Wolf Hall- Hilary Mantel (read 22/01/20)
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆- 4/5
The Plot: goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7505440-wolf-hall
Basically, it follows the life and the rise of Thomas Cromwell who was one of Henry VIII’s main advisors. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the early life of Cromwell, before his rise to fame in the Tudor Court there is not à lot known about him. This book, while it is a work of fiction and there is definitely a lot of his story that is fabricated, it still clearly and factually reveals England during one of its most turbulent and foundational decades- Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, England breaking away from the Catholic Church, and the beginning of England’s Reformation, which was largely facilitated by Cromwell. In Wolf Hall, we follow the first half of the 1530’s where we see Cromwell’s rise after the fall and death of Cardinal Wolsey and how he begins to establish himself for the next few years. It brings to life such well known characters, Norfolk, Wolsey, Catherine of Aragon, Mary I, Anne Boleyn, and of course the most infamous of all of England’s kings- Henry VIII.
Liked:
It was really well written and easy to read, and as an A Level History student studying the Tudor period it brings a whole new perspective towards Cromwell as a person and not just a brutal administrator of his Protestant agenda- of course though, it is fiction, and I do need to make sure that I don’t start rambling about his tragic childhood in my essays!
Disliked:
Honestly, the only thing that I disliked was the fact that I know how his reign ends, it adds a tragic backdrop to the story, but again, what else is more Tudor than that?
(also found the pacing a little slow at times, but that was negligible)
Overall:
Liked it! Mantel beautifully illustrates the story of the 1530s and the turbulent marriage and religious situation of Henry VIII that was nicely grounded in fact but fills in enough personality and fiction to make these events come to life.
