Cathedral
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- Create Date：2021-04-09 11:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ben Hopkins
- ISBN：1609456114
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Summary
A thoroughly immersive read and a remarkable feat of imagination， Cathedral tells a sweeping story about obsession， mysticism， art， and earthly desire in gripping prose。 It deftly combines historical fiction and a tale of adventure and intrigue。
At the center of this story is the Cathedral。 Its design and construction in the 12th and 13th centuries in the town of Hagenburg unites a vast array of unforgettable characters whose fortunes are inseparable from the shifting political factions and economic interests vying for supremacy。 Around this narrative center， Ben Hopkins has constructed his own monumental edifice， a novel that is rich with the vicissitudes of mercantilism， politics， religion， and human enterprise。
Fans of Umberto Eco， Hilary Mantel， and Ken Follett will delight at the atmosphere， the beautiful prose， and the vivid characters of Ben Hopkins’s Cathedral。
At the center of this story is the Cathedral。 Its design and construction in the 12th and 13th centuries in the town of Hagenburg unites a vast array of unforgettable characters whose fortunes are inseparable from the shifting political factions and economic interests vying for supremacy。 Around this narrative center， Ben Hopkins has constructed his own monumental edifice， a novel that is rich with the vicissitudes of mercantilism， politics， religion， and human enterprise。
Fans of Umberto Eco， Hilary Mantel， and Ken Follett will delight at the atmosphere， the beautiful prose， and the vivid characters of Ben Hopkins’s Cathedral。
Reviews
Summer
，
DNF。 Made it about 200 pages in and it was just too grim。 Readers who love slowly developing stories with multiple narrators will find plenty to like， and the attention to historical detail is quite impressive。 Not bad， just not for me。
Todd Hogan
，
What a disappointment！ A big， honking， long book covering over a century in the middle ages and yet so poorly developed！ It read as though the author， a screenwriter himself， was writing a treatment for a new "Game of Thrones" on HBO， but without the depth of character or the commitment to the characters that George RR Martin pulled off。 The book had the advice of a couple of medieval experts， and yet it did not ring true。 The squabbling was about money and the rise of the merchant class， interr What a disappointment！ A big， honking， long book covering over a century in the middle ages and yet so poorly developed！ It read as though the author， a screenwriter himself， was writing a treatment for a new "Game of Thrones" on HBO， but without the depth of character or the commitment to the characters that George RR Martin pulled off。 The book had the advice of a couple of medieval experts， and yet it did not ring true。 The squabbling was about money and the rise of the merchant class， interrupted by pograms and religious inquisitions。 So， the bloody side of the story was evident， but the victims were largely faceless and nameless。 I had nothing invested in their survival of the characters。 As the years piled on， I was even less interested in the characters。The novel is called Cathedral， and yet the story had little to do with the edifice or the erection。 I couldn't finish this awkward novel quickly enough。 。。。more
Brian Hanson
，
Well-drawn depiction of the multiple meanings of a medieval cathedral。 Built on the back of punitive taxation and political chess-play， by an institution more than willing to dole out capital punishment to heretics， YET a source of delight for the craftsman， and an invitation to dream to those able to will such marvels into being。
KCW
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 KCWThis massive book of fiction， both historical and futuristic， covers over 3800 years from 1229 though 5046， the year of Yudl’s death。 Characters are well fleshed-out and I think are representative of many types of human strengths， frailties， and personalities。 Of the three siblings， one is thoughtful， talented， honest， artistic and homosexual。 One is a strong， capable， accomplished female business and community leader who recognized in her youth that the third one， a brother， had a small me KCWThis massive book of fiction， both historical and futuristic， covers over 3800 years from 1229 though 5046， the year of Yudl’s death。 Characters are well fleshed-out and I think are representative of many types of human strengths， frailties， and personalities。 Of the three siblings， one is thoughtful， talented， honest， artistic and homosexual。 One is a strong， capable， accomplished female business and community leader who recognized in her youth that the third one， a brother， had a small mean streak。 He was a financial wizard who helped standardize weights and measures， but an opportunist who eventually betrayed those who trusted him， and managed to climb from shepherd to landowner with a royal title。 The various Lords， Knights， Warriors and their women were fully developed and understood， both good and bad。 