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

Great Narration

I did end up listening to this book on audio because I had a hard time getting into the print version. The Narrator Simon Slater was excellent and his mastery with all the different voices helped keep all the characters straight. If I were rating just the audio quality it would be a 4 - 41/2.Will be seeking out what else Simon Slater has narrated.
As for the Book -I did enjoy this book although it is rather confusing because so many people had the same names. I also think if you have no prior Tudor knowledge this book may not be for you. You need to know some of the players and history for this book to make sense. If you are a huge fan of the Tudors and would like some background into one of the minor players (With the Royals being the major ones) then this is for you. It was very well written but not a book I would read twice. the book itself 3 1/2 Stars

Hard to follow

I agree with Ruth. The story is good, the narration is jerky. Also, The author refers to the same person in numerous ways, first name, last name, nick name all with no deliniation by the narrator. I am having a very very tough time keeping up with who is who(m?)

Tutor gossip as never before

Any additional comments?

Wolf Hall follows the life Thomas Cromwell, lawyer and statesman for Henry VIII, from childhood to midlife. Sounds overdone, right? Not at all. Mantel's Cromwell is a pragmatic, genius who loves his family and his rise to power seems almost incidental to being a good employee. That is definitely not the Cromwell of pop culture. If you like tales of intrigue, you will enjoy this book. The narration is great too! The only caution I have for you is this: The flashbacks in the beginning of the book are a bit hard to follow because there is little transitional forewarning.

Outstanding Narrator Simon Slater

What did you love best about Wolf Hall?

The reader, Simon Slater's outstanding performance makes this a must listen to any fan of historical fiction. The work contains many characters, and Mr. Slater's acting ability shines through his nibble use of numerous voices and subtile inflections that helps to keep the listener on track in this sometimes complicated story. The author employs flashbacks to Cromwell's childhood, and to his time with Cardinal Woolsey, and Slater's narration eases the listener's efforts to follow the jumps in the story line.

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

Sadly, Mr. Slater's stellar talent has been underused in the narration of other fictional works. He has done a number of "Dummies", non-fiction, non of which I have listened to, but I can't help in being disappointed that his talent as an actor has not been tapped for more fiction, as that is where he would undoubtedly be better utilized.So good was his performance in Wolf Hall, that I immediately looked to see what other works he has read, eagerly wanting to hear him perform something else. Other than a couple other works of fiction, his catalog contains mostly non-fiction. I eagerly await more productions that make use of Mr. Slater's prodigious talent.

Too long, too much

I listened to this book on a road trip and actually stopped listening and downloaded a John Grisham book instead because, after awhile, the book became tedious. It is a good story but, for me,too much time is spent on each scene in order to make it resonate with the reader. I like historical fiction but I just didn't need to know so much stuff- it detracted from the story.

Charmed by Cromwell

What did you love best about Wolf Hall?

The character of Cromwell, as constructed by Mantel, is a complex, fascinating figure. A man of worldly wisdom, wit, and energy. Morally flexible but decidedly humanist, he is a fixer, a player, a manipulator. He knows where the levers and buttons of power are, and how to pull and push them. Mantel manages to make him charming.

The history? It avoids the extremes and gives an inside and humanistic perspective of the Tudor story. Of course it's largely speculative, as any historical fiction is. But it's a great tale, well-told. Is it educational? Not sure, but it's immensely entertaining.

The narration is perhaps the best I've ever heard on an audio book.

I'm sure it's a great book

Would you try another book from Hilary Mantel and/or Simon Slater?

Yes. But difficult to parse out what is spoken dialogue and what is inner dialogue. This got confusing.

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

So much contempt in his voice!

Did Wolf Hall inspire you to do anything?

Read more about Henry VIII

Any additional comments?

Hilary Mantel is a genious.

An enjoyable listen

I know I studied this period of history, but has been decades. I enjoyed listening to this story about Thomas Cromwell, written to make it all seem so immediate. It also made me realize we as people never learn from history. The political intrigue could come from some of today's headlines.

In listening to this book, I wish the narrator had been a little more versatile in distinguishing characters with different voices. At times it was hard to tell who was saying what. But at least it didn't have "said Thomas", "said Henry", "Ann said", etc., which really jumps out in audio books. Also I've been told reading the book doesn't always make it easier to keep track of the conversations.

I like the book well enough that I definitely plan to get the next book.

Engrossing Historical Fiction

What did you love best about Wolf Hall?

I found myself quite interested in the main character and the times he lived in.

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

The main character was a complex person with an interesting past, gradually revealed. The class differences, financial dealings, the dangers of being on the wrong side of the officially accepted belief structure - they all contributed to an story that kept my interest.

Any additional comments?

I was happy to be able to listen to Bring Up the Bodies right after finishing Wolf Hall. I would like to listen to more books by Hilary Mantel on this subject.

Loved it. Listened while hiking across Scotland.

I was listening to this in the week that Brexit happened and 21st century heads rolled. It was a perfect complement to my vacation and inspired me to brush up on some English history.