Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, Book 1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (October 2009)

560 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence and Sexual Subject Matter

This series is the novelized account of the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, a close advisor to both Cardinal Wosley and King Henry VIII of England. We begin with his humble beginnings, as a runaway blacksmith’s son, and we follow his gradual elevation as his career advances and he becomes the King’s closest advisor. I’m usually not too much for stories of political intrigue (and it was admittedly a little long-winded at times), but these characters really came alive for me. Thomas Cromwell is presented as a deep-thinking academic, with quick wit and a tendency to say things to important people that others wouldn’t dare. His dry sense of humor and his unique view of events makes him a riveting narrator of the goings on at the court of King Henry VIII, and it makes for an entertaining review of a tumultuous time in British history. This first book takes you up through the downfall of Thomas More and has the King beginning to tire of Anne Boleyn. I’m excited to continue on with Bring Up the Bodies!

Movie/TV Adaptations:

Wolf Hall (TV Mini-Series 2015)

Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy