto con el odio, la razón con la ignorancia, la bondad con la maldad, la virtud con la corrupción y la vida con la muerte. Una lectura entretenida, instructiva y amena que hará las delicias del lector.

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!

This is the Spanish text edition of 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!

Leí esta novela después de ver que tanta gente le daba cuatro y cinco estrellas. Aunque la historia es interesante, tengo varias objeciones, mismas que enumero a continuación:
* El ideal de la belleza femenina: El Sr. Follett nos regala varias descripciones de mujeres atractivas a lo largo de la novela. Invariablemente tienen senos grandes, ojos hermosos, cabello sedoso. Si el lector es masculino (mi caso), no tendrá dificultad en imaginarse a una mujer hermosa de -esta- época. Pero ¿Adivinen qué? El ideal de belleza actual hoy no es el mismo que hace 900 años. ¿Podía haber mujeres así, con lo que (mal) comían entonces? (Más sobre este punto mas adelante).
* Edad de los personajes: Cualquiera que haya estudiado un poco el período medieval sabe que cualquiera que llegara a 35 o 40 años era de verdad viejo en el siglo XII. En la novela, los protagonistas se hallan en plena capacidad a los 35 - 40 años, y no uno, sino varios, llegan a los sesenta años de edad y más.
* Salud y dieta: Ligado al punto anterior. Los personajes de la novela casi nunca enferman (excepción hecha de un bebé y de una mujer que muere tras un parto). En una época donde no existe la penicilina, los antibióticos, los microscopios, el agua potable, el drenaje bajo tierra, la pasta de dientes, etc. etc., todos están sorprendentemente sanos, al parecer mas que en nuestro siglo XXI, en que millones padecen diabetes, cáncer y SIDA. Y eso que su dieta consiste principalmente en pan y cerveza aguada. (Por cierto, si las mujeres se alimentaban a base de pan y cerveza, ¿Cómo le hacían para tener esos cuerpos esculturales que describe el autor?)
* Anacronismos: Follett utiliza varias veces el término "Cruzadas" a lo largo de la novela. Si bien en la época en que transcurre esta ya se habían realizado dos de estas campañas militares, NADIE se podía haber referido a las mismas con ese término, que solo surgió a mediados del siglo XVIII.
* Arquitectura. El peor de los pecados del autor. Follett explica de manera satisfactoria las partes de una catedral (punto a su favor). Pero ¿No hubiera sido mucho más fácil incluir uno o dos dibujos con los nombres de dichas partes? A fin de cuentas, los constructores presentan planos al encargado de financiar la obra en la novela; el lector se pudo haber beneficiado enormemente de dichas ilustraciones, y el autor se hubiera ahorrado mucho trabajo. Créalo o no, Sr. Follett, no todo el mundo entiende instintivamente lo que es una planta y un corte arquitectónicos.
Gracias a lo antes mencionado (y más), el lector continuamente es "extraído" de un contexto que parezca verdaderamente medieval. Lástima, porque se queda en una buena historia, pudiendo haber sido grandiosa.

UN MUY BUEN LIBRO ,CON EL DESARROLLO DE LA TRAMA MUY BIEN LOGRADO.-PERSONAJES QUE REPRESENTAN TODA LA MALDAD Y TODO EL VIRTUOSISMO.-ES UNA HISTORIA EMOCIONANTE DE MUCHOS AÑOS PARA SUS PERSONAJES, ME SENTI EN AQUEL TIEMPO MEDIEVAL DONDE LAS INTRIGAS ,PELEAS,ANSIAS DE PODER REFLEJAN TODA UNA EPOCA .-
ES UN LIBRO INTERESANTISIMO QUE LLEVA MUCHOS AÑOS EN LOS PRIMEROS LUGARES.-

Para quienes han tenido la suerte de ver de cerca las deslumbrantes catedrales medievales, en este libro encontrará una historia sensacional. Es una novela épica, histórica pero romántica, llena de intrigas y personajes que recorren toda la escala de sentimientos y emociones humanas.
Protagoniza la historia no un hombre, ni una mujer, sino un monumental edificio en torno al cual miserias y poder, amor y derrota, guerras y reyes depuestos, odio y fe edifican las vidas de cada caracter. Ken Follet logra en ese libro (cuyo grosor no permite leerse de una sentada) personajes finamente delineados que van apareciendo y desapareciendo, naciendo y muriendo. Son más de 1400 apetecibles páginas a lo largo de las cuales transcurren diferentes generaciones, pasando el relevo de las obras sin acabar, de los odios sin venganza y de los sueños sin resolución. Ojalá y Mr. Follet nos obsequie con una segunda parte.

First part is very slow... well it explains a lot about architecture, not my favorite part of the book so I take a star for that reason.... there is an incident then that start changing all and then you have a very exciting novel you can't stop reading until the end!... The version in spanish has an error on translation you can simply notice and findout easy so you only know is a mistake, I compared with version in english, the error is not in there.

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.

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.

Una de las mejores novelas que he leido nunca. Me engancho totalmente y es una de esas historias que da pena que acabes de leer. Me abrio los ojos a todas las implicaciones que la construcion de una catedral tubo en la edad media, con una narrativa extraordinaria. No he vuelto a ver un monumento con los mismos ojos. El mundo se divide entre los que han leido este libre y los que no. Muy recomendable

This book is really enjoyable and has many interwoven stories and characters. It is set in the 12th Century. Could not put it down, it is one of my favourites along with "One Hundred Years Of Solitude" from Marquez.
Este libro son muy agradable y tiene muchas historias entretejido con muchos carateres. No lo ponía bajo, lo es uno de mis favoritos como "Cien Años De Soledad" de Márquez.

Se que el actor se tomo 13 anos, pero es muy larga ademas las descripciones narrativas son tan extensas que muchas veces adelantaba en las paginas, a la par de leerlo vi la pelicula algo cruel tambien; de todas maneras agradezco el aporte literario.