Wolf Hall

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: I've had this book on my to read list since Margaret Atwood recommended it to me and other students in 2010. She said she never shares her absolute favorite books, but she would tell us some books she'd read recently and loved. Wolf Hall made the list. After reading it, I think I understand why. 

Wolf Hall is a historical fiction novel set during Henry VIII's reign. There are dozens and dozens of books about Henry and his six wives, but Mantel puts a very different spin on it. Her novel is told from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell, a self-made, shrewd man. Cromwell is the son of an abusive blacksmith who has risen to power through serving first Cardinal Wolsey and now the king. 

Mantel's writing is clean and smart. She requires a lot from her reader. You must stay on your toes with this novel in order to follow along. The narration is near stream of consciousness and pronouns often remain undefined, forcing the reader to pay close attention. Yet at the same time, Mantel's writing is quite lyrical. For example: "It is magnificent. At the moment of impact, the king's eyes are open, his body braced for the atteint; he takes the blow perfectly, its force absorbed by a body securely armored, moving in the right direction, moving at the right speed. His color does not alter. His voice does not shake." The blow, of course, is the birth of a daughter instead of the most desired son. After 7 years of chasing Anne Boleyn and fighting to marry her, she produces a daughter. Mantel is a master of showing versus telling.


It's little wonder that Mantel won the Man Booker Prize for this novel in 2009. She creates a very original literary voice and is able to make Cromwell, a historical figure that held little interest for me, into a fascinating and complex character. This was a long book and a slow read, but it was worth it. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies.


Stars: 4