Of course， I cannot say what message， if any， was in the author’s mind， but it appears to be either anti-Catholic or anti-Jewish， and to me the message of the book is threefold:ONE: To show the irony， cruelty， injustice and futility of religions: The lowly， poor people are required to send money they cannot afford to the Church while the priests and bishops lead lush greedy lives， charge money to forgive sins， to issue annulments and to reduce thousands of years in purgatory。 The non-Catholics who live simply and refuse to carve images of saints and religious icons are called heretics， and are rounded up and burned in a flaming pit， as are the Jews and their books。 The practitioners of the Jewish faith adhere to all the burdensome laws， rituals and never-changing customs and use a “Christian” business manager rather than deal directly with the gentiles。TWO: To show that the Cathedral （man’s tasks） will never be completed。 Eight different excursions into the years 5002 through 5030 suggest that nothing has changed since 1229。 The man who travels with the yellow and blue pieces of glass to the glass maker is told the Cathedral is not yet ready for the rose window， the western wall is being rebuilt and a towering spire is not yet completed。THREE: To show that history will ever continue to repeat itself: In the years from 5002 through 5030， the author assigns the same names and same quests to the characters as those in the years 1229 through 1351， suggesting that similar people with similar quests will continue through the centuries。 Plus， for some explainable reason， they are still walking on cobblestones and mud， using candles and lanterns for light， and gathering lampblack to make ink and fish bones to make glue。 I could not make sense of that。 。。。more
Anne
，
In Cathedral we are introduced to a young shepherd named Rettich who becomes a stone-cutter under the tutelage of Giselbert who has a soft spot for the young apprentice; a nobleman’s son who is widely despised and is serving as the Bishop’s Treasurer; and the plans for a “Cathedral of breathtaking beauty。。。 it will have a roof of gold， three towers that pierce the heavens， twelve portals， one for every disciple and one for every tribe of Israel， nine altars， and will be one of the great wonders In Cathedral we are introduced to a young shepherd named Rettich who becomes a stone-cutter under the tutelage of Giselbert who has a soft spot for the young apprentice; a nobleman’s son who is widely despised and is serving as the Bishop’s Treasurer; and the plans for a “Cathedral of breathtaking beauty。。。 it will have a roof of gold， three towers that pierce the heavens， twelve portals， one for every disciple and one for every tribe of Israel， nine altars， and will be one of the great wonders of Christendom”。 This sets the framework for a tale of religion， family， territorial spats and rivalries。 The Treasurer often speaks with a wry sarcasm， that reveals his disdain of the position he holds， and calculates random mathematical problems in his head as a calming distraction as he travels the land raising funds for the construction。 He and a few other characters carry this story in alternating chapters that keeps it interesting and fast paced。 Mostly this is a story of the daily grind and the impact on the common people of the politics of the day。 The characters in this epic tale travel many miles and mete out justice and revenge in equal measures。 I kept thinking of this as a mash-up of C J Sansom’s Shardlake books and Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth series。 Sansom’s series is slightly more current but all involve the church and the sovereignty which is where I draw the similarities。 There is something about this time and the culture that lends itself to great storytelling。 。。。more
Hermione
，
I found this a really interesting read。 The length might be off putting for some， which is fair， but it's never dull。 It didn't feel overlong to me。 The world of Hagenberg in the medieval era was really well realised， with its different social strata and political pressures。 I was so interested in the different life circumstances of all the characters， too。 They were a bit of a cross section。 Some were merchants， some artisans， some members of the church， some shepherds， some merchants and knigh I found this a really interesting read。 The length might be off putting for some， which is fair， but it's never dull。 It didn't feel overlong to me。 The world of Hagenberg in the medieval era was really well realised， with its different social strata and political pressures。 I was so interested in the different life circumstances of all the characters， too。 They were a bit of a cross section。 Some were merchants， some artisans， some members of the church， some shepherds， some merchants and knights。 All with their own agenda， wants and feelings。 And all are effected by the cathedral being built。 They're all very vibrant and I really heard all the different voices。 I really enjoyed sinking into the world of this book and seeing what happened to everyone and how， over the course of the book the plans for the cathedral changed。 And the fate of the city changed too。 Really good。 This was sent to me by PGC books for review。 。。。more
Tasha
，
How I needed a fat， immersive historical novel to reset my reading biome。 This book did the trick。 It's nuanced， it's got lots of action， lots of introspection， and a healthy dose of medieval detail。 One complaint: the author did not do his research on clothing well enough。 He got "braies" right， but then mentions "petticoats"， which weren't a thing in 13th century Europe。 There are other anachronistic oddities， but only a historical clothing nerd like myself would notice or care。 The book weave How I needed a fat， immersive historical novel to reset my reading biome。 This book did the trick。 It's nuanced， it's got lots of action， lots of introspection， and a healthy dose of medieval detail。 One complaint: the author did not do his research on clothing well enough。 He got "braies" right， but then mentions "petticoats"， which weren't a thing in 13th century Europe。 There are other anachronistic oddities， but only a historical clothing nerd like myself would notice or care。 The book weaves multiple stories together across a variety of viewpoint characters who interact throughout the years。 Some you ache for， others you can't wait to see the back end of。 Things get surprisingly grisly and grim in parts， so if that's not your thing， be warned。 One can argue though， that this time period was particularly grisly and grim。 This book covers the years of Cathar heresy， and the brutal response from the Church in Rome。 We also see how the Jewish population suffers and survives through oppressive treatment by town and church officials。 Highly recommended for anyone looking for an imagination-invoking read。 。。。more
Sherry Guice
，
I love a book set around medieval cathedrals。。。I did not finish this one。 The plot dragged and though I read 300 or so pages， I could not get into the book。。。I was disappointed。 Maybe I needed more of an escape？
Zoe
，
Vivid， immersive， and fascinating！Cathedral is a rich， compelling tale set in Hagenburg， Germany during the twelfth and thirteenth century that takes you into the lives of ship merchants， stonecutters， Jewish moneylenders， architects， pirates， priests， architects， sovereigns， and builders as they struggle for riches， stature， and survival。The writing is sharp and alluring。 The characters are bold， driven， and ruthless。 And the plot is a sweeping tale of harsh living， unexpected friendships， dome Vivid， immersive， and fascinating！Cathedral is a rich， compelling tale set in Hagenburg， Germany during the twelfth and thirteenth century that takes you into the lives of ship merchants， stonecutters， Jewish moneylenders， architects， pirates， priests， architects， sovereigns， and builders as they struggle for riches， stature， and survival。The writing is sharp and alluring。 The characters are bold， driven， and ruthless。 And the plot is a sweeping tale of harsh living， unexpected friendships， domestic contentions， desires， debauchery， degradation， vanity， corruption， sacrifices， treachery， and entangled relationships， all set to the backdrop of the reconstruction of a mammoth cathedral， and the ongoing discord between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire。Overall， Cathedral is an absorbing， dramatic， enthralling saga by Hopkins that is quite a hefty endeavour at just over 600 pages， but with its short chapters， beautiful prose， vibrant characters， and lush descriptions this is one meaty， medieval tale that， in my opinion， is definitely worth the effort。Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amanda
，
This is honestly the best thing I’ve read in a long while。 I’ve always had a weakness for historical fiction - particularly set in medieval Europe- and this IS that BUT it has a super dark wit to it。 It’s not just the rehash of Ken Follett I was sort of expecting。 When I had about a hundred pages left， I found myself rationing because I didn’t want it to end。 Highly recommend to all my fellow COOL FRIENDS that are into this type of thing。
Paulambkh
，
This was a bit "long in the tooth。" No skimming， I read the whole thing， and it was lyrically written。 Still， I hoped for more about the Cathedral itself， around which the writer set up several stories。 I appreciated the education， but I wished for more about the building itself。 This was a bit "long in the tooth。" No skimming， I read the whole thing， and it was lyrically written。 Still， I hoped for more about the Cathedral itself， around which the writer set up several stories。 I appreciated the education， but I wished for more about the building itself。 。。。more
John Porter
，
As others have said， if you like Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series， you'll like this。 Beautifully written scenes， terrific development of a host of characters often of different generations of the same families provides a building perspective on the times and events。 Unlike Follett， the cathedral does not take on status as a central character but rather a presence that motivates actions of many characters。。。and none of the characters are sacrosanct， as many are threatened and it's unclear who wil As others have said， if you like Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series， you'll like this。 Beautifully written scenes， terrific development of a host of characters often of different generations of the same families provides a building perspective on the times and events。 