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

Five stars on all counts

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

This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to because it's such a fascinating, well-written literary achievement. Although exploring the mind and character of Thomas Cromwell, it has much to say to us today about the uses of political power and the clash of government and religion. The book's great strength is giving readers/listeners the view from inside Cromwell's mind---a very intelligent place to be. Hilary Mantel certainly deserved the Booker Prize for this book.

What about Simon Slater’s performance did you like?

Simon Slater captures a vast number of characters with his powerful and nuanced narration and he rendered perfectly the humanity and fierce intelligence of Thomas Cromwell, making me realize once again that audiobook narration is a high art that should be honored as such. I like Simon Vance too, but I wonder why Slater is not the narrator on the follow-up book to Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies. In any case, I'll look for Slater's work in the future and I'm grateful to have this one.

Fantastic!

Written entirely in first person, this is an amazing historical novel. Though not portrayed kindly in history, Mantel's Thomas Cromwell is sympathetic and generous. As other reviewers have said, it helps to already know the cast of characters in Henry VIII's court. It would be confusing if one didn't come to the story with the knowledge that Suffolk was Charles Brandon, Norfolk was Thomas Howard, etc. The narration is superb. Looking forward to Hilary Mantel's next volume of Cromwell's life. This book ends with Thomas More's case, but students of the period know there is more to come for Cromwell.

Historical but plot line disconnected

This is a great book for people who love history. A few of the characters have depth and texture that really come to life – but the story itself jumps from scene to scene and time to time such that many people in the book don't come fully to life, and if you don't know much about the era already it could be very hard to follow.

For History Buffs

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

It is an average listen because it requires so much prior knowledge to follow and the shifts of time aren't clear, even on the printed page.

Would you recommend Wolf Hall to your friends? Why or why not?

If you're a history buff of England you'll enjoy this counterpoint view of Henry VIII and his wives. It requires some prior knowledge of the time to follow the cast of characters and why this man's reign was so impactful and shocking, as were the coinciding religious times.

Which character – as performed by Simon Slater – was your favorite?

The main character was the best with nuances to assist understanding.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Certainly not. It's too long and far too complex for such a read unless you speed read with an amazing agility.

Any additional comments?

The cast of characters was helpful, but a period timeline would have helped even for one familiar with this era's history. Google one to have by your side for this trilogy. Also, the initial quotations are obscure without research. The author's insight or explanations for these haven't been found on-line either.

Tudor Details Abound

As an English professor, I have long known Tudor history but very much enjoyed the perspective of Thomas Cromwell. That was new to me. "Wolf Hall" has a huge amount of detail; if you like that, you'll like this. It sometimes felt a bit over-the-top to me. I also hoped to be gripped by the story but did not.

Great prose

Of course, Henry the 8th is great fodder for story telling, but Mantel does it from the unique perspective of an outsider. Cromwell is rarely portrayed sympathetically and yet Mantel brings us inside his viewpoint using imaginative prose.

Slater's fantastic performance

What did you like about this audiobook?

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall is a rich and rewarding novel with a somewhat challenging narrative technique that puts you sometimes inside the protagonist's head in 3rd person and sometimes outside, dialogue that can be difficult to decipher at times. Slater's performance give each of the many characters a distinctive voice, which helps enormously in enjoying the clever exchanges and asides of these rich characters and brings them to life marvelously. I am currently rereading and listening to Wolf Hall simultaneously for maximum enjoyment.

A Difficult Listen

I came to purchase this audiobook when my local PBS station was to begin airing the miniseries. If it were not for the support of the dramatic series, I'm not sure I'd have been able to stick with it.

The story is told jumping from one time period of Cromwell's life to another without preamble, confusing me, but with the dramatization, I began to appreciate the cadences . The time jumps illustrate the character 's previous experiences which had shaped their reasoning when contemplating a current issue.

I gained a couple of new quotes to add to my own philosophy. One about how someone is always warning that their time is "the end times" which is true enough. The addition that these prophets are usually apt to "accuse their neighbor of being the antichrist" shows the subtle wit of the author. I got a wry giggle from that given the crazy violence of our modern times always in the name of someone's god.

The other quote deals with planning for future years being "no good at all " if one doesn't have a plan for tomorrow.

So by the end of the book, after re-listening to parts of it , I have to say that it was quite a good story. I'll enjoy leisurely researching some of the history.

Amazing history and daily life revealed!

What did you love best about Wolf Hall?

Thomas Cromwell seems so real I could touch him. Love the depth and the descriptive language. The 16th century came to life for me.

What about Simon Slater’s performance did you like?

Wonderful characterization of voices brings out the individual.

READ THE BOOK FIRST

I clicked the highest star ratings on faith and hope rather than than my frustrating listening experience. It would be dishonest to give a low rating to a book I haven't fully listened to to. It's not the book's fault. The author is great. The narrator is very satisfying. Here's the problem (my problem, anyway):
Wolf Hall is a complicated book. It's well-written and well-researched. It would be engaging if I were reading it. But for me, it's an impossible listen. It's convoluted, full of flashbacks and peppered with minutiae, a lot of which is important. The listener needs to remember what's been said. All of it. The characterization, plot and intervining of sub plots are deep and wide. Or so I believe. I'm not giving up on it. I just plan to read the book before I listen. It will require chocolate.

Jane Gentry Malcolm
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