Paperback, 485 pages
English language
Published 2015 by Fourth Estate.
Bring Up the Bodies unlocks the darly glittering court of Henry VII, where Thomas Cromwell is now chief minister. With Henry captivated by plain Jane Seymour and rumours of Anne Boleyn's faithlessness whispered by all, Cromwell knows what he must do to secure his position. But the bloody theatre of the queen's final days will elave no one unscathed... --back cover
An interesting read on how things might have happened and how Thomas Cromwell might have felt. I normally like more action in my historical fiction, but I'll read the next volume.
After having trouble with Wolf Hall, I was reluctant to continue with the series. I am glad I did! Bring Up the Bodies was much easier to read than its predecessor. Hilary Mantel (or her editors) finally got rid of the "he" problem with the sometimes awkward construction: "He, Cromwell."
I have learned by now that Mantel is telling the story of Cromwell. He (yes, he, Cromwell) is the center of attention; not Henry, not Anne. Cromwell is really stuck in an ugly place; he has no choice but to do the king's bidding. To Mantel's credit, she maintains some suspense even though we know the outcome. Cromwell is portrayed as a subtle, brilliant, vindictive, selfish man, and I mean this in all the best ways.
My favorite quotes from this book:
By Henry: "We cannot help what we do, really. Once you are thundering down at a man, you …
After having trouble with Wolf Hall, I was reluctant to continue with the series. I am glad I did! Bring Up the Bodies was much easier to read than its predecessor. Hilary Mantel (or her editors) finally got rid of the "he" problem with the sometimes awkward construction: "He, Cromwell."
I have learned by now that Mantel is telling the story of Cromwell. He (yes, he, Cromwell) is the center of attention; not Henry, not Anne. Cromwell is really stuck in an ugly place; he has no choice but to do the king's bidding. To Mantel's credit, she maintains some suspense even though we know the outcome. Cromwell is portrayed as a subtle, brilliant, vindictive, selfish man, and I mean this in all the best ways.
My favorite quotes from this book:
By Henry: "We cannot help what we do, really. Once you are thundering down at a man, you cannot check." He says this while preparing for jousting, but really, isn't that just Henry in a nutshell?
By Cromwell: "You know I am not a man with whom you can have inconsequential conversations."