Unlike Follett， the cathedral does not take on status as a central character but rather a presence that motivates actions of many characters。。。and none of the characters are sacrosanct， as many are threatened and it's unclear who will survive。 This is a complex novel and not one to blow through in a short period of time， but still hard to put down。 The author's superb dive into the deepest thoughts and motivations of the characters drive the story as much as the plot does。 Despite having read Follett and other novels addressing 13th century Europe， the society-wide reach and money-focused morality of the church is still stunning。 My secondary school librarian mom still sent me books into her '80's simply based on quality of the prose （think B。 Kingsolver， C。 Frazier）。 If still alive， she would have sent me this novel。 。。。more
Ron Kuhlmann
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I found it to quite an engaging saga and overall really enjoyed it。 There were lots of characters but the author made it easy to remember them and their roles in the story—not always the case in such long books。 The Middle Ages have a reputation for brutality and hard living and that was well presented。 I was also struck by how many of those same atrocities are still evident around the world which led to to marvel at just how little human nature has changed across history—a sad realization。I wou I found it to quite an engaging saga and overall really enjoyed it。 There were lots of characters but the author made it easy to remember them and their roles in the story—not always the case in such long books。 The Middle Ages have a reputation for brutality and hard living and that was well presented。 I was also struck by how many of those same atrocities are still evident around the world which led to to marvel at just how little human nature has changed across history—a sad realization。I would recommend it， especially in these time with ample opportunities for reading long books。 。。。more
Ellen Loulou
，
D n f
Andrea Holliger
，
Interesting and pleasurable to read with nuanced history （from what I can tell） - but as it reaches its conclusions， you realize that you don't actually care how it or any of the characters end。 Interesting and pleasurable to read with nuanced history （from what I can tell） - but as it reaches its conclusions， you realize that you don't actually care how it or any of the characters end。 。。。more
Rachel
，
I was thinking I'd like this one more - the epic scope of the cathedral construction spanning generations is a pretty cool plot to swing these people's stories around。 But I have to say， I found it dragged a bit。 Despite the fact that it basically existed to be too long， it still felt too long！ I did enjoy some of the characters quite a bit and felt a stab of sadness when I hit the chapter that had their birth and death years tacked on at the end。 A good book， that was clearly a monumental effor I was thinking I'd like this one more - the epic scope of the cathedral construction spanning generations is a pretty cool plot to swing these people's stories around。 But I have to say， I found it dragged a bit。 Despite the fact that it basically existed to be too long， it still felt too long！ I did enjoy some of the characters quite a bit and felt a stab of sadness when I hit the chapter that had their birth and death years tacked on at the end。 A good book， that was clearly a monumental effort for the writer， but not a favorite。 。。。more
Jane Fudger
，
This was a debut novel by Ben Hopkins。 The story is set around the building of a cathedral during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries It is an absorbing read about the fortunes of a number of unforgettable and diverse strong characters behind an era of corruption， greed religion and trade If you like the Thomas Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel you will enjoy this albeit this is set in France and Rome
Kalliope
，
This was a triple surprise。 First because I received at Christmas an unexpected and wonderful gift: a year subscription to a monthly book from a London bookstore。 Second because when I received this first book in my subscription， I was thrilled that I had not heard of it nor of the author。 And third because it was been one of the best books I have read lately。The quotes from published reviews quickly compare it to Ken Follett。 I have not read Follett， but something told me that this uninviting c This was a triple surprise。 First because I received at Christmas an unexpected and wonderful gift: a year subscription to a monthly book from a London bookstore。 Second because when I received this first book in my subscription， I was thrilled that I had not heard of it nor of the author。 And third because it was been one of the best books I have read lately。The quotes from published reviews quickly compare it to Ken Follett。 I have not read Follett， but something told me that this uninviting comparison was a publisher’s trick。 And now I believe it most probably is – but I will leave this comparison as hypothetical for I do not plan to read Follett。 The title can also be slightly misleading。 This is not a eulogy to those marvellous buildings of intricate beauty and defying impossibility。 