Bring Up the Bodies

A Novel

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2012

The sequel to Hilary Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times best seller, Wolf Hall delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice. At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head?

©2012 Hilary Mantel (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

One of the best in Tudor fiction

I read and/or listen to a lot of Tudor fiction. Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies are surprisingly inventive, and bring new life to well-worn characters and plot lines--even for someone very familiar with them. Her Cromwell is the most complete and complex representation I've seen. The dark psychology of her works are beautiful and disturbing. It feels like an exploration of human nature and ambition, and the Tudor setting is almost incidental (though faithfully and intricately constructed).

Stand Alone Classic

Any additional comments?

Mantel is truly a great writer. I was wary about reading this book because I can't be bothered with another novel about Henry VIII but this was a surprisingly fresh perspective. I wasn't expecting much but Thomas Cromwell is truly an amazing lead character for this novel. Its just the right breadth and length for someone like him who is important to history but not one of the famously major players. I appreciated the way Mantel used Cromwell to espouse some of what I believe to be her own views on the value of books, reading and writing. Mantel is truly an excellent storyteller! And I'm a tough critic!

Note: I read this book before Wolf Hall and I believe it is a great stand alone book. That being said, reading Wolf Hall definitely adds any missing pieces to the story. Wolf Hall can be read before or after 'Bodies' although its the first in the series.

Second in the Trilogy; Can't Wait for the Third

You may have to do some Googleing to keep abreast of the goings-on of the English Reformation--I'm an ordained Lutheran pastor and I had to. But it's worth it. Mantel is brilliant and so is the reader!

A Fine Sequel

Bring Up The Bodies is a fine sequel to Mantel’s masterpiece, “Wolf Hall”. By lighting on the enigmatic Thomas Cromwell for her protagonist, Mantel imbues with new insight the best known historical period in England. Simon Vance is an experienced narrator and while he lacks the acting skill of the reader of the first novel, the listener is always in good hands.

Better than Wolf Hall

This book has all of the drama of Wolf Hall with none of the quirky drawbacks (like not knowing who is speaking). Simon Vance is amazing. Superb

Extraordinary performance!

Despite Hilary Mantel's sometimes obscure writing style, Simon Vance does a fantastic job with this audiobook, bringing the characters and the story to vivid life. I am looking for excuses to take long drives just so I can listen to longer stretches of this audiobook. It is probably the best I've "heard" on Audible. Absolutely superb. It's better than reading the actual book.

I really miss Simon Slater

Would you listen to Bring Up the Bodies again? Why?

Maybe - to refresh when the 3rd book comes out.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously Mantel's characters and their development are fabulous. Besides Thomas Cromwell (our hero), Jane and Henry are the stars. But Anne is wonderfully wicked as well.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I really loved Simon Slater's interpretation - it was incredibly nuanced, funny and intuitive. Simon Vance, while good, is second best in my opinion. I listened several times to Wolf Hall, just to recapture and hear more depths than I might have missed the first go around. The musical intros are dumb - sorry!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really - I'm familiar with the history and realize not all here is necessarily based in historic fact, but I love Mantel's ideas of "how it might have been'. Great book!

Any additional comments?

Bring back Simon Slater!!

Wish both books were read by the same person

I listened to this right after listening the Wolf Hall, read by a different narrator. It took me a while to get used to Thomas Cromwell's new voice in the second book.

Brilliant writing!

This is a great historical novel and guides the listener through the maze of Henry VIII's life with Ann Boleyn after the birth of Elizabeth. Fascinating, particularly since the story is told by Thomas Cromwell.

Wolf Hall was terrific and this is a worthy follow-on but can also stand alone. I kept asking myself how the author could fashion such complex yet entertaining dialogue.

Breathtaking

Such style and grace. Mantel herself is the perfect representation of sprezzatura. Tudor England lives and breathes in her prose.