The tour de Mantel continues with Wolf Hall, about the rise of Thomas Cromwell (no spoilers here, but the fall of Thomas Cromwell comes in another book). We learn a bit about Cromwell through flashbacks – the abuse at the hands of his father, running off to France to become a mercenary, learning about culture and banking in Antwerp, and generally becoming a Renaissance man. He returns to England, becomes a merchant, and eventually ended up working for Cardinal Wolsey, advisor to Henry VIII. Cromwell […]
A book almost as long as the actual French Revolution.
I have no idea (off the top of my head) how long the French Revolution lasted, but I know it was a while (I’m a product of the American education system. We learned about the fact that the French Revolution happened, but that’s about it. I don’t recall any details, or I didn’t until I read this book). Anyway, I’d heard good things about Hilary Mantel, so I thought I’d work my way through her ouvre, starting with this one. Oof. I enjoyed the book, […]