The quote in the back cover is a good indication that what this novel offers is not a run-of-the-mill medievalist historical novel。 There are many things I detest in the is world， and not many things I love。 But I think it is clear that the thing I detest the most of all is that Bottomless Hole that gapes not fifty paces from my Counting Table: The Cathedral。 In fact， although the Cathedral – or rather the project of it – does stand in the middle of Hagenburg， the town that Hopkins has chosen as the centre stage of his story， I kept thinking more of a tapestry rather than a stone construction。 There are so many threads tangled and weaved， for the novel jumps from one character to another and we follow about fifteen lives， that once I finished it l did for myself a chart tracing the scheme of how these characters， all splendid creations with a voice of their own， interacted with each other along their time， drawing their individual lives while creating altogether a mesh that seems a slice of history。 Some of these characters disappear halfway through while new ones break in， just like it happens in life， for the book spans a period of close to fifty years， starting in 1229 （that is， a couple of years into the papacy under Gregory IX who instituted the Inquisition）， with a sort of Epilogue in the following century。 The overall picture that emerges out of this textual tapestry is a medieval version of Snakes and Ladders in which many Wheels-of-Fortune are interspersed。 The book is rich in themes too。 Obviously， there is the construction of a cathedral， at a time when the Gothic style was still insinuating， or rather， imposing its way into the sturdier architecture of yore eventually dissolving any opposition。 But we are also presented with these other: life in a Germanic town， the precarious presence of Jewish communities; commerce and transport during that time; orthodoxy versus heresy; Church and the bourgeois citizens; Church and the nobility; the Pope and the Staufen Emperor; the nobility and the nobility; the Papacy versus its Dioceses。Although Hopkins does not spell out the historical headlines of the period， they can be read in between his fiction。 Apart from coinciding with the establishment of the Inquisition， these are the times of the frontal opposition between Pope Gregory and Emperor Frederick II （1195-1250）， the rivalries amongst Frederick’s various sons with the consequent problematic succession after Frederick’s death， the renewed confrontation between Frederick and the succeeding Pope， Innocent IV， the problematic succession after Frederick’s death。 But Hopkins devotes attention to the dynamics of a historical process of ‘longue durée’ that permeates under these factual headlines: the emergence of the bourgeoisie， with its merchants and craftsmen， and the way it stole social prominence from the nobility， as Baron Volmar von Kronthal utters: The real war isn't the Staufen against the Pope。 It is We against Them。 Them with their Guilds and their fat Purses， buying up noble land。 Upstarts。 Mark my words， if we don't cut off they head， they will eat us alive。 I was sorry I finished this book after I reached its 618th page and maybe it was my feeling of unsatiety that led me to investigate the writer。 He wrote this book during seven years， on the side， since his main professional and artistic activity is film/documentaries （view spoiler）[ you can check some clips in http://www。benhopkins。eu/films。php （hide spoiler）] and script writing， and this other kind of writing certainly transpires in Cathedral， since he has a gift in the way he shifts viewpoints， creates vivid dialogues， perceptively selects characterizing details， and as a polyglot he has a gift for capturing striking turns of phrases。 It seems he is planning another novel。 I very much hope so。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Dana Monroe
，
2 much but admirable， well writtenI read this as a Follett fan & didn’t find it comparable。。a busy， interesting novel but not 4 me， don’t like bloody descriptors， etc （no spoiler？）
Ed Kazyanskaya
，
I wasn't expecting to love this book and fly through all 600+ pages as fast as I did but the engaging characters and captivating yet always shifting plot sucked me right in。 Unreservedly recommend to anyone in need of a good doorstopper novel to disappear into。 I wasn't expecting to love this book and fly through all 600+ pages as fast as I did but the engaging characters and captivating yet always shifting plot sucked me right in。 Unreservedly recommend to anyone in need of a good doorstopper novel to disappear into。 。。。more
Harris
，
