Merry Christmas! I hope that those of you who celebrate the season have had a wonderful day and enjoyed time with family and loved ones. As I sat on the couch in my childhood home on this Saturday evening — finally getting to do a little reading — I realized that it was time to update you all on my progress this week and my reading experience.
All week, I have been working my way through Ken Follett’s massive The Pillars of the Earth. I’ve made my way to page 420 of the book and will pick up reading there tomorrow morning. Normally, that kind of progress would result in another completed read added to my yearly goal. At an expansive 973 pages in total, I definitely have my work cut out for me if I hope to finish reading The Pillars of the Earth in 2021. (For those of you who are nerds like me, that goal would require me to average around 92 pages per day over the next 6 days. It’s not an unheard of amount of reading, but I’ve been struggling to get through 50 pages of Follett’s prose in a single day. I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet though.)
I’ve found myself really enthralled with the story thus far. Thankfully, the plot is not dominated totally by the construction of the Kingsbridge Cathedral. Rather, the story centers on the people whose lives intersect with the construction project. It really is a fascinating cast of characters that you quickly grow to love or hate. Then there are those moments where Follett drops a few masterfully constructed sentences that simply demand you pause and consider the implications. For example, while reading tonight I came across this passage.
Having faith in God did not mean sitting back and doing nothing. It meant believing that you would find success if you did your best honestly and energetically.
The Pillars of the Earth, 417
As I read those words, I had to stop and relish the truth contained in them. The juxtaposition of faith and works has been a source of discussion for great thinkers since the earliest days of the Christian faith. While I do not assume that The Pillars of the Earth means to enter the realm of theological conversation – Follett actually takes a hard look at the Church as an establishment throughout the book and the observations are not terribly flattering – I do think that great writing addresses issues that have troubled society for a very long time. It’s small asides like the one above that is making this novel such a joy to read! I’m looking forward to seeing what the coming week holds in store as I continue this reading adventure.
Reading for Me 
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