Reviews tagging 'War'

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

6 reviews

heather667's review against another edition

dark informative reflective slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

ledichose's review against another edition

funny informative relaxing medium-paced

• 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

I really enjoyed listening to this novel’s audiobook. (Narrator: Ben Miles.) I think it was richly rendered, especially as to the domestic spaces of Cromwell. That being said, I wish the women were further developed. Mary Boleyn was by far the most interesting woman here, and I craved more of her, if only to balance out ALL THE MEN. I have thoughts about the pace and structure of the ending—not sure I felt this was successful.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, and War

laurajeangrace's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Infidelity, War, Grief, Infertility, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Torture

jhbandcats's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

This is probably the fourth time I've read Wolf Hall. I love the writing - it's immediate and it’s subversively funny, and I find myself rereading parts just because I enjoy them so much. The novel opens with a riveting scene of a teenaged Cromwell being beaten almost to death by his father, dazed on the paving stones, crawling away as best he can, wondering if this is the day he dies.

Told in the present tense, it feels as though you're right there with Cromwell as he tries to escape his father's next kick. The attention to detail - the knot in the twine of his father's boot ripping his forehead open - also brings every scene to life.

This obviously doesn't sound like the opening to a funny book, but the sardonic humor makes the corner of your mouth twitch in a smile, and it's so, so clever. There are secret nicknames that are both insulting and fitting - the Princess Mary is a shrimp. When Cromwell leaves home in the morning he pats his wife, kisses the dog. Cromwell's perspective is askew from everyone else's. and it's that difference that results in much of the humor.

I will gladly reread this again in a couple of years. It brings me so much joy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Vomit, War, Child abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Gore, Infertility, Blood, Torture, and Violence

chelsaat's review

challenging funny informative 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

4.5

I’m not usually a fan of what one may call a “pretentious novel,” as so many reviewers like to call this book. But idk man, I really dug this!

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 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest, War, and Torture

quickermorequickly's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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