4。5 stars rounded up。 Before I started this book I read a review that compared to it a mating of Pillars of the Earth and Game of Thrones so I obviously went into this with high expectations， but also really nervous because those are some heavy hitters。 I'd agree that was an apt description insofar that the book revolves around the building of a Cathedral and how it ultimately shapes the town and the people who live there。 It resembles Game of Thrones in how the chapters are written from differe 4。5 stars rounded up。 Before I started this book I read a review that compared to it a mating of Pillars of the Earth and Game of Thrones so I obviously went into this with high expectations， but also really nervous because those are some heavy hitters。 I'd agree that was an apt description insofar that the book revolves around the building of a Cathedral and how it ultimately shapes the town and the people who live there。 It resembles Game of Thrones in how the chapters are written from different character POVs that alternate amongst a handful of characters。 I thought it worked wonderfully here to get so many interesting perspectives throughout the span of the book and the author did a great job of inserting Roman Numerals after the character's name to indicate how many times you've read a chapter about them。 Unlike Pillars， this book lacks violent rape scenes or overly gory battles。 I will acknowledge that this book is not for everyone so I will not promote this a must-read。 At over 600 pages it is lengthy， but once you immerse yourself in it the book flies。 Also， for people who have trouble with frequently changing POVs this is not a good choice。 The interesting thing about this book is that when reading it I didn't really feel any strong emotions。 Sure there are characters that you will like/dislike more than others， but I can't necessarily say this book made me happy， sad， angry or any other emotion that might arise （there was one squeamish part that stands out， but it was short lived） All I can is that it was enjoyable。 Who doesn't love a well-written book about a time period and region in the world that is fresh and unique？ 。。。more
Roger
，
This novel traded narrative power for the messiness of real life， and the bargain was not a good one。 The characters were rich and realistic， the situations credible， and the stories a credible reflection of what life may well have been like in the 14th century， but in the end there was no story to center the narrative。 The result was somewhat unsatisfying in the end。
Oliver Bromham
，
I loved this book。
Mari LivTollefsonCarlson
，
tIn 1229， when their peasant father dies， three orphaned siblings venture out on their own， placing themselves at the mercy of the nearest German city， Hapsburg。 Rettich becomes a mason working on the city’s new cathedral。 Grete becomes a weaver。 Emmerich apprentices with a financier。 All aspiring in his or her own right， their futures are largely dictated by the church， and then by wars waged between the church and the nobles。 tThe central Lenzenbach brothers and sisters connect out to a wide s tIn 1229， when their peasant father dies， three orphaned siblings venture out on their own， placing themselves at the mercy of the nearest German city， Hapsburg。 Rettich becomes a mason working on the city’s new cathedral。 Grete becomes a weaver。 Emmerich apprentices with a financier。 All aspiring in his or her own right， their futures are largely dictated by the church， and then by wars waged between the church and the nobles。 tThe central Lenzenbach brothers and sisters connect out to a wide swath of other characters。 Rettich’s Master， the architect of the cathedral， teaches him construction skills as well to love。 Through Rettich， we meet artists and heretics。 Grete marries a soldier-turned-businessman。 Through her we meet pirates， mistresses and other rogues。 Emmerich learns his trade from a Jewish loan shark。 Through him， we meet many Jews and their many clients， including bishops。 With modern day precision and acuity， from each subject’s own perspective， the cast presents a full bodied picture of the ancient time period。 The novel’s modulating styles are as sweeping as its timeline （1229-1351）。 Beginning chapters are told from a child’s point of view， focused on immediate surroundings。 Sentences are short and pragmatic， also reflecting the stark concerns of the time。 Letters and missiles are introduced in the middle of the book （around the time paper is invented） expanding the vocabulary and scope of plot。 At the end， language returns to child-speak， narrated by the son of a plague victim。 Throughout， the prose reminds of stage directions， providing just enough information to evoke a vivid medieval scene in the mind’s eye and to keep the action churning。 （Hopkins is best known for his movies）。 What begins and ends in innocent wonder， in the middle builds to splendor and chaos in equal measure。Like a cathedral， the novel is mammoth。 And， like the unfinished cathedral， it is a monument to the continuing work of human magnanimity， ingenuity - and hubris。 。。。more
Barbara
，
When I saw the comparison to Pillars of the Earth， one of my favorite books， I had to read it。 You can tell a lot of research went into this book。 It was very informative。 Most of the characters were engaging。 I had never read about this part of the world during this time frame。 From a historical standpoint， the book was both interesting and informative。 However， it was just too long， and I like long books。 To me the story telling was uneven。 Some parts were truly page turning; others were barel When I saw the comparison to Pillars of the Earth， one of my favorite books， I had to read it。 You can tell a lot of research went into this book。 It was very informative。 Most of the characters were engaging。 I had never read about this part of the world during this time frame。 From a historical standpoint， the book was both interesting and informative。 However， it was just too long， and I like long books。 To me the story telling was uneven。 Some parts were truly page turning; others were barely able to be skimmed。 I think some serious editing would have improved the final product。 This is not fault of the author， but the way the book was bound made it very difficult to hold comfortably and read。 I'd opt for Kindle version rather than hard copy。 I'm glad I read it as it was interesting， but I did not find it as engaging as Pillars of the Earth。 。。。more
