Best Book = Pillars

Now this is a tricky post to do, because the topic is pretty controversial. It doesn't ask for an opinion but it merely says "Best Book Ever?" inferring there is no dispute and there is only one book to rule them all (no, it's not Lord of the Rings). This stumped me for awhile but then I checked out www.officialstuff.gov and saw that the best book is Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.
Now I suppose I better tell you why. The primary reasons are the following: Amazing plot, amazing cast of characters, amazing setting, and the way that all of this is interwoven together. I'll start with the characters, a sadistic earl, a determined orphan, an intelligent outcast, a menacing apprentice, a biased builder, an outspoken woodswoman, and several power hungry kings. And you can't go wrong when you throw in a devote priest and a crazy bishop (or can you?). The best part about the characters is how they are shaped and changed over the course of the book, and none of them are forgotten or left behind, they all tie in with each other. That ties in with the amazing plot of the novel; the twists and turns are completely unpredictable and everything is interwoven within itself. The setting is also a piece of work, while medieval Europe is indeed a common setting, it isn't the glorious knights and dragons and heroic victory's that readers are used to. Its a struggle against political corruption, a battle of morality, and a quest to have a higher purpose in life. When you finish Pillars you will have an amazing feeling, comparable to winning the lottery, while on ecstasy.
Some people will always hate on Pillars, saying it has no "depth" and the like, but it single handedly takes the crown for the best book ever...