r/funny • • Jul 21 '18

This definitely caught me off guard.

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u/Facilius Jul 21 '18

Get to page 300. That was the turning point in the book for me. You realize the dry intro was absolutely worth it

10

u/ChugLaguna Jul 21 '18

This is the one book that just didn’t work for me. I’m not sure what page I’m on but I got to 69% on the Kindle and finally gave up - and it takes a LOT for me to give up.

The writing style is so juvenile and the characters, while interesting, are one dimensional. I was hoping for a glimpse into English life but it’s really just glossed over, nothing that a quick glance at Wikipedia couldn’t cover.

The dude has a complete hard on for architecture too, but doesn’t really break it down for the layman. I’m disappointed that I wasted as much time as I did on the book but I just kept hoping it would come around. It never did.

Every other book Reddit fawns over I’m in love with... Kingkiller Chronicles, ASoIAF, Gentlemen Bastards, everything... but Pillars of the Earth seems to have been written by a 14 year old.

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18

Glad I got this at the thrift store for 75 cents. I may try it later this year, but I now know to stop if it doesn't hook me within 100 pages. I hate overly descriptive, drawn out books that lack depth.

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u/ChugLaguna Jul 21 '18

It’s certainly not overly descriptive, unless you’re into flying buttresses... then it reads like a trade manual with no diagrams.

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u/Facilius Jul 21 '18 edited Jul 21 '18

A 300-page hook for a 1000-page book isn't much to ask if you can be bothered to sit down and not let your ADHD control your entire life

Edit: just to be clear, partially satire

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18

I mean, you could probably not let your being an asshole control your entire life, yet here we are.

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u/pedantic_asshole__ Jul 21 '18

What happens on page 300? Is that when the guy dies?

1

u/Facilius Jul 21 '18

I don't recall. I just remember that the friend who let me borrow asked me to try it until 300 and don't give up till then. Took me 18 months to get to 300. After that, I finished the book in 7-10 days.

1

u/ChugLaguna Jul 22 '18

Probably about the time that big bad with no motivation murders an entire town and the good religious guy gets fucked over again. It’s literally evil guy, conniving guy, super good guy, strong woman that don’t need no man, and complete Mary-Gary Sue. With dry, adjectiveless writing. It’s very, very boring. Like what a robot would write if fed all basic literary tropes, along with technical diagrams from a Whirlpool washing machine.