In this practice, Architecture and Art I’am going to talk about a masterpiece which incluides Architecture (which is the art and area I like the most) so as it can be suposed this mix about another art and architecture is for me awesome.

Despite the facts there are many types of arts such as music, cinema, drawing… and I was advised to do a film or a piece of muisc I thought the best option ( and the one I like the most) was talking about a lireterature.

The book I wanted to present in this Practice is called the Pillars of the Earth. The first moment I was told to do a task like this I thought inmediately to do this book as it combines perfectly LITERATURE as it is a masterpiece of the historical novels but it also talks in a very detailed way about the ARCHITECTURE of the Priory of Kingsbridge.

BACKGROUND

When Follett starts the task of writing The Pillars of the Earth, he explains the following: “I read several books of architecture and an interest in cathedrals arose in me. Some time later, it occurred to me to capture this enthusiasm in a novel. I was aware that it must be a long book. It took at least 30 years to build a cathedral, although in most cases this period was extended because they ran out of money, were attacked or invaded. Thus, the story comprehensively deals with the lives of the main characters. At my publishing house they were a bit uneasy about such an unusual topic that, paradoxically, is my most famous work. It is also the book I am most proud of. It recreates, in a rather graphic way, the life of the town and its inhabitants. It is as if you know the place and the people in such an intimate way as if you yourself were living there in the Middle Ages.

He became an investigator and an architect, trying to show in this pages not only the beautifulness of the different architectonic styles but also the duration of constructions through the numer of pages.

–TITLE

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH

–WRITER

The writer of this novel is KEN FOLLET.

Childhood: His parents, belonging to a sect, forbade him from watching movies or television, and this led him to develop an early interest in reading and, at the age of seven, he became a member of the public library of Cardiff, which allowed him to read a large number of books. At the age of ten his family went to live in London and he continued reading non-stop thanks to the neighborhood library, but he was a very normal student until he reached adolescence.

Youth and Maturity: In 1967 he entered the University College of London, where he studied philosophy and became involved in left-wing movements. He married his first wife, Mary, in 1968.

–GENRE

The Genre of this novel is HISTORICAL LITERATURE

–DATE

The book was firstly published in 1989

–CHARACTERS:

• Jack Jackson (también conocido como Jack Fitzjack, y posteriormente Jack Builder): Hijo de Jack Shareburg y Ellen; Philip: A monk
• Aliena de Shiring: doughter of the count of Shiring. 
• Tom Builder: A stonecutter master which dream is to build a cathedral
• William Hamleigh: Son of Lord Percy and Regan Hamleigh,
• Waleran Bigod: The Bishop of Kindsbridge 
• Richard de Shiring: Little brother of Aliena
• Alfred Builder: Son of Tom
• Martha Builder: Daughter of Tom and Agnes Builder
• Jonathan: Little son of Tom y Agnes Builder 
• Lord Percy Hamleigh:  Father of William
• Lady Regan Hamleigh: Mother of William Hamleigh. 
• Rey Esteban: Son of the king Henry. 
• Bartholomew de Shiring: count of Shiring 
• Agnes Builder: First wife of Tom Builder 

PLOT

In the Middle Ages, fear of kings, counts and religion governs. Tom is a good man looking for work. His dream is to build a cathedral. Prior Phillip is his best asset, but before he gets there he will have lost his wife, his youngest son, and met the wild Ellen and her child, Jack. Ellen is not well regarded, they say she is a witch, but they fall in love and their children grow up at odds.

To get better positions Waleran Bigod teams up with wealthy old ally Percy Hamleigh and they defeat Earl Bartholomew. Hamleigh’s son, William, has reason to take personal revenge on the earl because he has something pending with the marriageable daughter. They are not only trying to ruin you financially, they are also trying to ruin your life.

While Prior Phillip and Tom struggle to build a cathedral, the wiles of Waleran Bigod and William Hamleigh will come to them with only one goal: to torment them, even if it means impoverishing the people of Kingsbride.

OPINION

First of all i want to say that i am a bit special when the matter is literature. I only like novels, and as a fan of novels, specially historic novels I have to say that this book is a masterpice. I would say that is one of the best books I have ever read. In fact as I have read, it is one of the most purchased books of the last decades. There has been several series about the Pillars of the earth.

I like a lot the details of the architecture of the churches. Despite the fact I study architecture, I am not an expert and I do not understand as much. I have learned a lot reading this novel, and it has increased my love and passion for architecture.

Curiosity;

As I was reading the book one afternoon I entered to Youtube and I watched a video of an architect that is also youtuber, in that video which title was: ¿Por qué no se derrumbó Notre Dame cuando se incendió? The Youtuber explained how was the process of the firsts churches with wide walls because much of the forces laid there, and had thin windows to the evolution of the gothic churches much bigger but with also bigger windows and thiner walls. This was possible due to the creation of ogival ribbed which allowd the forces to lay on the 4 pillars instead of the walls, allowing to build thinner layers. The problem was that the the horizontal forces where bigger than the vertical ones forcing to build buttresses and in the case of bigger churches with more than 3 naves, flying butresses in order to allow light to enter.

Well, the case was that after watching that video I countinued reading and there was also explained this preocess in the book. I got crazy as that morning I learned that and I felt an expert in architecture ( I am not but I am interested in the subhject and I want to be an expert)

Bibliography:

In this Practice I have been mainly aided from the web Wikipedia which has allowed me to find the whole names of the characters of the novel.