Wolf Hall

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Simon Slater

Length: 24 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Critics Circle, Fiction, 2010

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2009

Tudor England. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is charged with securing his divorce. Into this atmosphere of distrust comes Thomas Cromwell - a man as ruthlessly ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

©2009 Hilary Mantell (P)2009 WF Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"If the dance between king and mistress is expertly choreographed, it is Mantel's presentation of the common realm - the seething streets of Putney and Wimbledon, populated by drapers and boatmen - that gives this novel the force of revelation." ( The Guardian)

"...as soon as I opened the book I was gripped. I read it almost non-stop. When I did have to put it down, I was full of regret the story was over, a regret I still feel. This is a wonderful and intelligently imagined retelling of a familiar tale from an unfamiliar angle - one that makes the drama unfolding nearly five centuries ago look new again, and shocking again, too. " ( The Times)

"The reader, Simon Slater, skilfully adopts contrasting voices and the narrative has an immediacy close to a dramatisation... Provocative, rewarding listening." (The Times)

Wonderful book

I was surprised how much I loved this book and Cromwell 's character.

I just have to say that I hated how the audiobook was broken up ad hoc not according to the chapters in the book.

She is a genius. Loved it.

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

The descriptions and the characters. I loved learning about Cromwell and the time he lived in

What other book might you compare Wolf Hall to and why?

Bring up the Bodies. Both excellent.

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

Here is a man that rose to one of the most influential positions in the English court from nothing. Fascinating. From a life of abject poverty and cruelty. Fascinating. This book chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell. I loved it.

Any additional comments?

Must read both. Fabulous.

Brilliant Simplicity

I have literally just finished listening to this wonderful work, part novel, part history, part biography and wholly a revelation. It is difficult to comprehend how the well traveled road of Henry VIII, the Boylens, Thomas More, Wolsey and others could be given a new perspective. Ms Mantel has done just that, and from the point of view of the apparently least sympathetic character, Thomas Cromwell. Of course we all know how it ends, but that is in part the genius of the narrative. Even knowing that, the story presents itself, in the true sense, as novel. I was not tempted to the dictionary with regularity nor to the history books. Because the history is well know, the essentials don't need to be cross-checked (as they often have to with other historical novels). The incidentals don't press you to be checked (because they illuminate the characters in preference to the events).
I particularly like the seeming transition from the third person to the first person that the author has employed with great skill. Through it, and the simple device of capturing the day to day, she conveys what some other historical novelists miss: the inner character of the historical figures. For example, whereas Thomas More's martyrdom seems like the hallmark of his struggle with Henry, as an event for Cromwell it is much more. Cromwell respects and disrespects More in proportion, but he hates that great thinkers must be sacrificed. Yet sacrifice is the artifice of government. That dilemma for Cromwell is palpable from the narrative. For all that, the language is simple throughout, reflecting a Protestant value true to Cromwell's aspiration. It also reflects with wonderful eloquence a simpler time when there was a right and a wrong (although they could change overnight at the monarch's whim); England in the 1530s. I was tempted to keep reading, moving to the second in the trilogy at once. I have resisted only to make that reading even more auspicious.
As to the performance by Simon Slater, I think him the perfect selection to read this work. His voices were attuned to each character, particularly Cromwell and More. The stretch narrative was conveyed at a lovely pace. I am pleased to see he has also read a version of the sequel. It is on my Wish List.
In my opinion, Ms Mantel deserved the Man-Booker Prize for this work and readers of good books deserve to have books of this quality win prestigious awards.

The second best audiobook I have heard

Would you listen to Wolf Hall again? Why?

Well, what a wonderful book. Beautifully written and such incredible research. It is almost as good as JK Rowling's Casual Vacancy and that is high praise!

An enjoyable listen

I really enjoyed listening to this and it kept my interest throughout. If you enjoy Tudor history the way I do this would be well worth a listen. I am certainly going to get the sequel.

Thoroughly Satisfying

This was my first time listening to a novel on my I-Pod, and I was thrilled and totally satisfied. When the novel, which is lengthy, came to a conclusion, I almost found myself crying with disappointment. I can't wait to hear when the sequel to 'Wolf Hall' is published.

