Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

2 reviews

anditsreal's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative tense slow-paced

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

3.25

The writing makes this book. It's funny and clever. Mantel owns language in a way I haven't seen done often. I would highly recommend to any writer, even if you're not interested in the story itself (which I personally am not). It just makes you want to write — and write better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence

Moderate: Terminal illness

asourceoffiction's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative 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

4.0

The writing in this book is just beautiful. While I would get a bit lost with the huge number of characters and the complex plot, I found I could still just let the world wash over me because of the stunning writing, and I'd get back on track.

Cromwell is an astonishingly complex figure and I loved going through this period of history with his eyes. As a character I found him really likeable but fiercely ambitious.

It was useful to know that Cromwell is often simply referred to as "he", which could have got a lot more confusing during conversations - but I love how it made the story feel so utterly like his own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Physical abuse

Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Terminal illness