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waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In Bring Up the Bodies, Cromwell has decided to ditch Anne Boleyn. His demeanor around her changes completely and irreversibly. It almost feels like a 180°, but if you look back, the bread crumbs become more obvious. I think the book fleshes this out considerably. There were many points that made me stop and have a mini meltdown, (which you can see in my liveblogs lol).
It’s so wild how quickly and seemingly effortlessly he can throw his weight behind someone, be it More, Anne, or Jane. He can so easily flip a switch when he needs to, when it is advantageous to do so. He does show respect to More and not to Anne, but I think it is only because with More, he has these tiny moments from his childhood with him. Moments that weren’t what I’d call happy or positive, but were maybe inspiring to Cromwell? Like More’s life as a young, well-off academic who was clearly going places showed him someone he could aspire to be. Through More, he learns the power of words, of learning them (he asks More if he was at his dictionary when he brought him his bread) and using them to get ahead. I think he feels he owes More something for that, however small and ultimately meaningless.
But he feels he owes Anne nothing. I’m sure he would say, “What did she give me other than headaches?” He would argue Anne didn’t make him, Henry did. Henry made them both, so if Henry wants to unmake Anne, well, he’d better take Henry’s side so that he doesn’t unmake him, too. She’s become a liability to him. By falling from grace in Henry’s eyes, that puts him in danger, so fuck her. Why should she get respect when he’s in danger?
I don’t think he genuinely believes the misogynistic crap Henry spews. When Henry is having a panic attack about “How did she know I’d like sex positions that weren’t just missionary?” Cromwell is mentally rolling his eyes, but physically nodding along because agreeing is expedient. He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with anyone liking or enjoying sex as a man or a woman, but hating women is convenient and expedient and gets the result he wants, so he goes along with it. Which is it’s own brand of misogyny, but in a somehow more fucked up way. Like he believes in women being educated. He is pained when Jane Rochford tells him about her awful marriage. He admires Meg More’s talents. He mourns his wife and daughters constantly. He is actively betraying his own beliefs and values because it gets him what he wants. He’ll say anything to get himself where he wants to be.
This series is a stunning work of brilliance. I cannot wait to read the final novel, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the second season of Wolf Hall!
It’s so wild how quickly and seemingly effortlessly he can throw his weight behind someone, be it More, Anne, or Jane. He can so easily flip a switch when he needs to, when it is advantageous to do so. He does show respect to More and not to Anne, but I think it is only because with More, he has these tiny moments from his childhood with him. Moments that weren’t what I’d call happy or positive, but were maybe inspiring to Cromwell? Like More’s life as a young, well-off academic who was clearly going places showed him someone he could aspire to be. Through More, he learns the power of words, of learning them (he asks More if he was at his dictionary when he brought him his bread) and using them to get ahead. I think he feels he owes More something for that, however small and ultimately meaningless.
But he feels he owes Anne nothing. I’m sure he would say, “What did she give me other than headaches?” He would argue Anne didn’t make him, Henry did. Henry made them both, so if Henry wants to unmake Anne, well, he’d better take Henry’s side so that he doesn’t unmake him, too. She’s become a liability to him. By falling from grace in Henry’s eyes, that puts him in danger, so fuck her. Why should she get respect when he’s in danger?
I don’t think he genuinely believes the misogynistic crap Henry spews. When Henry is having a panic attack about “How did she know I’d like sex positions that weren’t just missionary?” Cromwell is mentally rolling his eyes, but physically nodding along because agreeing is expedient. He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with anyone liking or enjoying sex as a man or a woman, but hating women is convenient and expedient and gets the result he wants, so he goes along with it. Which is it’s own brand of misogyny, but in a somehow more fucked up way. Like he believes in women being educated. He is pained when Jane Rochford tells him about her awful marriage. He admires Meg More’s talents. He mourns his wife and daughters constantly. He is actively betraying his own beliefs and values because it gets him what he wants. He’ll say anything to get himself where he wants to be.
This series is a stunning work of brilliance. I cannot wait to read the final novel, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the second season of Wolf Hall!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Torture
carojust's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I think those who love this book read it as a historical biography -- you're in it for the well-researched depiction of the Tudor court drama, I get that. But I went into this as a fiction reader, and as a story, this was a slog to get through.
"Bring Up The Bodies" follows Thomas Cromwell and his political and personal maneuvering in the name of King Henry VIII, leading to Anne Boleyn's demise. I think what's most notable about this book is the reimagining of the queens -- Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour -- who are given more influence, motives and personality than history may credit them with.
