Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel

It’s the book of the moment, but I’m ambivalent about this novelisation of the life of Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a new figure to me, and his life is certainly of interest. His endless plotting in the Tudor court is reminiscent of I, Claudius and requires similar attention to who is up to what. It helps to have a rough idea of the period; mine is less than strong, but I knew what Cardinal Wolsey and Anne Boleyn had coming to them.

Scenes often start, to borrow cinematic parlance, without an establishing shot – that is to say we are dropped in to conversations and left to infer the setting and who is present. This is demanding on the reader, but does express the idea of pace and bustle and business being done that propels both story and character.

Much of it is good stuff, but it takes an age to get going and is way too long. Apparently a sequel is in the works; I’ll probably read it.