(4/14/2023)
Oh, this book! Wow!
That said, it's not for everyone. You will appreciate it and understand it far better if you have a basic knowledge of Tudor history—and by that, I mean more than being able to list the names of all six wives of Henry VIII.
This, the second in the Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel, continues the story of the life of Thomas Cromwell, who is arguably the most misunderstood and wrongly disparaged personage from this time period. (And, yes, you need to read the books in order, so begin with "Wolf Hall: A Novel.") Mantel brilliantly tells the events of a single year—summer of 1535 to the summer of 1536—entirely from Cromwell's point of view.
And what a year that was. Focusing on the rapid downfall and beheading of Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife, the story is told afresh because it is all portrayed from how Cromwell viewed it, including his own masterful manipulations to do the king's bidding: Get rid of Anne so he could marry Jane Seymour. Even though we all know how the story ends, this book presents the tragic plot in a whole new way and shows not only the conniving Cromwell, but also the loving, generous side of the man that the history books tend to ignore.
The best and most brilliant part of this book is the writing. It is absolutely exquisite with an exceptional eye for detail that will seemingly deposit the reader into the middle of the sixteenth century and right into the volatile court of King Henry VIII. Think intriguing, seductive, and sophisticated—all in one. Descriptions of sounds, flavors, odors, sights, and even touch are so vivid, so perfect that it seems as if you can really hear, taste, smell, see, and feel them.
Bonus: If you're reading this on the Kindle, the X-ray feature is incredibly useful in that it clearly and succinctly defines each character's role and title. This is an excellent tool for keeping straight the varied and large cast of characters. It's especially helpful when someone is called by his title and not his name, such as the Duke of Norfolk. Click on X-ray, and you'll be told the Duke of Norfolk is Thomas Howard, uncle to the queen, ferocious senior peer, and an enemy of Cromwell. (There is also a Cast of Characters at the front of the book with the same information for those reading the paper version, but for Kindle readers it is much easier to click on X-Ray than "flip" back to that.)