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All Ben Hopkins's books

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Latest reviews

“Ben Hopkins’s novel has the look of an old-fashioned doorstop of a saga. But when you immerse yourself in the shifting perspectives of Cathedral, what you also discover is a clever (even postmodern?) commentary on the ironies of history.”
— The New York Times Book Review, Apr 20 2021

“As the edifice rises and decades pass, Hopkins weaves together a multitude of voices to examine the relationship between medieval worship and the era’s politics and economics. The resulting epic is both sweeping and human.”
— The New Yorker, Mar 1 2021
“Hopkins admits to having enjoyed writing Cathedral immensely, and this is evident in the compassion, humour, pathos and sheer vivacity of a novel which signals the arrival of a bright new talent on the historical fiction stage.”
— The Historical Novel Society, Jan 29 2021
★ “An expansive fictional epic addressing themes of art, religion and power in the mode of Ken Follett or Umberto Eco [ . . . ] Hopkins’s compelling and descriptive tale will leave readers eager for more.”
— Shelf Awareness (Starred Review), Jan 27 2021
“The design and construction of a lofty Medieval cathedral over the course of a century brings together a vast array of characters in a tale of ambition, obsession, desire, vanity and power.”
— USA Today, Jan 23 2021
“Superbly crafted, visually and emotionally vibrant, filled with strong, relatable characters, and so engaging that, even at over six hundred pages, I was sorry when it came to an end.”
— ForeWord Reviews, Jan 21 2021
“Cathedral is an ambitious epic [ . . . ] A rich, occasionally bewildering array of characters peoples its pages [ . . . ] Their stories interweave to create a memorable tapestry of politics, religion and conflicting human desires.”
— The Sunday Times, Jan 15 2021
“Hopkins’s debut is the superior [to Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth]. Beautifully written and profoundly insightful about its very human characters and their yearning for both God and Mammon.”
— The Times (UK), Best Books of the Month, Jan 13 2021
★ “Rich, moving, and unforgettable, it exposes the vanity inherent in trying to make a mark on history and exalts the power of love, creativity, and truth to leave a meaningful trace on this ephemeral world.”
— ForeWord Reviews (Starred Review), Jan 8 2021
★ “Ambitious and satisfying [ . . . ] This sweeping work is as impressive as the cathedral at its center.”
— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review), Nov 23 2020
“To a dedicated historical fiction reader, [Cathedral is] heaven [ . . . ] It is a rich tapestry with a satisfying substance full of historical detail, personal insight, individual tragedy and triumph.”
— Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, Nov 2 2020
“This first novel by screenwriter Hopkins imagines a paean to the glory of God arising from the unholy muck of the Middle Ages.”
— Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review), May 18 2020

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