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The Pillars of the Earth Audiobook

The Pillars of the Earth Audiobook, by Ken Follett Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Richard E. Grant, John Lee Publisher: Penguin Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 27.33 hours at 1.5x Speed 20.50 hours at 2.0x Speed Series: The Kingsbridge Series Release Date: October 2007 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781429586757

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

44

Longest Chapter Length:

74:06 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

11 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

55:50 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

31

Publisher Description

If you liked the Century Trilogy, you’ll love the “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece.”—Booklist, that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career. 

“Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. 

 

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

 

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

Download and start listening now!

"For such a large read, it kept me anticipating every page. Lots of characters with EXCELLENT character development. Lastly, Pillars was a great method of learning a little about cathedral construction and design, as well as the politics and struggles between church and the throne during the period."

— Lacorota (5 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • “Fast-paced, engaging—an enjoyable historical thriller, well told.”

    — Chicago Tribune
  • “A towering tale…a ripping read…there’s murder, arson, treachery, torture, love, and lust.”

    — New York Daily News
  • “Wonderful…will hold you, fascinate you, surround you.”

    — Chicago Sun-Times
  • “Enormous and brilliant...A great epic tale.”

    — Cosmopolitan
  • “Follett has written a novel that entertains, instructs, and satisfies on a grand scale.”

    — Publishers Weekly
  • “Arguably the best work of an author known for spy thrillers, this is historical fiction at its finest...Follett’s poignant characters blossom with Lee’s reading...After forty-one hours of listening, readers will yearn for more.

    — AudioFile
  • “An extraordinary epic…a monumental masterpiece…A towering triumph from a major talent.”

    — Booklist
  • “[Full of] historical detail...This will appeal...to lovers of exciting adventure stories.”

    — Library Journal

Awards

  • An Oprah’s Book Club Selection in 2007
  • A USA Today bestseller
  • A Publishers Weekly bestseller
  • An Amazon Best Book of the Month, September2010
  • A #1 New York Times bestseller

The Pillars of the Earth Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 4.54 out of 54.54 out of 54.54 out of 54.54 out of 54.54 out of 5 (4.54)
5 Stars: 32
4 Stars: 13
3 Stars: 5
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 4.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 5 (4.93)
5 Stars: 13
4 Stars: 1
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 4.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 54.928571428571429 out of 5 (4.93)
5 Stars: 13
4 Stars: 1
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Pekka Lehtikoski, 3/8/2023
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Doug , 2/16/2023
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Sheila Heil, 2/4/2023
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — MJ, 10/9/2022
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Dan Lykholt, 6/2/2022
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — 1/24/2022
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — 3/21/2021
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Anita Woolrych, 11/3/2020
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Marie Claire Zanatta, 8/28/2019
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " What a great story that covers many years and twists and turns to the plot. John Lee is amazing as the narrator: he has a separate voice for each character so you never get confused as to who's talking. Brilliant! "

    — Tan, 6/5/2018
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    — Shannon Fritchman, 7/7/2017

About Ken Follett

Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. His first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, an Edgar Award–winning spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become the author’s most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick. The series has sold more than fifty million copies worldwide and hitting the New York Times bestsellers list.

About the Narrators

Richard E. Grant is a British Swazi actor, screenwriter, and director. A prominent figure on television and film since the 1980s, he achieved international recognition as John Seward in the 1992 blockbuster film Dracula.

John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.