Philip Chaffee
，
This was an impressive labor of love， and it was obviously very well research and planned。 But it needed more thorough editing: there was no rhyme or reason that I could find for which character chapters were in first person and which in third， and the constant swing back and forth between the two wasn't effective。 Moreover none of the characters felt fully three dimensional， and there was surprisingly little drama set in the cathedral， despite the title。 With all that said the focus on how the This was an impressive labor of love， and it was obviously very well research and planned。 But it needed more thorough editing: there was no rhyme or reason that I could find for which character chapters were in first person and which in third， and the constant swing back and forth between the two wasn't effective。 Moreover none of the characters felt fully three dimensional， and there was surprisingly little drama set in the cathedral， despite the title。 With all that said the focus on how the cathedral was financed was fascinating， and this was a satisfying read for the history geek in me。 。。。more
Carlos
，
My family is a fan of "The Pillars of the Earth" tetralogy and also "La Catedral del Mar" so it was natural for me to read this book about a Cathedral construction on a german town。 It is not exactly about the building but about the people living in the town。 Jews， peasants， clergy， knights， nobility they all come alive in this vast tapestry。 I love that there are multiple voices telling this story。 It is breathtaking， so I am giving it 4/5 stars。 My family is a fan of "The Pillars of the Earth" tetralogy and also "La Catedral del Mar" so it was natural for me to read this book about a Cathedral construction on a german town。 It is not exactly about the building but about the people living in the town。 Jews， peasants， clergy， knights， nobility they all come alive in this vast tapestry。 I love that there are multiple voices telling this story。 It is breathtaking， so I am giving it 4/5 stars。 。。。more
Silverboggle
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I thoroughly enjoyed my immersion into the medieval society of Hagenberg and the machinations of some of its residents: merchants， moneylenders， master builders， apprentices， and the ever looming and powerful church。 Set around the vision and building of a grand， soaring glory of a cathedral， the story is wide ranging， flitting both geographically and from character to character allowing us to get to know key people from their own and other perspectives， and to see their motivations and flaws。 T I thoroughly enjoyed my immersion into the medieval society of Hagenberg and the machinations of some of its residents: merchants， moneylenders， master builders， apprentices， and the ever looming and powerful church。 Set around the vision and building of a grand， soaring glory of a cathedral， the story is wide ranging， flitting both geographically and from character to character allowing us to get to know key people from their own and other perspectives， and to see their motivations and flaws。 This was a brutal time， and survival of self and family often required either moral gymnastics or plain abandonment of such codes。 It makes for a memorable and engrossing tale， to be read slowly over days and absorbed。 These characters work their way into your brain， and take up residence。 Colourful， rich and historically accurate， I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction， loves cathedrals， or simply appreciates a well researched and written story。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jerandsan Ulsund
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Very Involving。 It takes you there。This was a very good read in that the reader is transported to the early times of Europe and becomes engrossed in the religious and political aspects of life。 In addition， the characters are fleshed out。
Tom Mooney
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I lost momentum with this half way through （it's not you， it's me）， which is a shame as it's a good book。 It just needs the right reader and I don't often manage to get to the end of tomes this large。It's like Ken Follett meets Tyll。 I lost momentum with this half way through （it's not you， it's me）， which is a shame as it's a good book。 It just needs the right reader and I don't often manage to get to the end of tomes this large。It's like Ken Follett meets Tyll。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Cathedral
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Cathedral&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Cathedral&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0