Wolf Hall - Prize Winning Novel

King Henry VIII

The historical novel Wolf Hall, written by Hilary Mantel, not only won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in the UK, it is also a wonderful and insightful story set in the Court of King Henry VIII.

It tells the story of Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII's closest and most trusted advisers while the king was trying to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. Cromwell was also instrumental in the Reformation of the church in England and the split from the Roman Catholic Church.

So far, so dry and boring, you might think. Don't believe it. Before you have read much of this long novel, Thomas Cromwell will feel like a close friend.

The Background of Wolf Hall

Intricately Plotted and Beautifully Written

We meet Thomas Cromwell as a young man lying on the cobbles after being beaten by his blacksmith father. After this, he leaves home to seek his fortune and prospers through his intelligence and shrewdness. The story doesn't go into great detail about these years; it really starts when Cromwell is working for the great Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII's chief minister. He survives the Cardinal's fall from grace and the king gradually begins to trust him and seek his advice.

This is the time when Martin Luther and other reformers were causing a schism in the Roman Catholic Church. William Tyndale is printing and distributing his English version of the Bible so that ordinary people can read it. Before, it was only printed in Latin. This is also the period when Henry is enamoured by Anne Boleyn although he is still married to Catherine of Aragon. His petitions to the Pope in Rome to have the marriage annulled have fallen on stony ground.

Cromwell favours reform of the Church and a split from Rome which will also allow Henry, as head of the new Church of England, to divorce Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Is the Novel Worth Reading or Is It Hard Work?

The Novel's Front Cover in the UK

I very nearly didn't read Wolf Hall because I had read very mixed reviews of it. Some said it was brilliant and deserved to win its awards. Others said it was hard work, hard to follow the plot, and altogether disappointing.

This novel isn't a quick, easy read. You wouldn't expect to read 650 pages (in my edition) quickly. Nor would you expect a Man Booker winning novel to be a light read.

We see the world through Thomas Cromwell's eyes although it is written in the third person. We are rather like a monkey sitting on his shoulder, seeing and hearing what he sees and also experiencing his emotions. This style leads to some confusion until you become accustomed to it because Cromwell is only very rarely referred to by name. The author mostly refers to him as "he". Once I realised this was deliberate, I quickly became used to it and experienced very little confusion about which 'he' was speaking or doing something.

For me, this style brought me closer to Cromwell. The very rare use of his name seemed to remove a barrier between me and the character.

If you like intelligent, historical novels, I recommend Wolf Hall without reservation.

I found this to be a fascinating look at the intrigue and politics of Henry VIII's dangerous court and a believable, in-depth, psychological profile of a common man who rises to great power in the world of the Tudors.

What of Thomas Cromwell?

Was He a Villain?

Thomas Cromwell

In many accounts of the period, Cromwell has featured as a villain, a self-seeking man on the make, corrupt and immoral. Here's a quote from the novel on his character:

'Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning,' says Thomas More, 'and when you come back that night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion eating larks' tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.'

 This opinion is not universal amongst historians, though. Some see him as a man of principle particularly in his ambition to free the English Church from Rome and to allow the Bible to be translated into English so anyone could read it bearing in mind most poor people could not read at all. 

It's true he was a man of his time and took bribes for favours but that was customary and not unusual. According to his own words, there were limits, though.

"Who seeth not that he that is an evil counsellor to a prince is an evil counsellor to a realm?"If it be sin to be an evil counsellor to one man, what abomination, what devilish and horrible sin is it to be a flatterer or an evil counsellor to a prince? "

Truthfully, we don't know what he was really like, whether he was an evil man or just a man living in evil times.

What I can say is that I liked him in the book and was on his side. What's more, I read the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies as soon as I could after it was published. 

You can buy the novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk