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

Good book, but not good for audio

Wolf Hall presents a wonderful and unique perspective of Thomas Cromwell. Yet, while I have a fair background in Tudor history, the narration was very diffucult to follow, mostly because the characters are not adequately identified in their conversations, (which is bascially the enitre book). Although the narrator makes a notable attempt to give each character its own voice, there are just too many voices to keep track of without some help from the text itself. (the exceptions being Wolsey and More)

Of course, I mostly listen to audiobooks while driving to and from work. This book was just a little to intricate for the road.

Just Amazing

This is just a tremendous piece of historically well-briefed fiction and it makes me thirst for the sequel. If you have the slightest interest in the transition from the age of Chivalry to a more "modern," commerce- driven England, and especially if you have a specific interest in Henry VIII and the politics of his court and its gradual separation from Rome listen to this book now! But even if you think you have ZERO interest in either of these themes, STILL get this book; it is quite simply the best piece of writing in its genre that i've had the privelege of enjoying for some years.

A Feast of a Historical Novel

The language of this novel is so rich and atmospheric it was wonderful to hear it read aloud. It's about the reign of Henry VIII and his courtship and marriage to Anne Boleyn from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell and is very, very well written and fascinating. There is apparently a sequel to which I am looking forward. The narration was very good, although I must admit I had already read the novel in book form before I got the audiobook. I can see that it would be hard to follow the families without the pages which give the relationships, which were found in the beginning of the printed text. Still, I very much enjoyed this production.

An epic of shifting alliances in dangerous waters

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

The narrator was spectacular, bringing the characters to life with well-developed voices and personas. Also, the constantly changing array of faces and the constant dance being undertaken by Cromwell in attempting to stay ahead in the world and serve his chosen prince.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

He's capable of doing everything; what will his fate be when he's finally asked to do the impossible?

Any additional comments?

There are two challenges here: (1) there's some movement forward and backward in time, with no guidance or warning, so you have to sort of roll with it and let the scene help you out (the narration helps much to keep track of the players) , (2) there are strangely short pauses between scenes/chapters, so that sometimes you don't get a moment to process the end of the scene before realizing that you're now hearing the chapter title/intro text for the next. (I mean, it can literally be in the pacing between character chat -- "oh, so you'd say" "Chapter 4") An extra beat or two would have helped a lot here.

Really, overall, this is a very complex kalidescope of scenes enwrapping both historical developments (e.g., the Reformation and attendant heresy accusations), political intrigues (who's currying favor with whom, who can get the king the wife he wants), and personal exchanges and developments (whose wife dies suddenly of a seasonal plague, who has sympathy for whom, expressed or not). The narration is so fantastic, that I imagine it makes the book much easier to sort out than the print version -- I sucked it down in a week. But it is a tangle, and some knowledge of the historical context/events is very helpful.

Deeply absorbing

The literary cognoscenti weighed in on this book a few years ago. There's no point in my trying to say what they have already said so well.

This is certainly the best historical novel I have ever read. The narration is excellent. the next time I have the bandwidth to deeply immerse in a novel, it will be the next in the series.

Decide what kind of book...

Decide what kind of book you're interested in before choosing this one. I'm not a frequent writer of reviews, but I feel strongly that this book is under appreciated. If you're into flowery, catty romantic medieval tales by Phillipa Gregory- easy listening- you may not like Wolf Hall. Generally when I listen to audio books, I do so while balancing the checkbook, cooking dinner, even while holding a conversation with my poor husband. I found that you cannot do that with this book, it requires your whole attention, or you will be lost. It doesn't go from point A to point B. It goes from point D to point B, A to C. And back. It jumps very quickly. This can be a little annoying, however the authors voice in the writing is fabulous. The dry, easily overlooked humor of the characters tickles me. The history is solid, and for once the book isn't about Anne or Henry, but about Cromwell. I wish The Cardinal was in more of the book, he was a fun character. I'm rambling. Anyways, the book is not a medieval romance. If that's what you like, prepare to be disappointed.

I expected more...

I have been a fan of stories about the Tudors, but this one left me wanting more.

First of all, unless you are fully familiar with all the key players in that part of history, then you are out of luck in terms of really understanding and visualizing the characters. I thought the character development was lacking - in most cases you didn't know what anyone looked like, what they sounded like, etc.

I also felt like both the story and narration didn't have a good flow. There weren't a lot of highs and lows; just a steady, monotonous description of the political dealings inside the Tudor household from the prospective of Cranmer. There were many times throughout the listening that I couldn't tell when one chapter had ended and the other one started - even at the end I felt like "wait, that was it?... okay..."

Don't get me wrong, this author is obviously talented and people smarter than me have given her awards for this piece of work, so there's obviously something to it. I'll just say that if you are looking for a good story to entertain you in your free time, this probably isn't what you're looking for. If you are a huge fan of the Tudors, know the era inside and out, and just want some further insight from the prospective of Cranmer - by all means, dig in.

Extraordinary

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

The depth of history here is extraordinary. You feel like you are there. I did struggle a little with the sheer volume of characters (many of whom had titles and names that changed!) but learnt to just let the story flow over me and concentrate on Cromwell.Some have commented on the present tense as being a strange choice but I liked it - in fact I didn't really notice it thinking about it there is an immediacy about it. A sense that this is some fusty old history.A wonderful listen. I'm looking forward to the next two in the series - even though one is written yet!

Not Feeling It

What did you like best about Wolf Hall? What did you like least?

The history; the authenticity of the times as reflected in the writing.

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

Not with this reader. He makes Thomas Cromwell inaccessible and remote. I actually re-listened to the book after seeing the mini-series. Simon Slater's Thomas Cromwell is a snob and hoity-toity.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He made Cromwell too high falutin'....Thomas was down-to-earth in the mini-series; a self-made man. Simon's Cromwell is remote and seems inauthentic compared to the performance given by Mark Rylance.

Do you think Wolf Hall needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

England does a great job of preserving its history for better or for worse. It's a never-ending source of stories, history and myths.

Any additional comments?

Wish Mark Rylance had read the book.

Please God, Let Simon Slater Narrate My Life

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

One of the best audiobooks I've heard (and I've heard many). There is something inexorable about the movement of this book and this narrator (actually... both Simon Slater and Thomas Cromwell). Something to which we must attend. Something which cannot be denied... and I'm not alone in this, I know.
Hilary Mantel has done such a service to history, it just makes me want to hug the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cromwell.
I love the way he growls at the passage of time.

What does Simon Slater bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice is... very Cromwell-appropriate. It matches his attitude and his life's-story so nicely... while Simon Vance (Bring up the Bodies) does a fine job, his reading suffers by comparison (no fault of his own) bc Slater is so iconically suited to this part.

If there is a God, s/he will allow Slater to record Bring up the Bodies and all Mantel/Cromwell books which follow...

If you could take any character from Wolf Hall out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Cromwell... but I'd want to be sure there was plenty to drink at the dinner. _I_ would need it... I doubt he would.

Any additional comments?

The narrative is odd-ish, sure. Mantel's work here is very different from what you'd expect form a Tudor-iffic story... but Slater's voice and Mantel's genius merge here in a grand way to make you ache for a time machine.