Mr. Follet really does a wonderful job creating and developing the characters throughout the story. It is true to history as it can be, with Kingsbridge being a fictional town (therefore any historical events occuring in Kingsbridge are also fictional), based on the fact that the building of large cathedrals took many decades. The author does an amazing job of character development; sometimes a bit over-despcriptive, he goes into great and vast quantities of detail about what the characters think and feel as they interact with the world around them. Although it seemed a tad long, there is nothing that should be removed. Anyone who enjoys historical novels, period dramas, architecture, the Middle Ages, history in general, or even simply intelligent and mature writing, should most definitely pick up this gem and enjoy what a wonderful world Ken Follet has created.