I would have enjoyed Pillars of the Earth more if it weren't so rapey

[4pmfireworks]

Apart from the rapes, I did enjoy the book. But by the 3rd description of gang rape I just got the uncomfortable feeling that the author might be enjoying writing them. Also the boob squeezing - was that necessary? William was definitely the character the writer enjoyed writing the most - he had a more fleshed-out personality and motivation than any of the others.

Without the rapes I would have been singing its praises. Loved the tit for tat nonsense of the cathedral building, loved the real historical background, loved the descriptions of medieval life - absolutely fascinating, and vividly written - especially the castle raid, and the way the town grew.

Also, now I think of it, Molly didn't really get a story arc. She just petered out (won't spoil an important bit later on but she really could have been a part of that - you know what I mean if you've read it).

I just bought it for DH for Christmas. I haven't actually read it. I won't warn him - it'll be interesting to see if he picks up on it.

Hmm, I love Ken Follett and have inhaled most of his books this year. I don’t think any of the others have a character quite as bad as William Hamleigh (though they do tend to have someone similarly corrupt), and I never got the impression he enjoyed writing those bits more than others - in fact I get the impression he’s quite fixed in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ as characters tend to follow a similar pattern (eg all his good characters are left leaning and bad ones very rigid/right wing)