A Column of Fire vs The Pillars of the Earth: Which Should You Read?
A Column of Fire
A Column of Fire is a 2017 novel by British author Ken Follett, first published on 12 September 2017. It is the third book in the Kingsbridge Series, and serves as a sequel to 1989s The Pillars of the Earth and 2007s…
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The Pillars of the Earth
“IN A BROAD VALLEY, at the foot of a sloping hillside, beside a clear bubbling stream, Tom was building a house.”
The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Set in the 12th century, the novel covers the…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Column of Fire is the quickest read — about 17 hours vs 19 for The Pillars of the Earth.
- The Pillars of the Earth has the widest readership — 855879 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| A Column of Fire | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (130744) | 4.3 (855879) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 4.2 (1034) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (3116) | 4.5 (3249) |
Reception
| A Column of Fire | The Pillars of the Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 130744 | 855879 |
| Editions | — | 111 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 103370 | 598767 |
| Reading it now | 19840 | 39803 |
| Written reviews | 8380 | 43843 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3637 | 28093 |
| Pages | 930 | 1040 |