Wolf Hall

A Novel

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Ben Miles

Length: 25 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

This program is read by Ben Miles, who played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.

Winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction

A New York Times best seller

England 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 20 years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and 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's Wolf Hall is "a darkly brilliant reimagining of life under Henry VIII.... Magnificent." (The Boston Globe)

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2009 Hilary Mantel (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Excellent Book

Well researched. Thorough, interesting perspective. Would read more from this author. King Henry V111 is a popular subject for many authors. This was refreshing.

Absolutely brilliant writing

Highly entertaining & well researched historical novel. Really was a departure from the conventional impression I always had about Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Moore. Most enjoyable.

Incredible Narration

After listening to around 200 books on Audible I found the performance by the narrator to be the best I’ve heard. Beautifully written as well.

Abrupt end

Beautifully written, and seemingly historically accurate, but unfortunately ends abruptly. I was hoping it would take us to the end of Cromwell himself.

Enchanting

I’m just discovering Hilary Mantel’s writing and I’m absolutely enthralled. And the audio narration is on par with Jim Dale from the Harry Potter series. Can’t wait to start bring up the bodies.

outstanding narration

i’m pretty sure i’m not going to make it thru this whole book…long and a bit tedious in the relationship stories…but good! just long.
the narration is outstanding…i’m going to look for him again.

A Rewarding Effort

Read the book, listen to the audible, and watch season one of the series from 2015. What a fun way to explode all the media! Even so, I gave up on trying to follow all of the characters and understand relationships. But I don’t think that’s essential for reading and getting the most out of this book.

Brilliant writing and narration

Although I agree, if you don’t have context about the characters, read up first. I’ve read a lot about this period but sometimes had to rewind. That said: well worth a little preparation. It’s fabulous

Great story

I'm a huge fan of this time in history and all things Tudors. This was a great book to imagine all of the inner workings of the court without focusing directly on Henry and his ladies.
My complaint would be in the narration. I think it was done well with the exception of the paragraph breaks... where we as readers can see a wider space between separate story parts to indicate a new situation, the narrator just continues reading as if it's just the next paragraph. Without that pause it's quite confusing at times trying to figure out what is going on.
Nit picking tho. Worth a credit

The rise of Thomas Cromwell

Hilary Mantel immerses us in the shifting dynamics of Tudor politics; the desires of Henry VIII, the stranglehold of the clergy on the commoners and the blind ambition of Thomas Cromwell. This is not simply a novel, it is a work of art in the form of a time machine.