Wolf Hall

What to say about Wolf Hall?

I enjoyed the book. Ms Mantel is a talented writer who has achieved something quite fantastic by weiving together history and fiction to give us quite a handsome portrait of Cromwell, albeit apparently untrue.

It is a challenging read. The style of prose is quite difficult and can be somewhat confusing; however, once you realise that whenever the author uses “he”, it almost always refers to Cromwell, you start to settle in. I think I would have given it five stars had it been a bit easier to read. But then again, I am a simple man.

I must confess I was not entirely aware of the intricacies of Henry VIII's court. I did not fully understand how his marriages and subsequent annulments played out. However, this adaptation is a great entry point into understanding the whole affair. While I know this is not a historical biography, the author's meticulous attention to detail should be praised.

Most of Cromwell's biographers paint him as a callous, cruel, and calculating man, far from Wolf Hall's portrait. This might be true, but nonetheless, it is exciting, and once you get into it, you can't put it down.

I listened to and read this book. I must also praise Simon Slater's reading on Audible. It is fantastic, and his use of accents to differentiate the characters made it all the more enjoyable.

I will read the sequels and then pick up a history of the Tudors to piece it all together.