rachalicej's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
weskstarzec's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
andrew_russell's review against another edition
2.0
I have a difficult relationship with historical fiction. It always seems to walk the fine fine line between ensuring historical accuracy (without the dry dullness that can be perceived as being a key ingredient in non-fiction history) and having a compelling plot, with credible characterisation. Rarely have I encountered an example of the genre which strikes the right balance between these competing demands.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is the first instalment in a trilogy, which details the life of Thomas Cromwell and covers the years 1500-1534. Cromwell was a key member in the court of King Henry VIII and Wolf Hall attempts to capture not only the key events surrounding this period in history but a sense of the intrigue surrounding such events.
There is far more effort employed in detailing the history of the time, than there is in providing anything else that you would normally consider a key component in a successful novel. Characters veer towards being two-dimensional ciphers and events are related in a dull manner, with little conveyance of the emotion which may accompany them. Most importantly, the book seriously dragged.
You will often see non-fiction history books (and indeed those in other genres) being described as a 'slow read'. But more often than not this is not an issue - provided the book is interesting. Particularly in the case of history, the texts are so dense, crammed with so much pertinent information, that the slowness with which they have to be read is practically a hallmark of the genre and so has no bearing on whether the book is worthwhile reading. In the case of novels however, this 'get-out' is less valid; we usually expect the tale to jog along with a certain rhythm, a certain pace. And here lies the difficulty with historical fiction. Almost by definition, it has to crossover between these two camps...and it almost always fails to a greater or lesser extent.
There is absolutely no denying that Mantel's historical research in preparing to write Wolf Hall is top-notch. And she has chosen both a period and an individual (as well as the supporting cast surrounding them) for which conducting such research successfully, poses it's own unique challenges. Mantel pulls it off...ten out of ten.
The biggest issue however, is that historical accuracy is traded off against characterisation and pacing. Contributing further to the slow pacing is Mantel's bizarre style of writing (see below).
MANTELS BIZARRE STYLE OF WRITING IN WOLF HALL
1) I was about thirty pages in before I could even begin to attempt to figure out who was speaking to who. This is because Hilary Mantel sometimes writes dialogue in the conventional manner (inverted comma's, a new line for each person speaking) but more frequently she describes the dialogue taking place. For example:
The fashion spreads into the country. When Rowland Lee next pitches into the Rolls House, he thinks a cannonball is coming at him. His son's eyes look large and calm, a still golden colour. Your mother would have wept over your baby curls, he says, rubbing his head affectionately. Gregory says, ‘Would she? I hardly remember her.’
Now, you may read this and think that it seems fine but what isn't clear in the text above is that Gregory is not Rowland Lee's son. He is Thomas Cromwell's. The 'His' and 'he' that are written are referring to Cromwell, rather than Rowland Lee. Reading this and understanding what the hell is taking place takes a heap more concentration than would have been required were it just written as per current conventions in fiction writing.
2) Too often the prose is almost deliberately dull. Don't get me wrong, there are also occasions when the page lights up with lyrical eloquence. But that isn't very often, as illustrated by the example below:
On 15 May, the bishops sign a document of submission to the king. They will not make new church legislation without the king's licence, and will submit all existing laws to a review by a commission which will include laymen – members of Parliament and the king's appointees. They will not meet in Convocation without the king's permission.
What exactly is this paragraph telling us and could it have been expressed in a more clear fashion....or is it indeed needed at all? It seems to be telling us that the bishops will require the permission of the king in order to pass new church legislation. I get that...that makes perfect sense. I've no idea what 'Convocation' is. I could look it up but frankly, that isn't why I read novels. Also again, this would slow the pace down no end. Is it useful to write the bare facts down, outwith the framework of the events which immediately surround the characters in their daily lives? Not at all. Linked to this is the question of whether it is even needed....that will be derived from whether the characters encounter this is their daily lives. It's one of the many, many examples of Mantel breaking the old 'show not tell' rule of writing and not only does it slow the pace down, it leads to an incredibly dull read.
I could no doubt think of other examples of Mantel's writing style that just left me feeling cold as I ploughed my way wearily through Wolf Hall. However, the two above are fairly key.
With all that being said, there are some occasions when Mantel switches things up a gear and employs beautifully crafted prose to sketch a scene, or to evoke the same emotions in the reader as that felt by the relevant character. For me these glimpses of literary virtuosity were simply too few and far between to paper over the cracks. For the record, the language used to paint the picture of Anne Boleyn's coronation and the scenes in London during the occasion, as well as that used to lay out just what it feels like to witness someone being burnt at the stake, were highly effective.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am a lone candle in the wind in holding the view that this book just doesn't work well. The vast majority of the literary-prize-awarding 'world', endless hordes of readers online, as well as offline (evidenced by through the roof book sales), all point to me being wrong. But you can't be 'wrong' when it comes to how a book makes you feel and this book made me feel annoyed...annoyed that the opportunity for a worthwhile story, in a fascinating setting was squandered needlessly by the self indulgence of the author. I couldn't help feeling that it would have been better served had it been written as a non-fiction biography and that Mantel, with her meticulous research, would have been more than up to the task. Alas, she opted to try and satisfy the needs of two literary genre's simultaneously and in my mind, failed on both counts.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is the first instalment in a trilogy, which details the life of Thomas Cromwell and covers the years 1500-1534. Cromwell was a key member in the court of King Henry VIII and Wolf Hall attempts to capture not only the key events surrounding this period in history but a sense of the intrigue surrounding such events.
There is far more effort employed in detailing the history of the time, than there is in providing anything else that you would normally consider a key component in a successful novel. Characters veer towards being two-dimensional ciphers and events are related in a dull manner, with little conveyance of the emotion which may accompany them. Most importantly, the book seriously dragged.
You will often see non-fiction history books (and indeed those in other genres) being described as a 'slow read'. But more often than not this is not an issue - provided the book is interesting. Particularly in the case of history, the texts are so dense, crammed with so much pertinent information, that the slowness with which they have to be read is practically a hallmark of the genre and so has no bearing on whether the book is worthwhile reading. In the case of novels however, this 'get-out' is less valid; we usually expect the tale to jog along with a certain rhythm, a certain pace. And here lies the difficulty with historical fiction. Almost by definition, it has to crossover between these two camps...and it almost always fails to a greater or lesser extent.
There is absolutely no denying that Mantel's historical research in preparing to write Wolf Hall is top-notch. And she has chosen both a period and an individual (as well as the supporting cast surrounding them) for which conducting such research successfully, poses it's own unique challenges. Mantel pulls it off...ten out of ten.
The biggest issue however, is that historical accuracy is traded off against characterisation and pacing. Contributing further to the slow pacing is Mantel's bizarre style of writing (see below).
MANTELS BIZARRE STYLE OF WRITING IN WOLF HALL
1) I was about thirty pages in before I could even begin to attempt to figure out who was speaking to who. This is because Hilary Mantel sometimes writes dialogue in the conventional manner (inverted comma's, a new line for each person speaking) but more frequently she describes the dialogue taking place. For example:
The fashion spreads into the country. When Rowland Lee next pitches into the Rolls House, he thinks a cannonball is coming at him. His son's eyes look large and calm, a still golden colour. Your mother would have wept over your baby curls, he says, rubbing his head affectionately. Gregory says, ‘Would she? I hardly remember her.’
Now, you may read this and think that it seems fine but what isn't clear in the text above is that Gregory is not Rowland Lee's son. He is Thomas Cromwell's. The 'His' and 'he' that are written are referring to Cromwell, rather than Rowland Lee. Reading this and understanding what the hell is taking place takes a heap more concentration than would have been required were it just written as per current conventions in fiction writing.
2) Too often the prose is almost deliberately dull. Don't get me wrong, there are also occasions when the page lights up with lyrical eloquence. But that isn't very often, as illustrated by the example below:
On 15 May, the bishops sign a document of submission to the king. They will not make new church legislation without the king's licence, and will submit all existing laws to a review by a commission which will include laymen – members of Parliament and the king's appointees. They will not meet in Convocation without the king's permission.
What exactly is this paragraph telling us and could it have been expressed in a more clear fashion....or is it indeed needed at all? It seems to be telling us that the bishops will require the permission of the king in order to pass new church legislation. I get that...that makes perfect sense. I've no idea what 'Convocation' is. I could look it up but frankly, that isn't why I read novels. Also again, this would slow the pace down no end. Is it useful to write the bare facts down, outwith the framework of the events which immediately surround the characters in their daily lives? Not at all. Linked to this is the question of whether it is even needed....that will be derived from whether the characters encounter this is their daily lives. It's one of the many, many examples of Mantel breaking the old 'show not tell' rule of writing and not only does it slow the pace down, it leads to an incredibly dull read.
I could no doubt think of other examples of Mantel's writing style that just left me feeling cold as I ploughed my way wearily through Wolf Hall. However, the two above are fairly key.
With all that being said, there are some occasions when Mantel switches things up a gear and employs beautifully crafted prose to sketch a scene, or to evoke the same emotions in the reader as that felt by the relevant character. For me these glimpses of literary virtuosity were simply too few and far between to paper over the cracks. For the record, the language used to paint the picture of Anne Boleyn's coronation and the scenes in London during the occasion, as well as that used to lay out just what it feels like to witness someone being burnt at the stake, were highly effective.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am a lone candle in the wind in holding the view that this book just doesn't work well. The vast majority of the literary-prize-awarding 'world', endless hordes of readers online, as well as offline (evidenced by through the roof book sales), all point to me being wrong. But you can't be 'wrong' when it comes to how a book makes you feel and this book made me feel annoyed...annoyed that the opportunity for a worthwhile story, in a fascinating setting was squandered needlessly by the self indulgence of the author. I couldn't help feeling that it would have been better served had it been written as a non-fiction biography and that Mantel, with her meticulous research, would have been more than up to the task. Alas, she opted to try and satisfy the needs of two literary genre's simultaneously and in my mind, failed on both counts.
ciaralindner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
limeywesty's review against another edition
Wolf Hall and I had a tumultuous affair. At times, I would not call Wolf Hall anything less than amazing. At other times, it was the bane of my existence. I must say, I did start reading this at the wrong time and it did demand too much of my life, but I am glad to say I have finished this epic and dealt with Cromwell for many months now.
I would like to congratulate Hilary Mantell on her second Man Booker prize with Bring Up the Bodies, but I must say, it will be at least a year before I can immerse myself in her complex world of Tudor politics.
I would like to congratulate Hilary Mantell on her second Man Booker prize with Bring Up the Bodies, but I must say, it will be at least a year before I can immerse myself in her complex world of Tudor politics.
carolinnnek's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
klimts15thchild's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
njk125's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0