Because of this, the first third of the book was really hard going for me. Then, I was just entranced by Thomas Cromwell. What a man. I love that the book gave equal mention of his professional and domestic life - ok, so he was still a boss at home but that he missed Liz (and his girls) so much for so long was just endearing...enough to forgive his work ethos and practices.
Thomas More was a revelation. He's a Catholic saint after all (which is about all I know of him anyway). I'm not here to judge but I love it when a book will give a different perspective of people and circumstances.
This was a seriously thick book and, for one not used to the genre, I did very well to enjoy it enough. I did wonder about the title for a long time and here's my interpretation of it.
- Wolf Hall for Incest - These English royals surely know how to dance in the sheets from palace to palace. This obviously happened in Wolf Hall itself, Henry with the Boleyn sisters, and almost with Cromwell, etc etc etc
- Wolf Hall alluding to wolves - More than once, Thomas reflected on man as wolf to man. There was certainly a lot of jockeying for position and real violence during his time. I guess it could even mean people acting in packs, following whoever is deemed the leader - so easily replaced so it seems.
- Wolf Hall as Wolf Hall - (This is my favourite) Jane Seymour = Wolf Hall in Cromwell's mind and the so-subtle admiration culminating on the final words of hope....a visit to Wolf Hall. Probably best to end it there because Jane eventually ended up with Henry and I really didn't want to know about that.
So that's my relatively brief thoughts on the very thick book. I don't think I need to go into the Boleyns here. I'd much rather explore Liz and Johanna....but who would write about them?
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2 comments:
I love your blog Malyn and I am going to add my thoughts!
I LOVED it! I agree that the writing style is quite hard to get used to - whilst descriptive it is largely dialogue - like a fast paced movie with a great script, Thomas is referred to as "he" alot and you often had to re-read to see who "he" was, and so many characters with stories to follow. I too loved the character of Cromwell. Whilst Hilary depicts him with great humanity he was also a master manipulator who feathered his own nest and the people he liked, a life long mission to leave his poor childhood behind and the orchestrator of Anne Bolyn's beheading. Despite this, I found myself admiring him with many character traits I hope my boy might grow up to have (minus the murdering!)
As history played out, Anne Bolyn's beheading was only the start as he too fell foul of the king and was beheaded for organising the marriage with Anne of Cleves (Henry's fourth wife). She bore him no children and was said to have bewitched him. Cromwell was convicted of treason and beheaded on the day Henry quietly married Katherine Howard (his fifth wife - yes - she too was beheaded!)
I love the fact that the book stopped at that time in history, just before Jane Seymour, the break of the church and the monumental power given to the king. In part, I wish I had also stopped there but on my mother's insistance went on to read Phillippa Gregory's The Constant Princess (story of Katherine of Aragon - wife 1), The Other Bolyn (story of mistress 1 Mary Bolyn and wife 2 Anne Bolyn), and The Bolyn Inheritance (story of Wife 4 and 5 - Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, wife 3 Jane Seymour hardly gets a mention poor soul). I am "Tudored" out!!! Wolf Hall is an interesting name as Jane Seymour only really comes into it at the end but her presence really sparks the start of Henry the madman! Because of her, he got rid of Anne Bolyn by beheading her and of course, she was the only one to give him a legitimate son, Edward, died 12 days after his birth, the only wife to get a state funeral and Henry VIII is buried with her!
I hear there is a sequel to Wolf Hall coming - who is game?
I was nearly tempted to borrow some of Phillippa Gregory's books. But, with not much on Jane Seymour, and more of the Boleyns, maybe I'll give them a miss for now. A sequel to Wolf Hall sounds tempting as it may be about Cromwell and Jane but would most likely be tragic.
I'm glad that the off with their heads thing is gone but we, as a human society, haven't outgrown the 'man as wolf to man' thing. Hence, this book about medieval times resonates with relevance and truth.
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