“One of the greatest achievements of modern literature.” Man Booker Prize CommitteeWinners of the Man Booker Prize and hugely successful stage plays in London’s West End and on Broadway, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies bring history to life for a whole new audience having now been adapted into a six-part television series by the BBC and PBS Masterpiece. Bring Up the Bodies unlocks the darkly … Masterpiece.
Bring Up the Bodies unlocks the darkly glittering court of Henry VIII, where Thomas Cromwell is now chief minister. Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn and has fixed his eye on the demure Jane Seymour. Anne has failed to give England an heir and rumors of her infidelity creep through the court. Over a few terrifying weeks, to dislodge her from her throne, Cromwell ensnares Anne in a web of conspiracy acting to save his life, serve his king and secure his position. But from the bloody theater of the queen’s final days, no one will emerge unscathed.
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Wonderful writing.
No one, repeat: no one writes historical fiction better than Hilary Mantel.
A well done & unusual approach to Thomas Cromwell’s character & behavior. An extremely practical approach to the problems he faced, especially for the times he lived in.
One of my all-time favorite works of historical fiction
What an extraordinary work of beautiful writing and amazing scholarship
Mantel writes beautifully.
A wonderful way to learn the history of this exciting period.
Masterful.
Another great work of historical fiction by Hilary Mantel. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Wolf Hall – I was intrigued by Thomas Cromwell – but it was well worth the time I spent on it. I always learn a lot from well-researched historical fiction, but it is a special treat when the author writes so well and with such great insight.
Like many other readers, I was eagerly awaiting the sequel to ‘Wolf Hall,’ and, overall, Mantel does not disappoint. Here, she again covers familiar ground, Henry VIII’s dislluisionment with his second wife, Anne Boleyn, due in part to her strident and flirtatious personality, but more to the fact that she hasn’t rapidly produced a male heir. The story is told again from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell, who is charged for the second time with the task of discovering a way to cast off an unwanted queen. Cromwell appears to be an ambitious man who (like so many Nazi officers claimed) is just following orders; but there is an undercurrent of revenge towards the men he brings down along with Anne. Mantel gives him an imagined inner life that balances the cold, calculating politician against a man who has survived both hardship and tragedy. Not without heart, her Cromwell nevertheless has the ability, when necessary, to turn that heart into stone.
Mantel brings in a number of details that I either was not aware of or had forgotten, such as the irony that Henry’s marriage to Anne was annulled for the same reason as his marriage to Katherine, prior sexual relations with a sibling (in this case, Henry’s affair with Mary Boleyn). And she successfully ties in to the events of Wolf Hall through memories, as in the recurrent appearance of the peacock wings worn by his deceased daughter Grace in a Christmas pageant. Again, the writing is at times almost lyrical–another way of humanizing the man whose own son says that he looks like a murderer.
Two responses to repeated comments by other reviewers: first, on the insertions of “he, Cromwell” as a supposed attempt to answer criticism of the sometimes confusing use of simply “he” in ‘Wolf Hall.’ Overall, I found this less helpful than it was disruptive. It was often unnecessary, and the repetition grew irksome; it was as if I was being reminded that I was a poor, confused reader who probably couldn’t figure out for myself who was speaking or being spoken about. I would rather be a little confused on occasion than frequently irritated. Second, I don’t agree with those who feel that ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ is far superior to ‘Wolf Hall.’ It’s an excellent book with a tighter frame of action, but overall, I’d give the first novel in the trilogy an extra half star.
Like everyone else, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the third installment in this awesome series.