This book is a mixed bag.

When Follett writes about the cathedral it's quite good. He describes the construction in detail, from the techniques used to create huge structures by pure manpower to the cultural forces that inform their design. It's fascinating stuff.

Unfortunately, he drowns it in a swamp of melodrama. A series of virtuous commoners devote their lives to building the cathedral while villainous aristocrats oppose them. The good guys outsmart the bad guys. The prose is functional but doesn't remedy the dull plot.

Still, the central subject of the cathedral was compelling enough to keep me interested until the end. It's worth a skim.