A mini-series format was definitely the way to go with a story that focuses on numerous, interlocking character arcs such as Pillars. Even the best of screenwriters would have trouble figuring out a way to condense the story that much. I doubt I’m alone in thinking that any attempt to turn Pillars into a big-screen picture would’ve been disastrous. We see books turned into movies constantly and many of them become butchered somewhere during the process of cramming hundreds of pages of story into a two-hour film. It’s the classic good versus evil tale where most of the characters fall firmly on one side or the other. From political drama, to romance and plenty of suspense, the book is more than just a story about a church being built. While some involved, including the corrupt Bishop and the Hamleigh family, use the strife for their own personal and political gain, the people of Kingsbridge, including Tom Builder and Prior Philip, attempt to get their cathedral built. Getting the cathedral built proves to be more challenging than just stacking stones as there is an ongoing struggle for power between the recently deceased king’s daughter Maud and his nephew Stephen.

If not, The Pillars of the Earth follows the building of a cathedral in a town in England during the 12th century, and the drama that surrounds the project and the characters involved. If you’ve read the book, skip this paragraph as you already know the story.

Pillars of the earth book series