I’ve been seeing a few interesting reviews about “Wolf Hall”, a novel about Thomas Cromwell, coming through on my Google news alerts and I also received a recommendation from Foose, so I thought it was time to look into this book some more! Here’s the product description from Amazon, as well as an order link for Amazon UK (where the book is already out) and a pre-order link for the US Amazon, where it will be out in October. I’m personally hoping it is eventually at Audible, since that’s how I “read” a lot of books these days!
In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII
Oh…I can’t wait for October…which is when this book arrives in the U.S. There are LOTS of books for me to put on the shelf this autumn, most not being published (even in the U.K.) until then. Seems that late winter and early fall are the times for new releases…true?
Anyway…I’m saving pennies, collecting cans, and squireling away all my change so I’m ready for the big book blitz 🙂
I just got my copy of this in the mail today. I think it’s going to be very slow going. The book is over 600 pages long, has a cast of characters at the beginning that is four and half pages long and genealogical charts so you can follow the relationships. I’m not sure that’s a good thing in a novel. The thing I’ve found most annoying so far is that it is written in the present tense. That’s a personal dislike of mine, so I don’t think I’ll be in too big a hurry to finish (or even to start) this book.
Thanks for the heads-up, Kathy.
A cast of characters 4 and a half pages long? That’s a bit much. Perhaps it would be best for me to wait for this to come into the bookstore. Then I’d find myself a good cushy chai, and explore this book before putting hard-found change into it.
I read the reviews and all said it wasn’t a fast read, which is OK by me. However, there is a fine line between keeping track of a full plate of characters, and having to keep scooping them back into the bowl of memory 🙁
I found it very gripping. I, too, dislike the present tense, but once I was immersed in it the annoyance faded away and I understood why Mantel chose it — it makes the action seem more intermediate, as if you are there. The author is an excellent and respected writer who has previously synthesized major historical events (A Place of Greater Safety) into fiction to great success.
Frankly, leaving aside its merits aside as a work of historical fiction, it’s a stupendous piece of research. You may quibble with or be angered by some of the characterizations, but the development of them is very logical and fully incorporates the accounts of the time. A surprising and personal reason is suggested — foreshadowed — for the choice of the 5 men who fell with Anne Boleyn, which I found fascinating — since I have always thought that “workplace” animosities may have played a role.
One thing — this is the first of two books covering Cromwell’s career by Mantel. I was surprised that Cromwell emerges as such a sympathetic figure. “The Tudors” has also adopted this line. It would be interesting to explore why this fat-jowled, little-eyed bureaucrat in Holbein’s portrait is enjoying such a renascence as a romantic and tragic figure.
If this is the first of two books…does this book end with Cromwell’s execution…or does the sequel have to be purchased to find out whatever happened to this particular Earl of Essex?
Yes, you’ll have to get the sequel to round out Cromwell’s career. But I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this book so much that you’ll be waiting impatiently for the second installment.
I forgot to mention — the book is very funny, too!
And this book is now short=listed for the Booker prize?