Book 45: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Book 45: Wolf Hall.
Author: Hilary Mantel, 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction. England 16th century. Post-modern.
Other Details: Hardback. 672 pages
"Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning," says Thomas More, "and when you come back that night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion eating larks' tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money."
In this 2009 Man Book Prize winning novel Mantel charts the rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, architect of the English Reformation. Despite being born to a working class family and having no name or position, Cromwell first became Cardinal Wolsey's clerk and later his right-hand man. Cromwell not only survived Wolsey's fall from grace but quickly became Henry VIII's trusted minister; overseeing Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn, and perhaps most significantly the Church of England's break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries.
This is a magnificent novel, well deserving of its many accolades. Cromwell may seem an unlikely hero and yet he emerges here as a complex, fiercely intelligent man and a passionate reformer. Though not written in first person, Mantel remains with Cromwell's perspective throughout the novel and brings this rich period of English history vividly to life.
It's not really a spoiler to advise that the novel ends with the execution of Thomas More as Cromwell comes to the height of his power and influence. Before reading I had expected it would be an account of all of Cromwell's life. As i finished its final page, I certainly wanted more and was relieved to read that Mantel is working on a second novel, The Mirror and the Light, that will cover Cromwell's remaining years. Certainly a book that I shall be eagerly awaiting.
This novel was a delayed pleasure as I knew some time ago that that it was scheduled for our library reading group this year. However, it does require close attention given its many characters and the complexities of court politics. It simply is one of the best novels that I have read in recent years and one I am sure I will return to in the future to savour its many layers and powerful prose.
Cross-posted to 50bookchallenge.