Review - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co 2009
Hardcover 532 pages



You would think that after reading my hundredth novel about Tudor England I would find the subject a little worn and oh, how wrong you would be!

In Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel we are treated to a view of Tudor England from one of the most interesting figures of that dynasty: Thomas Cromwell. The choice of Cromwell as the protagonist is a brilliant move on so many levels. From a historical perspective, Thomas Cromwell is one of the more enigmatic characters from the Tudor dynasty. Virtually nothing is known of his early life, and Mantel takes a few liberties in creating a childhood for Cromwell, but mostly stays true to the historical picture we have of the man in his adolescence. It is known that Cromwell traveled abroad during this time and Mantel keeps that period of his life as shrouded in mystery and speculation as it was during the his lifetime.

The novel finishes at the end of Anne Boleyn's reign and the very height of Cromwell's power, where his influence over Henry VIII was unparalleled. Some may argue that Mantel gives Cromwell a highly sympathetic treatment, but when taken as a fictional account of the time period it stays more true to the historical fact than many other Tudor authors.