You have to be prepared for pretty dense and archaic wording (I appreciated this, honestly), and each person having 3-4 different names and titles that are alternated every sentence. But beyond these stylistic choices, it's just way longer than it needs to be, every conversation completely spelled out for you.
I vacillate in rating this, because I can see Hilary Mantel's talent in defining and empathizing with Cromwell's headspace and relationships. I just wish it were more interesting.
"Bring Up The Bodies" follows Thomas Cromwell and his political and personal maneuvering in the name of King Henry VIII, leading to Anne Boleyn's demise. I think what's most notable about this book is the reimagining of the queens -- Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour -- who are given more influence, motives and personality than history may credit them with.
You have to be prepared for pretty dense and archaic wording (I appreciated this, honestly), and each person having 3-4 different names and titles that are alternated every sentence. But beyond these stylistic choices, it's just way longer than it needs to be, every conversation completely spelled out for you.
I vacillate in rating this, because I can see Hilary Mantel's talent in defining and empathizing with Cromwell's headspace and relationships. I just wish it were more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
ssummar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Classism
rosehw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Incest, Miscarriage, Blood, and Pregnancy
pkc's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was just insanely good. I really enjoyed Wolf Hall, but found it especially challenging. It takes a great author to hear those critiques and very subtly tweak their prose so that the critiques are addressed but the tone and timbre remain unaffected. Cromwell is such a brilliantly written baddie, but Mantel never seeks to make him look truly wicked. In fact, he’s so cunning that sometimes, I was inexplicably coming around to his way of thinking before giving myself a shake. Mantel’s command of language brings unconventional beauty to some truly dark moments and I can’t praise this book highly enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
bfab18's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia
naomi_k's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, and Pregnancy
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content, and Classism
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wolf Hall introduces us to Thomas Cromwell as a teenager who is being abused by his father. More than 25 years later he is a respected lawyer and right-hand man to Cardinal Wolsey, instrumental in arranging the annulment of Henry VIII’s first marriage so that he might marry Anne Boleyn. In Bring Up the Bodies the King has tired of Anne and, still in need of a male heir, desires to marry Jane Seymour. Again Thomas Cromwell, now Master Secretary, is a instrumental, first trying to broker a divorce and when that fails turning up evidence of adultery, enough for Anne to be tried for treason.
These books are works of historical fiction at their finest. The time period is fascinating and Mantel vividly brought it all to life. Not only was her characterisation excellent and her storytelling superb, but her attention to detail was unsurpassed, doubtless a reflection of her copious research. As a reader you are totally transported to the sixteenth century and all the behind the scenes machinations at the court. I thought the portrayal of Cromwell was brilliant. Without necessarily agreeing with Cromwell’s actions I absolutely understood his reasons for making them. He was complex, a pragmatist, flawed and very human, doing what needed to be done for King and country, which conveniently aided his own position. I especially loved all the behind the scenes intrigue and machinations. Mantel’s imaginings of the realities of trying to meet the needs and wants of a sometimes capricious King desperately in need of a male heir felt totally believable, and had me considering what recent behind the scenes goings-on at the palace might have looked like.
History may be seen as dry and boring, but historical fiction - in Mantel’s hands at least- is anything but. It’s totally fascinating and absorbing, full of bawdiness, duplicitousness, and self-serving behaviour. Exceptional reading.
These books are works of historical fiction at their finest. The time period is fascinating and Mantel vividly brought it all to life. Not only was her characterisation excellent and her storytelling superb, but her attention to detail was unsurpassed, doubtless a reflection of her copious research. As a reader you are totally transported to the sixteenth century and all the behind the scenes machinations at the court. I thought the portrayal of Cromwell was brilliant. Without necessarily agreeing with Cromwell’s actions I absolutely understood his reasons for making them. He was complex, a pragmatist, flawed and very human, doing what needed to be done for King and country, which conveniently aided his own position. I especially loved all the behind the scenes intrigue and machinations. Mantel’s imaginings of the realities of trying to meet the needs and wants of a sometimes capricious King desperately in need of a male heir felt totally believable, and had me considering what recent behind the scenes goings-on at the palace might have looked like.
History may be seen as dry and boring, but historical fiction - in Mantel’s hands at least- is anything but. It’s totally fascinating and absorbing, full of bawdiness, duplicitousness, and self-serving behaviour. Exceptional reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Torture
brekas91's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Cancer and Confinement
megb64's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Pregnancy