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A review by crystalstarrlight
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
3.0
Bullet Review:
I'm not going to write a full review for this. I probably shouldn't even rate this, given my complete and utter confusion throughout the course of the novel.
A lot of people have ADORED this book. They have heaped loads of accolades upon it - and I have no doubt that if any of the following attributes apply to you, then you will likewise adore it:
1. Literary fiction is your favorite type of fiction (or one of your top favorites).
2. Historical fiction is your favorite type of fiction (or one of your top favorites).
3. You know the Tudor/Boleyn history inside and out.
4. You didn't enjoy [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl (The Tudor Court, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355932638s/37470.jpg|3248536], the HBO series "The Tudors" and other similar Tudor historical fiction - or at the very least, the historical inaccuracies bug you.
5. You don't mind third person present with protagonist referred to as "he" in nearly every instance.
If you can say "yes" to any of the above, then this book is for you.
But this is not me. I don't like literary fiction. I don't mind historical fiction, but honestly, the Tudors aren't the most interesting time period for me. I know next to nothing about the Tudors, other than vague memories from high school history (Henry VIII had 6 wives! And he broke the Church of England away from the Catholic Church!) and the meager bits I researched when I read PG's TOBG. I didn't mind TOBG (though it was incredibly cliched and silly), and I think third person present is an awkward style to write in, ESPECIALLY when I don't know who "he" is!
With ALL those above, it didn't make it any easier to listen on audiobook. Honestly, the last half, I gave up trying to understand what was going on. OK, not true - the last 15%, I did make an effort to follow what was going on and I did get a bit more from the text. I nearly got a migraine from all the concentration and still had to find a summary to refresh my memory, but I did it.
So why did I read it and why did I bother to finish it? Because it was a book club choice, and I hate not finishing Book Club Books.
I feel REALLY BAD I didn't like this, because I had ever so many friends who adored it. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to learn more about the Tudors and Boleyns and Cromwell. But this book just wasn't for me.
So I'm rating this 3 stars instead of 2 stars because I think a HUGE portion of why I didn't like this book was because I didn't A) read it in paperback and B) it just wasn't for me. I feel like an uncivilized louse for disliking and writing a negative review, but I appreciate honesty and hope you do too.
(Funny how my Bullet Review is just as long as a real review...)
I'm not going to write a full review for this. I probably shouldn't even rate this, given my complete and utter confusion throughout the course of the novel.
A lot of people have ADORED this book. They have heaped loads of accolades upon it - and I have no doubt that if any of the following attributes apply to you, then you will likewise adore it:
1. Literary fiction is your favorite type of fiction (or one of your top favorites).
2. Historical fiction is your favorite type of fiction (or one of your top favorites).
3. You know the Tudor/Boleyn history inside and out.
4. You didn't enjoy [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl (The Tudor Court, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355932638s/37470.jpg|3248536], the HBO series "The Tudors" and other similar Tudor historical fiction - or at the very least, the historical inaccuracies bug you.
5. You don't mind third person present with protagonist referred to as "he" in nearly every instance.
If you can say "yes" to any of the above, then this book is for you.
But this is not me. I don't like literary fiction. I don't mind historical fiction, but honestly, the Tudors aren't the most interesting time period for me. I know next to nothing about the Tudors, other than vague memories from high school history (Henry VIII had 6 wives! And he broke the Church of England away from the Catholic Church!) and the meager bits I researched when I read PG's TOBG. I didn't mind TOBG (though it was incredibly cliched and silly), and I think third person present is an awkward style to write in, ESPECIALLY when I don't know who "he" is!
With ALL those above, it didn't make it any easier to listen on audiobook. Honestly, the last half, I gave up trying to understand what was going on. OK, not true - the last 15%, I did make an effort to follow what was going on and I did get a bit more from the text. I nearly got a migraine from all the concentration and still had to find a summary to refresh my memory, but I did it.
So why did I read it and why did I bother to finish it? Because it was a book club choice, and I hate not finishing Book Club Books.
I feel REALLY BAD I didn't like this, because I had ever so many friends who adored it. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to learn more about the Tudors and Boleyns and Cromwell. But this book just wasn't for me.
So I'm rating this 3 stars instead of 2 stars because I think a HUGE portion of why I didn't like this book was because I didn't A) read it in paperback and B) it just wasn't for me. I feel like an uncivilized louse for disliking and writing a negative review, but I appreciate honesty and hope you do too.
(Funny how my Bullet Review is just as long as a real review...)