Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary:
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. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and 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?
My Take:
What can I say about this Novel? A friend recommended it after we discussed the the show The Tudors. Thomas Cromwell has always interested me. A man who rose from nothing to help guide an empire. A man who would still meet the same fate as those he abandoned to death. What would it take to mold a man who helped mold and push forward a religious movement. Even if he didn't seem an overly religious man? If you have any interest in Tudor England this novel is both interesting and insightful.
I will warn you, the novel is written from Cromwell's perspective. You are living his life from his eyes. Seeing the world as he sees it. The narrative takes a little bit to get used to. Once you get past that part you realize its the only way to understand him. This character had such an important roll in England. He was an intelligent man who always seemed two steps ahead of the rest of the crowd. Mantel makes his seem more human, showing us his softer side. The book covers both the loss of his beloved Cardinal and his family. It follows how he builds a new family around him, of ambitious young men. Ready to shape the world.
Take a peak inside the world of Thomas Cromwell. I'm sure you will be ready to jump back into the story with the next novel. Brining up the Bodies.
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