This book was sent to me for review via Waterstones from the Publishers. It will fit in nicely with my reading of Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series.

Synopsis:

'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.' England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages. From one of our finest living writers, Wolf Hall is that very rare thing: a truly great English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion and suffering and courage

This book did not grab my attention. I did read the first 150 pages, but I was bored after 20 minutes reading and I couldn't face the next 500 pages. Some familiar names from the Shardlake series, but no juicy murder to keep me going. This is the first time I've given up on a book.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I seem to remember you saying this period in history was your favourite. I do hope you enjoy it.

Thank you very much, MK, for this huge brick which had our postman staggering up the garden path this morning! Some books languish in the TBR piles for months (years?). Others jump the queue. This is a jumper! It arrived at just the right time, at the start of what threatens to be a rather wet Bank Holiday weekend. I've already read the first chapter and I think I'm going to enjoy it, especially as I find Tudor history so fascinating. I'm not sure about the use of the present tense though, as it's not a style I find easy to read and I think it could get a bit annoying before the end. Thanks again for thinking of me :-) I hope I get further than you did....

Interim report (p161 of 650): I'm loath to describe anything as badly written, when I'm not a writer myself, but I will say that I don't like this author's style of writing - which is as far as I'll go in the criticising direction! Her awkward use of the present tense gets in the way of the story and she has an irritating way of frequently referring to Cromwell as 'he' instead of by name, far too frequently for my liking. It's a strange way to tell a tale from nearly 500 years ago but the tale itself is worth telling and retelling so I shall persevere for now!
I think I've just passed Molekilby :-)

Now that I've finished reading this novel (yes, I persevered to the very end) I can confirm that familiarity didn't make the writing style any easier to follow. I still think it was a hindrance rather than a help to the telling of the tale. There's a really good story in there trying to get out but it's hidden behind the author's literary devices.

I think there was one page when the use of the present tense made the action flow faster than it might otherwise have done, but only the one, and it was so obvious that I was aware of it - which hardly indicates smooth writing.

The over use of pronouns was totally confusing from start to finish. I taught myself that 'he' without explanation usually meant Thomas Cromwell but, once again, it was an unnecessary device which obscured rather than enlightened.

In my opinion, Cromwell and the many other characters in this novel deserve a better outlet than this! I hope its subsequent readers enjoy it - but I must say that, despite molekilby's warning, I was disappointed.

Thank you, MK - it was an interesting reading experience!

On loan to non-BookCrossing historical-novel-loving friend (JR)

This is an unusual style for an historical novel. I would normally expect them to be written in the past tense and in the first person but this is in the present tense and in the third person which threw me to begin with but, having be warned by Nu-Knees, I soon adapted and, in fact, enjoyed this style of writing. I felt I got a much more rounded picture of Thomas Cromwell and saw many facets to his character I was previously unaware of. Now I want to do more research to see what is fact and what is fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it gave a good picture of the Tudor court at this time. It really engaged my attention and kept me well-entertained over a wet and dreary weekend.

Now returning it to Nu-Knees with thanks.


CAUGHT IN KNARESBOROUGH NORTH YORKSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM

Thank you for the return of this book and for posting your comments which I thoroughly appreciate, thank you, JR.

Although she didn't write it in her journal entry, JR also commented on the title, wondering whether it was totally appropriate, as Wolf Hall was barely mentioned in the text although, if the author is planning a sequel, the last few sentences of this novel will certainly lead into further developments at the Seymour seat.

Now reserved for Tree-hugger to release in York, the city is focussing on the Tudors this Summer to mark the 500th Anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne.

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Just out of interest, I'm copying the Amazon Editorial Review:
"In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII’s court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king’s favor and ascend to the heights of political power.
"England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king’s freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum.
"Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?
"In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death."

Gave this one to Tree-hugger when we met for a literary lecture by Candace Robb on Medieval York and her murder mysteries featuring Owen Archer
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Update, 28 July 2009: I've just heard that this appears on the Man Booker Prize Longlist 2009. So much for my ability to identify a Good Book! LOL!!
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Further update, 8 September 2009: Now it's made the short list
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Final update, 7 October 2009: Last night it was declared the Winner - and I'm speechless with shock and amazement! I feel rather like the little boy in the story of The Emperor's New Clothes, the only one who was prepared to say he was naked when everyone else followed the script they'd been given by the con men! LOL! There's nothing wrong with the story; it's the manner of its telling that lets it down! Or maybe not....
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March 2010: The nightmare continues! Wolf Hall has now appeared on The Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 longlist. Whatever can these judges be thinking??? Perhaps they're reading a different book by the same author with the same title!

Thanks for passing this onto me Nu-Knees. It fits in very well with the stuff I've been reading recently, and with the "Tudor Summer" we're having in York this year. For that reason I think I'll move it towards the front of the TBR queue!

I'm afraid I've just given up on this. I struggled to page 100, in order to give it a fair go, but won't persevere any longer. Life is too short to finish books you aren't enjoying!

I've got a couple of colleagues who have read this over the past fortnight or so, since it appeared on the Booker longlist, and they love it, but I'm afraid it wasn't for me at all. It was very well researched, and took the reader step by step through all the facts... but isn't that what nonfiction does? I couldn't get my head around what I was reading. It was written from Cromwell's point of view, but in the 3rd person - the style was bizarre. People would talk and I'd have no idea who was speaking. It all seemed very poorly written to me, but I'm aware that it is in fact, "a good book", so I'm prepared to accept that I'm wrong on this one!

I think I'll ask my afore-mentioned colleagues if they want to take it and pass it on to anyone with their hearty endorsement.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

My colleague Lynne took this book away, read it immediately and loved it, and passed it onto her friend. so it's definitely moving, but whether we hear from it again is another issue - I hope so!