Wolf Hall

A Novel

De: Hilary Mantel

Narrado por: Ben Miles

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

“[Ben] Miles’ charming, yet dastardly narration makes Cromwell an anti-hero worth rooting for no matter how hard you try not to.”—TIME on Wolf Hall

WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR FICTION
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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 twenty 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

One of the best novels I’ve encountered

The Audible performance is superb. This was such a stunning “read”. Watching the television adaptation, which is much condensed, was very helpful for orienting to what is a very long story with very many characters, BTW.

Be careful...

If you enjoy any or all of 1) historical fiction, 2) fine writing in English, 3) spoken-work performance, 4) audiobooks in general, then starting this book will very likely turn into a ca. 80-hour commitment, since you will likely feel compelled to listen to the rest of the trilogy, and experiencing the last few hours of The Mirror and the Light may be almost as painful, due to anticipation of the end, as it is rewarding. All of your usual diversions - streaming services, regular TV, reading, whatever - anything that doesn't let you also listen with reasonably full attention, will lose value, and, when you're done, you may find it difficult to persuade yourself from samples, descriptions, and reviews that new audiobooks will measure up.

Spectacular Narration, Some Confusing Points

Overall, "Wolf Hall" is a most excellent, entertaining read. Ben Miles's narration is spot on. Narrating this is no small feat. He does all the accents well, and translates the character's moods. Namely, he makes the reader see Anne Boelyn, one character he finds most distasteful. One thing about this book is it is hard to follow. The the third first person narrative is complicated, and one never, or rather has to decipher who is often being discussed or doing the discussing. As this is Thomas Cromwell's story, it is still confusing. And too, the flashbacks from early in his life to the present day aren't always clear. But this aside, the reader just has to remember this is Cromwell's story, as this is not normal for a book on the Tudor dynasty. Hilary Mantel truly did a masterful job of making this unique in that way. All in all, this is a masterpiece.

Astonishingly beautiful and detailed writing

What the PBS special failed to capture is the mirthfulness of Cromwell’s character. I laughed out load many times while listening to this book.

Good...but tedious at times

I enjoyed the different perspective on Henry. He seemed more like a person than a monster. In fact all the characters seemed "human". The reader was amazing but I got lost several times and I had to make myself listen to it in the beginning. Just seemed a little dry. But glad I finished it and will more than likely listen to the others eventually.