It’s hard to put down - very engrossing. Luckily, it’s on a Kindle, so it’s not as ponderous as carrying around a nearly 1,000 page book! :-)
I’d forgotten to mention that I had also downloaded “The Hobbit”. I’d forgotten how good a story teller JRR Tolkien was. After I’ve finished “Pillars of the Earth” I want to go back and re-read LOTR.
Funny Kindle story about “The Lord of the Rings”: They’ve transcribed “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Return of the King” to Kindle, but not the middle book! I sent a letter to Amazon; hopefully by the time I finish the first volume it will be ready...sigh :-/
The period detail, the architectural references and both the political and church intrigue really are fascinating. It’d make a great movie if it were left intact as much as possible and properly cast, but that’s the big problem anymore with movies.