Jude the Obscure and The Pillars of the Earth

I was editing my Myspace profile, when it suddenly came to my mind the following episode:

I happened to meet Ken Follett a few years ago. We were sitting at the same table, so I couldn't avoid one simple question, one that probably anyone who'd read Jude the Obscure (by T. Hardy) AND The Pillars of the Earth (by K. Follett) would have felt the urge to ask: did he feel obliged to T. Hardy? Actually, I was a bit bolder and asked him if he got the inspiration from Jude... it was quite a funny moment. All the "brains" at the tables, book industry brains, editors, translator (but I did not use him, I asked the question myself!) looked at me in horror (once the translator had done his job and translated the question in Italian: they probably thought I was accusing him of plagiarism in writing his most succesfull book...), but Sir (if I am not mistaken) Follett smiled at me and I could see recognition in his eyes. I am sure I was not the first person in the world asking him such a question, but he probably would not expect it in Italy, where T. Hardy is quite unknown. But he just smiled, and admitted T. Hardy was his favourite author and that he had a picture of him just behind his desk, to remind him every day of his life how much he owed him. And the we went on sharing thoughts on Hardy for a while, while the others looked at us and did not know what to say.
So, I don't really like Ken Follett as a writer, but I think he's a great guy.

Book of the day: The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett.
Libro del giorno: I pilastri della Terra, di Ken Follett.