Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary MantelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well and truly hooked on this history, now! Brilliant, despite being so intimidating.
This is not an easy series, but it is incredibly rewarding. No matter how much effort I put into this review, it won't do it justice.
Mantel's writing will leave you scratching your head at times, but the richness of this story is, to me, unparalleled.
This second volume in the series sees the fall of Anne Boleyn, heavily instrumented by Thomas Cromwell. The man is a master of manipulation and here we get to see him really shine, with all his scheming and fingers on the pulse of everything.
It was much easier diving into this one, being already familiar with the writing style, but I still found I needed to have a clear head while reading because any word missed obscures any further meanings. Every word of this book seems essential, even when discussing something seemingly trivial.
I'll be real - I couldn't tell you half of the events that transpired in this book. I was swept up in semi-understanding, appreciating all the little moments as they related to the bigger picture. I think this is the kind of series that would be enhanced by a re-read, with more details sinking in on a second pass. As it was, I really enjoyed it but will freely confess that I really only understood about 80% of it. The politics are A LOT.
This is not light fare, but is fascinating both in content and delivery. I'm really enjoying learning about this period of history in such detail, and I'm oblivious of enough of it that I'm curious as to how the series will conclude.
A book for the deep thinkers and great appreciators of historical fiction; for those who love challenging wordplay and richly developed characters. Not one for those who want a fast pace, but absolutely worthwhile for those who don't mind lingering in a particular period and mulling over the intricate details.
Read as part of the Wolf Crawl slow read with Footnotes & Tangents
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