Wolf Hall

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Simon Slater

Length: 24 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII's court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king's favor and ascend to the heights of political powerEngland in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king's freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph? In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage.

With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2009 Hilary Mantel (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Excellent Book, Excellent Reader

Where does Wolf Hall rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high. This is a great story, beautifully researched, written, and then the choice of readers is also excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

Plot, writing, characterization, and performance. In short, the whole enchalada.

Have you listened to any of Simon Slater’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I would follow his readings anywhere! I am disappointed that he's not performing BRING UP THE BODIES, but I also love Simon Vance's reading.

I must have missed something.

That was my first thought on hearing the concluding sentences. rewind, listen, again...still the conclusion seems to be just an end. Perhaps a 2nd go through will tie it all together.

Magnificent

Perhaps the finest reading of a great novel, yet. Simon Slater's narration adds a new dimension to a rich source text. He does voices, he has a measured cadence, but his reading is neither extravagent nor unctuous. His narration is an aid to bring to further life the characters as Mantel depicts them. Read the book and listen to the audiobook.

Love this book

Great story,well crafted. The narration very well done. I would recommend this to anyone who likes period pieces.

FASCINATING HISTORY but MOVES TOO SLOWLY

What made the experience of listening to Wolf Hall the most enjoyable?

While it's tough to determine which parts are history and which parts fiction, I better understand the context surrounding historical facts with which I was already familiar.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wolf Hall?

The sudden deaths of so many from plague.

Any additional comments?

I've given this book good ratings because the story is good, the narrator's okay, but honestly, the whole thing moved so slowly that I never finished. It just did not hold my attention.

One of the best books I've ever read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am an avid reader of anything Tudor, and this is one of my absolute favorite books. The perspective of Cromwell is refreshing since most other books are written about or from the view of one of the Tudors themselves. I love the ease with which the author weaves everyday details of life in the period to the more documented events in history. The most surprising aspect of this book for me was the humor. The narrator delivers an amazing performance that enhances the quick wit and dry humor I believe the author was trying to imbue Cromwell's personality with. I am listening to this book for the third time and still find myself caught off guard with satirical quips that I missed before. I also found the story of Cromwell's life very intriguing and would definitely love to read more about him. This book is just an overall pleasure to listen to.

Love It

I am listening to this book again in preparation for the release of The Mirror and The Light. I just love this book. If you are not familiar with the saga of Henry VIII it could be confusing. For instance, my husband once asked me if Henry was Catholic. I just stared at him.
But anyone with an interest in English history will enjoy this portrait of Cromwell and the court.
Simon Slater's narration is superb. The subtle characterization is one of the best ever.
I hope you enjoy this nice long listen as much as I did.

Another Henry VIII book

Really, could I read yet another novel about this time period and these people and enjoy it? Apparently yes. This is more "literary" than the Bolyn Girls books, which made me enjoy it more. I had a bit of trouble with the narration at first, but I think really it was a quirk about the way the book was written that was hard to translate for the spoken word. The story itself is told by Thomas Cromwell, but it is all written in the third person. So it was hard to tell when "he" meant Cromwell or the other person that Cromwell was talking to or about, because you would have expected it to be "I". I had to go back and re-listen to a few sections at the beginning but once I got used to that it didn't bother me. I really enjoyed the book told from the "villian's" perspective, because, of course, real people are more complicated than simply being good or evil.

The Audio Book Made So Much More Sense To Me

I was quite excited when this book was released because I was quite looking forward to a historical novel about Thomas Cromwell et al. I had found the "dead tree book" difficult to follow and found that I was constantly wondering (confirming) who was "speaking" at any given point. It was frustrating to me because the writing is so good - I wanted to like the book as much as I had anticipated I would. I got almost to the end of the book and gave up on it ever making sense!

I wondered if I might enjoy the story ( and be able to follow it) more by listening to it and so I gave the audible version a try. It was SO much better for me than readin the book was!. Simon Slater is a very enjoyable & gifted narrator and, through his inventive voice inflections, it was much easier to keep track of who was 'speaking'. The whole story made so much more sense to me ! I'm glad that I gave the book a second try. Ms. Mantel is a truly amazing writer - and I can now look forward to her next offering.

If you too had difficulty "getting into" this book then try the audible version - it really is worth it!

I have to laugh because when I first joined Audible years ago I really didn't think that I would like audio books. I remember confirmaing that I could cancel if I decided I didn't enjoy the books. Tsk tsk - it's been quite a few years now and I have found that I love audio books. Live and Learn.

An Immersive Wonder

Would you consider the audio edition of Wolf Hall to be better than the print version?

The Man Booker Committee said, “One of the greatest achievements of modern literature.” They were spot on. Mantel draws the reader into the world of Thomas Cromwell, and before your know it, you are sitting at the table with the characters, complete with the rustle of fabric, the scent of spices, the murmur of conversation. And you are reluctant to leave. What an extraordinary character study demonstrating a breadth of research and scholarly reading that takes one's breath away!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wolf Hall?

Mantel's wily handling of the fall of Sir Thomas More, this time from Thomas Cromwell's point of view, is one of the most eye-opening episodes of the novel.