Title: Vivid and pornographic
Product review: In the introduction Mr. Follett indicates he followed his agent's advice to create a 'series of linked melodramas'. That seems an accurate description.The story is loosely based upon historical events in twelfth century England. It does show evidence of some background research.I do have an acute disappointment in this novel, because it could have been a great work.The rape and torture scenes are titillating, detailed and seem an exaggeration of a formula to create focus points. Ironically even within the text the author has Philip lament that it will be very difficult to purify his mind of such filth.Even the other tensions seem very much formula driven, the same pattern each time: despair, a great hope and seeming solution, then the 'bad guys' win and partially thwart the hero. The hero soldiers on. It reminds one of 'professional' wrestling.Same scene- just change the costumes for each round.
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