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A review by alexandriam_rose
The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel
5.0
I am just saying upfront that I am going to be biased about this book. This is the third and final installment in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy and the whole series is truly an interesting, unique, and well-executed story of Henry VIII's Tudor England, all from the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. This is probably my favorite period to read in historical fiction, and even though I literally know how this ends, Mantel does an amazing job infusing the story with meaning and emotion.
This particular installment was probably too long, wandering, and detailed somewhere in the middle—but I don't mind at all. It had been a while since reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, so it did take me some time to reacquaint myself with the many characters and their titles as well as her writing style in these books, which I do really like. This is at times funny, sarcastic, always political, and definitely sad.
There are an overall sensibility and atmosphere in how Mantel writes this history that I really relate and connect to I guess. I think that is the best way I can say it. In my edition, there was an essay included and I really liked what it revealed about her research for the book and her experiences visiting historical sites. Definitely deserves to be the next 5-star book of the year!
This particular installment was probably too long, wandering, and detailed somewhere in the middle—but I don't mind at all. It had been a while since reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, so it did take me some time to reacquaint myself with the many characters and their titles as well as her writing style in these books, which I do really like. This is at times funny, sarcastic, always political, and definitely sad.
There are an overall sensibility and atmosphere in how Mantel writes this history that I really relate and connect to I guess. I think that is the best way I can say it. In my edition, there was an essay included and I really liked what it revealed about her research for the book and her experiences visiting historical sites. Definitely deserves to be the next 5-star book of the year!