If you liked
Books like The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
The Pillars of the Earth is Ken Follett's massive medieval epic, generations of builders, monks and nobles fighting over the construction of a cathedral. It is soapy, propulsive and utterly immersive. If you want more big historical sagas you can disappear into for a week, these are the picks.
The shortlist
What to read next
Wolf Hallby Hilary Mantel
“Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 2009 review. Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith's son who rose to serve Henry VIII, reorganizes the English state at the cost of his own soul. Booker Prize 2009 and the most important historical novel of the twenty-first century.”
The Covenant of Waterby Abraham Verghese
“The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 2023 review. Three generations of a Christian family on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, connected by a generational drowning condition. Verghese's second major novel.”
Cold Mountainby Charles Frazier
“Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 1997 review. A wounded Confederate deserter walks across the Civil-War-era Carolinas to return home. National Book Award 1997 and the basis for the 2003 Minghella film.”
The Mirror & the Lightby Hilary Mantel
“The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel 2020 review. The final volume of the Cromwell trilogy, covering Thomas Cromwell from the execution of Anne Boleyn to his own arrest and execution four years later. The eight-year-awaited closure of the most important historical-fiction project of the twenty-first century.”
A Game of Thronesby George R. R. Martin
“A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 1996 review. The book that rewrote what epic fantasy was allowed to do. Westeros, the Iron Throne, the deaths nobody saw coming. Required reading.”
The Nightingaleby Kristin Hannah
“The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 2015 review. Two French sisters in occupied France during World War II. One joins the Resistance; one harbors a Nazi officer in her home. The historical-fiction bestseller that established Hannah as the contemporary master of women's WWII fiction.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Pillars of the Earth read-alikes
- I want a smarter novel about the same period.
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and its sequel The Mirror and the Light rebuild the Tudor court around Thomas Cromwell with far more literary ambition than Follett. If you want the medieval-and-Renaissance intrigue with prose to match, this is the upgrade.
- I want another giant, immersive saga.
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese spans three generations in South India, and it delivers the same "settle in for six hundred pages" pleasure. Different setting, same total immersion.
- I want the political scheming and betrayal.
- A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin scratches the exact itch: shifting alliances, ruthless nobles and a huge cast, just with dragons added. If it was the power struggles you loved in Pillars, Westeros is waiting.
- I want beautiful, emotional historical fiction.
- Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah both bring the sweep with more heart and better sentences. Either is a strong pick if you want the epic scale plus a good cry.
The original