The Pillars of the Earth

I agree with some of the 1-star reviewers that the book would have been even better had the characters been more deeply drawn and more nuanced, and found the summary of the plot by one of the reviewers on point (and hilarious) but, that said, and perhaps I have a special interest in King Stephen and the 12th century generally, I enjoyed the book ... in part by skimming throughout the sections describing building of the cathedral.