Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

I really enjoyed this masterpiece of historical fiction, the first in Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy which explores the brutal nature of Tudor court, charting the rise and fall of Sir Thomas Cromwell. Although it took me a little while to well and truly get stuck into the essence of the novel, I swiftly became enthralled by Mantel's incredible way of depicting Tudor life, especially because she took a different approach to many other historical novelists, centering the plot around those behind the crown, and not the Tudor figureheads we tend to think of today.

At first, we are thrust into Cromwell's childhood which I think is extremely important for the novel's progression as we learn that, contrary to stereotypical expectations of the King's advisers, he had a difficult upbringing, coming from a lowly background in Putney with an abusive father, thus not taking the typical route to court. This immediately evokes sympathy in the reader for Cromwell's pitiable situation which, for a man who is now either loved or hated, is significant in heightening the extent of his talents when he becomes arguably the most powerful man in England, and in shaping our views of him so that we would continue to want to discover the fate of this young and abused child.

Although his familial life and the losses he faced were normal for the time at which the novel is set, for a modern reader, his portrayal as a man who greatly suffered after losing his beloved wife, and who took in many vulnerable women and children, makes him even more likeable as a character and as a person. I really enjoyed how Mantel weaved Cromwell's private and public life together, showing how he used his increasing power, not just for his own benefit, but to help others as well as this makes him seem a lot more 'human' and involved in society than other powerful men at the time, thereby presenting a much more sympathetic view of his actions than many like to suggest. I think that there is often a blanket placed over all advisers and powerful men as selfish, arrogant and power-hungry, and while this is true for many at the time, as shown in the novel through the presentation of the Earl of Norfolk, Cromwell seems to have a greater sense of humility and is more unassuming, simply being loyal to his superiors and working hard. This is not to say, however, that Cromwell was a completely virtuous man as he had to have an element of ambition to get where he got to, but in the novel, especially at the end, I got the impression that despite his heavy involvement in organising the rise of the Boleyn family and the Reformation, he was forced by those around him to carry out some of the harsher consequences of the Reformation such as imprisoning Thomas More.

My favourite section of the novel was definitely when Mantel focused on Cromwell's involvement with the Boleyn family and his extreme importance in coordinating their rise to power. I think this section was perhaps the most interesting as we have all

heard about the infamous Anne Boleyn and the myths and tales that surround her, so learning about the context behind her rise and how calculated it was provided me with a different view of her life. The novel makes you realise that she was perhaps slightly more innocent in what happened as she was a pawn used by her uncle, the Earl of Norfolk, and indeed by Cromwell, as a means to gain and consolidate their power. This is not to say, however, that she was completely blameless since it is made evident that her ambition still fuelled much of what occurred, but I think that by portraying the close personal relationship she and Cromwell had, it has a similar effect to the display of Cromwell's private life in that it makes her less of a mystic figure and more of a human trying to survive in the cut-throat Tudor court.

Moving away from the historical aspect of the novel to the literary side, one thing that struck me was Mantel's ability to weave so many different voices into the story, clearly providing us with a sense of what it must have been like for Cromwell to have so many opinions and ideas being thrust at you on a daily basis. Her use of the third-person narrative is an indelible part of how she manages to do this because, although the book is still very much centred around Cromwell, giving us his distinct narrative voice, by using the third person, she is provided with a lot more flexibility through which she can create other distinguishable characters who float in and out of Cromwell's life, such as Rafe. While at times this can be slightly confusing, it is very effective in placing us inside Cromwell's life and mind as he has to navigate his own path while also appeasing those around him, reflecting the extremely busy nature of life as a key figure in Tudor court.

Cromwell's story continues in the second book of the trilogy, Bring up the Bodies, so look out as I will be posting another review about Mantel's depiction of Cromwell's life at some point in the near future!