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heather667's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Death, Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Child death, Confinement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: War, Pedophilia, Blood, Genocide, Slavery, and Violence
naomi_k's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Confinement, Classism, Alcoholism, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Murder, Miscarriage, Infertility, Incest, Antisemitism, Cursing, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
boerow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Incest
chelsaat's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Sure, there are a million characters, all named Thomas and Mary (I still have no idea the difference between Thomas Audley and Thomas Cranmer), but ultimately they are all side characters to Cromwell, even the king.
And boy did I like Cromwell!! I always love a story of someone overcoming their humble beginnings through wits and cunning. And I appreciated that he wasn’t a total asshole about it, either. Mantel’s Cromwell has a penchant for collecting fellow lost souls and building a little found family. He has a wry and frank observation of the human condition, especially when it comes to the Catholic religion.
(When he shot back at Thomas More about his hypocrisy at the end, I screamed. Man was holding a grudge for years only to make it known on the dude’s deathbed. Iconic.)
Plus the jokes! This thing is peppered with dry British humor that sometimes knocked me dead. Examples:
- "Already there are too many books in the world. There are more every day. One man cannot hope to read them all."
- “The trouble with England, he thinks, is that it's so poor in gesture. We shall have to develop a hand signal for ‘Back off, our prince is fucking this man's daughter.’ He is surprised that the Italians have not done it. Though perhaps they have, and he just never caught on.”
- “No ruler in the history of the world has ever been able to afford a war. They're not affordable things. No prince ever says, 'This is my budget, so this is the kind of war I can have.”
- “At New Year's he had given Anne a present of silver forks with handles of rock crystal. He hopes she will use them to eat with, not to stick in people.”
Other fave elements: Mantel's rendition of the Boleyn sisters. Anne is a cunning bitch and I couldn’t help but admire her. Lord knows I couldn't have had her patience. Mary is also smart, but much more of a tragic figure. (Henry VIII is actively disgusting, I hate him in every adaptation.) Cromwell respects their intellect, in fact he's the only one to really respect women in this book. I have to stan!!
Minus some points, because yes, I hated the overuse of “he.” It’s too twee and confusing! With so many characters you can’t be doing this, Mantel!
Pairs well with: The SIX soundtrack, admiring Natalie Dormer in The Tudors
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Incest, War, and Torture
quickermorequickly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Antisemitism, Adult/minor relationship, War, Violence, Torture, Murder, Infertility, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, and Body shaming
Minor: Incest
ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
“If England lies under God’s curse, or some evil spell, it has seemed for a time that the spell has been broken, by the golden king and his golden cardinal. But those golden years are over, and this winter the sea will freeze; the people who see it will remember it all their lives.”
“Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.”
“They could tell Boccaccio a tale, those sinners at Wolf Hall.”
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, and Torture
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, and Miscarriage