Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall
Fourth Estate, 2009
With a Big Book like this one, everything to do with reading is More. And, so, I have resisted reading this one MORE determinedly than any of the other books on this year’s Orange Prize list.
This despite having heard Hilary Mantel read the opening passages in a podcast many months before the prizes started rolling in, despite having found myself completely swept into the tale with only a few pages read in her voice.
This despite an overblown fascination with English history some years ago that found me reading countless novels, everything from Jean Plaidy to Rosalind Miles, dated ’50s bookclub editions alongside more serious tomes shelved in the women’s bookstores I frequented.
But I finally started reading this over the long weekend and it’s far more inviting than I would have guessed.
So far I am enjoying the style, the rhythm of the prose, which seems to suit the historical setting. And a couple of passages near the beginning caught my eye for their simple beauty and effectiveness (can’t you feel that sea, hear that sigh?).
“…his first sight of the open sea: a grey wrinkled vastness, like the residue of a dream.” [Cromwell]
“He makes a great, deep, smiling sigh, like a leopard settling in a warm spot.” [Wolsey]
But, since then, I must have gotten caught up in the story itself; I’m 120 pages into the novel and haven’t made a note since page 19.
I know a lot of people have already read and raved about this book; I’m planning to finish reading this for my last Orange Monday, two days before the 2010 Orange Prize is awarded: what do you think I should be watching for, taking notes about? Or should I just continue to enjoy the story?
On Mondays and Thursdays, until the 2010 Orange Prize is announced,
I am Buried In Print. 14 bookchatted here, 3 to come, 3 missed.
Thanks for all the bookish comments!
Laura – I`m not sure if I`m really allowing myself to be swept away by the story or am just too overwhelmed by the weight of the book itself to add a notebook and pen to the burden, but I`m still not taking any notes!
Danielle – I`ll be watching to see how you enjoy it as well; taking it off the shelf is the first step. ::laughs::
Aarti – I haven`t read that many reviews really, so thanks for the warning: I can see already where they might be tricky if I were to let my reader`s guard down too far.
Victoria – Thanks for the suggestion: I will keep my reader`s eye on him.
Lija – Agreed that it takes some encouragement: Victoria`s and Jodie`s suggesting that they would have re-read if there`d been time is egging me on now.
Sasha – I now see a beady-eyed pupil where previously I saw only a white flower on the cover: thanks a lot.
Jodie – I`m studiously and stubbornly avoiding thoughts of the winner just now because I haven`t finished this one or read the Allison one yet (or Farooki`s, but it wasn`t shortlisted), but I`m starting to get excited for sure.
Oh my God there are only 13 days left until the winner is announced! I am so excited, but I’m also like ‘must read faster’ as I’ve two and a bit books left on the shortlist. Any ideas on which book sould win yet?
I know what you mean about size making you put books to the back of the Orange queue. I just started ‘The Lacuna’ and I resisted it for so long because it was huge. ‘Wolf Hall’ got gobbled up during Booker season though because it was so goood. I say just enjoy it and then re-read it closely later (I want to do this soon).
I echo Lija. Just the sheer girth of the book makes me balk. It stares at me with beady eyes whenever I go into the bookstore. Good luck! And you just wow me for taking this on, haha.
Oh man, good luck! I can’t bring myself to crack this one open. It’ll take a few more very convincing reviews to make me do it!
Oh, just get swept away. 🙂 I read this in just 4 days over a summer holiday last year and absolutely adored it. I would have read it again for the Orange if I’d had time. I’d be tempted to take notes on Cromwell’s character though, how he changes, warps and spreads throughout the novel. When I came to sit back after I’d finished it I wished I’d studied him a little more closely.
I love this one! I think you’ve heard this before if you’ve read other reviews of this book, but… watch the pronouns!
I’ve been avoiding this one! I finally made myself take it off the shelf this morning promising to give it a go. I’ll be sure to follow your reading. Enjoy!
I think you should just allow yourself to get swept away! Enjoy.