Interesting yet dull

Mantel's Wolf Hall has been reviewed to death so I'm just going to hit the high and low notes. The age is richly invoked and the novel opens an absolutely fascinating window onto the past. Mantel also succeeds in putting flesh on the bones of the main historical characters, notably an impetuous Henry VIII, a scheming Ann Boleyn and Cromwell himself, and the central plot revolving around the reformation in England interwoven with Henry's infamous marital affairs keeps you turning the page (or listening, as the case may be). However, that's where my praise dries up - for all its merits, Wolf Hall became a rather dull slog for me. The enormous cast of characters (not entirely the author's fault - this isn't fiction) meant that most are very anaemic and they had a tendency to merge into one another (frankly even the main protagonists remained elusive), and since so many share the same first name - christendom in the early fifteen hundreds was evidently populated exclusively by people named either Thomas or Mary - and Mantel felt no compulsion stick to last names, I (like so many others) was constantly confused about who was who, a problem undoubedtly aggravated by the peculiar perspective in which Mantel has chosen to write. Moreover, the plot is driven hugely by dialogue and as a result, history unfolds through the mechanics of dry discourse between players and the drama is lost in the process. England's cataclysmic wrench from the yoke of the Catholic church should have been more dramatic and exciting, instead the pace sags under the weight of ponderous discourse and minutiae rather than grand exposition. Above all, the novel lacks the marbellous contrivance of a set up - you just never feel like you are holding your breath waiting for the fates and fortunes of the characters to be decided by the outcome of an event - you just surmise through the course of an exchange between characters that the next event has happened and what the consequences might be. Still, I made it to the end, testament to its pull of its fine prose, I suspect - or the narration which was superb.

As close to perfection as it gets

Never has a book so nearly given me the impression of looking out of the eyes of another human being. The Thomas Cromwell depicted in this nearly perfect novel is a complex, real man, the product of his upbringing and his society, shaped by tragedies and triumphs as narrow in scope as his brilliantly drawn household and as broad as all Christendom, and himself the shaper of a whole new England - one that would in due course change the world forever.

Slater's narration is also simply magical. He gives each character his or her (and there are many significant hers) own voice, manner and personality. I swore when I learned that the sequel is not narrated by him, because I wanted desperately for this astonishing experience to continue seamlessly for the length of another novel. At least.

The rating I have given is not accustomed hyperbole - in half a dozen reviews this is my first 5/5/5 stars, and richly deserved for the delight I have had over the last few days. Enjoy.

Fabulous Narration Brings Big Story Alive

What did you love best about Wolf Hall?

Hilary Mantel brings this era to life in one's mind's eye, with her accurate descriptions and real flesh and blood characters that are solid to the bone. The title, however, has very little to do with the story, Wolf Hall being the home of Jane Seymour's family, and this book is mainly concerned with the life and career of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief adviser and counsel, and that of the seven years it took to see Queen Catherine deposed, and Anne Boleyn installed as Henry's second bride. It follows the tensions of the religious beliefs and superstitions of the day, the tumult of the turning of England away from the rule of Catholicism and the very conception of the Church of England. Strewn with court gossip and delicate descriptions of allegiances and connivings among the courtiers, and more than the odd grisly execution and plague, and one feels and breathes the atmosphere that Mantel so carefully weaves her reader (listener) into.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Thomas Cromwell won my heart. Hilary constantly refers to Thomas as 'he' and then later in the book, as 'he, Cromwell'. Apparently history did not do Thomas Cromwell any kindnesses, but Hilary's depiction of him is of almost a modern thinking man, incredibly intelligent, stealthy, trustworthy and even compassionate. I had no idea that the modern political system was actually largely influenced by this man, and with that, the creation of the Church under the British Monarch, instead of being ruled by Rome from afar, where the well-being of the nation of England was far from the Roman Pope's concern.

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

Simon Slater, I want to marry you... Oh to wake up each day and hear your dulcet tones would be as milk and honey for my ears. Simon brings each character alive, how he remembers all the voices he creates for each character and remains true to them right to the end is beyond me. Far from just being entertaining, it helps one to remember each character and their part in the story, as it is a vastly populated story, and one could easily forget who and what each character is/does. Simon read the story to me where I would have easily stopped reading the book, as it is wordy, and the plots are convoluted. I can see why there are many reviews on book sites where readers say they just gave up on this book without finishing it. I would have too had I not had it in Audible version. And I never grew tired of hearing his voice. Simon has a clearly enunciated but relaxed style of speaking, a beautiful well-rounded resonant baritone, a real 'man's voice', and yet, reading the women's voice parts, he did those so well too. And all the foreign accents. The Putney accent made me laugh. I hope the sequel "Bring Up the Bodies" is as good, although it is not narrated by Simon.

Who was the most memorable character of Wolf Hall and why?

Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII and the conniving, ill-tempered, Anne Boleyn. This book made me want to research this period of history so I could better understand the political and religious contexts. The master painter Hans Holbein, the Court painter of the time, so wonderfully captured each one of these artful players from England's history. I now have a better understanding and appreciation of the influence on our current political system after having done this small bit of research. Who knew Thomas Cromwell? No-one, yet he is responsible for so much of the way our modern societal systems work.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly recommend this book in Audible format. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you Hilary for your incredible creation and thank you Simon for making it come to life.

Like taking a bath in words

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

A great book, beautifully written by an author at the top of her game. What is utterly striking is the way that some of the most dramatic events in history are portrayed through everyday life seemingly without the curse of hindsight. You feel like you are really living the events side by side with Cromwell.

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

Simon slater must be one of the best narrators anywhere, his staging,voice and delivery are beyond gorgeous.i loved every minute of his performance.