Wolf Hall

Hey all of you who are reading... long time no write; sorry! May has been the busiest month ever, not that that's an excuse. Still, though, here's the next one. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

Wolf Hall is historical fiction, which ideally, I love. This book is set in England in the 1500s, with a main character named Thomas Cromwell that is sort of in and out of favor with the king, loves his wife and children, and has an underdog past that he's gotten through with hard work and luck. As a character, I LOVE him. The book set him in place with Henry Tudor during the saucy Boleyn scandal, and that's obviously a really, truly interesting and sordid part of history that many people have speculated about.

So here's the thing... despite what seems to be a great book in theory, I didn't love it. I think part of the problem was that I'm better with American history than I am with European history, so some of the references were over my head. I knew I was missing key points beside the obvious things and it was... frustrating. Beyond that, it was gossipy and a little overdone- I felt like the writing was probably authentic for the time, but it nonetheless felt like doubletalk. Plus, it was 532 pages.

What I did like was this. Cromwell himself was an interesting character, witty and subtle and human at a time in history when the world was more focused on the facade of wealth than anything of actual value. He's mostly humble and kind and intelligent... frankly, there's not much not to like about him. I wanted to keep reading just for him- let's face it, we all know how the Tudor/ Boleyn thing worked out. I just wanted to know, theoretically, where this character I loved could have possibly fit into that chaos. Had I known more European history, too, this would have been an easier, more enjoyable, more exciting read- and I wish it had been that for me, because it was very, very promising. Mantel has great moments, like when she says:
"There cannot be new things in England. There can be old things freshly presented, or new things that pretend to be old. To be trusted, new men must forge themselves an ancient pedigree, like Walter's, or enter into the service of ancient families. Don't try to go it alone, or they'll think you're pirates" (p97).
HA! Clever. I liked this aspect of her writing quite a bit.

So do I recommend this? Like usual, selectively. Take what I've said and decide for yourself- if it doesn't sound like you'll like it, you probably won't. If you think you might, pleeeeeease give it a shot- it has many redeeming, interesting qualities... but I really felt like some of it was just over my head.

There you go! Are you interested? What have you been reading lately?