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Oprah lifts up Ken Follett, all 973 pages
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Talk about hitting the lit-lottery. Ken Follett is the latest recipient of Oprah Winfrey’s magic book-club pixie dust, and to make it even better, she sprinkled it on him at the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
Oprah tapped Follett’s 973-page cinder-block-sized novel “The Pillars of the Earth,” which was published in 1989. It’s a big story set in 12th century England, about the building of a cathedral and the families and characters who take several generations to raise it up.
Follett, a 58-year-old Welshman, first became famous for his thrillers such as “Eye of the Needle,” a much leaner and meaner book than “Pillars.” (According to wikipedia, his publisher was nervous about the book.) I haven’t read “Pillars” (although I think my Well-Read Wife knocked it off a while ago), but I loved “Needle” and some of Follett’s earlier stuff.
But here’s the question. Even with the Oprah imprimatur, even though it’s a reader-friendly book, do even avid bibliophiles have the time or inclination to tackle a 973-page book?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Book Clubs
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By Jeff
November 15, 2007 5:48 AM | Link to this
If it is an interesting book, people will stay with it no matter the length.
I point to two classics to support my point:
1) GWTW. Something like 1096 pages, and I personally have read every one. While I’m not sure if the GWTW nostalgia comes more from the book or the movie, I’m sure there are quite a few people out there that have read the book.
2) The Bible. Most modern renditions put it at somewhere around 1500 - 2000 pages, but there are literally THOUSANDS, if not MILLIONS, that have read every word.
By court_fanatic
November 15, 2007 8:30 AM | Link to this
I read this book a few years ago - one of the best reads ever!! I was enthralled throughout the story. I’d recommend it to anyone.